Missions Pulse episode 57: Brent Fulton

Missions Pulse 57: Brent Fulton

On this episode of Missions Pulse, David Joannes interviews Brent Fulton, an avid China watcher and the founder of ChinaSource. Fulton has written and taught extensively on the church in China and on Chinese social and political phenomena. He is the author of China’s Urban Christians: A Light That Cannot Be Hidden and co-authored China’s Next Generation: New China, New Church, New World with Luis Bush.

Brent Fulton talks about four common China narratives, the Coronavirus, China’s urban vs. rural Church, Kintsugi and the art of Chinese lament, parallels between the Chinese and Western Church, and what needs to change when partnering with local believers in China.

Want to learn more? Purchase a new webinar from ChinaSource called Our China Stories: Unpacking Contemporary Narratives about the Church in China.

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When you think about China, there are a few narratives that arise. Brent Fulton talks about the 4 dominant China narratives: the persecution narrative, the needy China narrative, the Christian China narrative, and the missionary church narrative. These four narratives represent a slice of reality, but God is doing much bigger things. We must be attuned to God’s heart to understand to catch a glimpse of what He is doing in China and the nations.

God allows brokenness to reveal beauty. David Joannes talks about the history of Kintsugi and Brent Fulton reminds us of the suffering Church and what we have to learn from them. Struggle and difficulty often show us a new facet of God’s grace and glory. The Church in China understands this reality, crying out to God in the midst of their suffering.

In an April 23, 1900 address in Carnegie Hall, NYC, Hudson Taylor said, “We have given too much attention to methods, and to machinery, and to resources, and too little to the Source of Power; the filling with the Holy Ghost. This, I think you will agree with me, is the great weakness, has been the great weakness of our service in the past, and unless remedied will be the great weakness in the future.” This truth has affected the global Church, perpetuating the reality of the unreached. Brent Fulton encourages us to be more self-reflective and rely on the leading of the Holy Spirit.

David Joannes and Brent Fulton give a brief overview of China’s history. More recently, a new wave of persecution has arrived. However, Brent says, the rural Church in a very different place than they were a couple of decades ago.

The Church in China has followed the migrant flow from rural to urban settings. This brings a number of unique challenges, particularly in the family life of lay leaders and pastors. Technological development has also transformed the cultural values of China’s society. Pray for the urban Church in China as they grow in faith and seek to make Christ known in the realms of influence.

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Have you ever wondered what makes a missionary tick? What are the underlying motivations of those who cross cultural, geographical, and linguistic boundaries for the sake of Jesus Christ? What compels them to take such extreme measures and why do their actions still inspire Christians worldwide? In The Mind of a Missionary, David Joannes challenges you to find your role in God’s glorious Kingdom narrative. He draws upon history, psychology, life experience, and powerful storytelling to reshape your perception of God’s unique plan for your life. Purchase this book at Amazon today.

Links mentioned in the show:

https://www.chinasource.org/