What Does Christian Hope Look Like? (part 3: Watchman Nee)

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Watchman Nee was born & grew up in mainland China. In 1920, he gave his life to Jesus at the age of 17. He immediately devoted himself to ministry and came under the tutelage of a British woman who not only taught him the faith but who also bequeathed him with all her possessions when she died 10 years later.

He was an avid reader, spending 1/3 of his income on personal needs, 1/3 on helping others, and 1/3 on buying Christian books. He also began to write at a voracious pace, publishing books that have been translated into many languages. Perhaps his most popular book is The Normal Christian Life. His philosophy was to emphasize an inner spirituality.

The foundations for phenomenal church growth were laid during his lifetime. He and many unknown Chinese Christians and foreign missionaries founded churches, trained leaders and prepared materials.

These churches all had to go underground after the rise of Mao Zedong and the Communist Party following World War 2. Watchman Nee was imprisoned in 1952, along with thousands of other prominent Christians. He died in prison in 1972.

For decades no one knew if the Chinese church survived. In the last 25 years, however, Western Christians have been shocked to discover that the strong foundations put in place not only survived but gave rise to a massive explosion of Christian growth. House churches in China number in the tens of thousands, if not more. Some conservative estimates say that the number of Christians in China is about 50 million.

Watchman Nee could have fled China as did other Christian leaders. But he chose to stay. The courage and hope he left behind have gifted Christianity not just with a good legacy but with a great future.

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