Becoming a Christian when nobody else in your family is a Christian can be difficult whatever your culture, but for Chinese believers there is an additional hurdle.
Chinese communities have a strong tradition of ancestor worship, under which the living are responsible for caring for their relatives after death. Parents whose children become Christians often worry that their son or daughter who no longer accepts their beliefs won’t look after them in the afterlife. If families of Christian converts are to embrace the change in their loved one, Chinese pastors and evangelists need to be equipped to handle this issue with sensitivity.
Dr Hann Tzuu Joey Tan, a Langham Scholar and Director of the Research Centre at Malaysia Bible Seminary, is preparing to publish the fruits of a seven-year research project into contextualised preaching for the Chinese community. Focused on the major Chinese festivals, the research asks how those preaching in Chinese contexts can draw on the beliefs behind Chinese festivals to illustrate Christian faith in a way that will resonate with their congregations.
