God’s Kingdom is Healthy and Growing in Asia!

For those who are concerned about the decline in church attendance and Christian faith in North America and Europe, there is good coming from both the Southern hemisphere (Africa and South America) and perhaps, more unexpectedly, from Asia.

On May 11, Leland Seminary and The Reformed Institute will be hosting Rev. Dr. David C. Chao of Princeton Theological Seminary to discuss some of the surprising aspects of this growth, its impact on God’s kingdom and what lessons the church in the West may take from this.

“Despite the persecution Christians are facing in many areas of the world, we’re hearing very encouraging news that God’s hand is still at work,” said Rev. Dr. John Lee, Academica Dean at Leland Seminary. “The Church is not dead!”

Dr. Chao’s presentation, entitled, Reformed Identity, Christendom, and Global Christianity: The Case of Asia, will look at locally driven growth in Christianity among the Pentecostal, Reformed and Evangelical faith traditions. He’ll address the health of the church in the Philippines and South Korea, but also the challenges faced by Christians in Muslim-dominant Indonesia and the underground church in China.

“We’re talking about millions of believers in Asia,” said Dr. Lee. “Why is Christianity growing there and what can we learn to reverse the decline of the Church here? This will be an eye-opening and valuable presentation for clergy, lay people and students, particularly in terms of the fundamentals of sharing the gospel with neighbors and church planting.”

Dr. Chao is director of the Center for Asian American Christianity at Princeton Theological Seminary. He teaches courses on Asian American theology and organizes academic programming in Asian American theology and ministry. His research and writing focus on Asian American theology, the uses of Christian doctrine for liberation, the convergence and divergence of Protestant and Catholic dogmatics, and the theology of Karl Barth.

The lecture, which will include breakfast and be followed by a Q&A period, will be held from 8:30 am to 11 am on Saturday, May 11 at Immanuel Presbyterian Church, at 1125 Savile Lane in McLean, VA.  For people in town, this is an IN-PERSON event (out-of-town participants may have virtual access).

For more information, and to register, visit: https://reformedinstitute.org/