CHENGDU PATRIOTIC CHURCH LEADER COOPERATING WITH AMERICAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CHENGDU 000161

SIPDIS

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STATE FOR EAP/CM AND DRL/IRF

E.O. 12958: DECL: 6/28/2032
TAGS: PHUM PGOV SCUL SOCI KIRF CH
SUBJECT: CHENGDU PATRIOTIC CHURCH LEADER COOPERATING WITH AMERICAN
"ENGLISH TEACHERS"

CHENGDU 00000161 001.2 OF 002


CLASSIFIED BY: John Hill, Acting Consul General, AmCongen
Chengdu, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)




1. (C) Summary. A local leader of China's officially-sanctioned
Three Selves Patriotic Movement (TSPM) Christian Church and two
local American English teachers discussed their cooperation in
using expatriate-taught "English camps" and similar programs as
a means to introduce local residents to Christian ideas.
Although the Christian content of such programs is all but open
knowledge, local authorities apparently tolerate such
activities. End summary.


2. (C) Congenoffs met with Sichuan Christian Council General
Secretary and TSPM minister Reverend Richard Cai and two

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American English teachers (strictly protect ) to discuss the
status of cooperation between China's officially-sanctioned
Christian Church in Sichuan and expatriate "English teachers"
who are "employees" of a legally registered educational training
organization .

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ENGLISH CLASSES WITH A RELIGIOUS FOCUS

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3. (C) The teachers presented two sets of business cards - one
introducing themselves as "Representatives to China" from the
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) with offices in Atlanta and
Hong Kong, the other stating that they were "Overseas
Coordination Directors" for the Hua Mei International Education
and Training Center (Hua Mei) based in Chengdu. They explained
that for visa purposes their presence in China was based on
their affiliation with Hua Mei.


4. (C) Founded in 2005, Hua Mei ostensibly manages English
teaching programs in and around Chengdu, using teachers from the
United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom,
explained the teachers. Each week, Hua Mei conducts about 20
hours of "business English" classes for local Chinese employees
of a Singapore-based software firm. In addition, the Center
also conducts relatively informal conversational English classes
attended by local residents and by five or six students from the
Chengdu Christian seminary.


5. (C) However, according to the teachers, Hua Mei's most
important focus is its summer English camp program. Held on a
high school campus in Luxian (approximately four hours south of
Chengdu by car),the camp is expected to draw about 400 students
this year, almost all junior and senior high school students
from relatively wealthy Chengdu families. After campers
conclude their morning English classes, they are free in the
afternoons and evenings to interact with over 60 Christian
volunteers from abroad. Camp organizers also coordinate closely
with the local Luxian TSPM church, and students have in the past
worshipped with the Luxian Christian community during the course
of the camp.


6. (C) Neither the teachers nor Reverend Cai made any secret of
the religious nature of the materials used at the camp or in Hua
Mei's other English classes. Although the teachers were careful
to say they obeyed all Chinese laws with respect to religion,
and therefore did not engage in outright "proselytizing," they
also said that the classes were an instrument of "spreading the
Gospel" among their Chinese students. They stressed the "above
board" nature of their work in China and noted theirs was one of
very few missionary organizations in southwest China to work
with the official Christian Church.


7. (C) Asked about their students' attitudes toward
Christianity, the teachers admitted that virtually none of their
students came from Christian families, and that many were
attracted to Bible study out of a desire to understand more
about the West. They also said they received few or no
financial donations from their students, but said Hua Mei
receives the majority of its financial support from overseas
congregations of the CBF.

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AND COOPERATION WITH THE OFFICIAL CHURCH

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CHENGDU 00000161 002.2 OF 002


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8. (C) Perhaps most remarkable was the open nature of the
cooperation between Hua Mei and Reverend Cai. Cai is one of the
founders and a board member of Hua Mei, an organization he
worked to legally register as a training institution with the
Sichuan Bureau of Education. Cai at several points emphasized
his in-depth involvement in the administration of Hua Mei, and
indicated that he encouraged attendance at the camps by local
youths interested in either English study or in learning more
about Christianity. For their part, the teachers stressed the
uniqueness of their situation in working with the
officially-sanctioned Chinese Church, saying that unlike some
other Christian activists they saw no contradiction between
their Christian ideals and the reality of the "Three Selves"
Church.


9. (C) At the same time, the teachers pointed out that other
Christian missionaries in Chengdu, most of whom work with
non-sanctioned house churches, treat them as outsiders due to
their cooperation with the official Church. In spite of this,
they are working to establish contact with other expatriate
missionaries (as well as local leaders of house churches) in the
hope of creating a fuller dialogue on matters of faith and on
the practical problems of missionary outreach. They also noted
that denominational and doctrinal differences often worked
against this type of outreach.


10. (C) In response to a question from Congenoff, Reverend Cai
acknowledged he had made progress on plans to establish a third
TSPM Church in Chengdu. (Note: In previous conversations over

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the last two years, Cai had explained his desire to open a new
church in the university district that would cater to a younger
and more educated group of Christians.) According to Cai, he
has gained the agreement of the Chengdu Christian expatriate
group to use their space in the afternoons after the foreigners
have concluded their morning worship services. Cai said he was
optimistic the plan would be approved by the Sichuan Christian
Council. The Hua Mei teachers said the opening of the new
church was set for September. Cai also reiterated his goal of
bringing visiting foreign preachers to the new church, which the
permission of the Sichuan Christian Council.

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COMMENT

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11. (C) The fact that many expatriates working as "English
teachers" in southwest China are actually engaged in missionary
activity is no secret. However, the willingness of at least one
"Three Selves" Church leader to actively guide and participate
in such work comes as something of a surprise. Although Reverend
Cai appears to be an unusually open and western-oriented
religious leader, such cooperation could not take place without
higher-level approval. The fact that Hua Mei has been able to
conduct its activities for three years without interference may
indicate a partial softening of official attitudes toward
missionary activities in Southwest China.
HILL