Why the Underground Church in China Is Still Growing
Dear Friend,
China remains one of the most complex and tightly restricted mission fields in the world. With increasing government pressure and surveillance, faithful pastors and church leaders continue to follow Christ at great personal cost.
Yet even under persecution, the church in China is not shrinking—it is growing.
Seven years ago, I sat with Pastor Wang Yi just days before his unjust imprisonment for his steadfast faith in Christ—a ten-year sentence he continues to endure. His family remains under constant surveillance, restricted in their movements.
Stories like Pastor Wang Yi’s remind us that the Chinese church today mirrors the early church in Acts—pressured, scattered, and yet multiplying. As Scripture tells us, “But the word of God increased and multiplied” (Acts 12:24).
In the midst of these challenges, God is opening doors for sustainable, strategic training that strengthens the underground church from within.
Through Pathway Learning, we are equipping pastors and church planters across China with practical, theologically grounded training designed to serve leaders who cannot access traditional seminaries. Using secure, innovative learning models, these leaders are being trained to plant and shepherd healthy churches—often quietly, always faithfully.
This work represents a new kind of ministry model—one that prioritizes discipleship, resilience, and long-term faithfulness over visibility. Leaders are trained in trusted cohorts, mentored by experienced pastors, and equipped with tools they can immediately apply in their local contexts.
Through this project, we are helping to:
Equip underground pastors and church planters to lead healthy, multiplying churches
Provide practical theological training that strengthens leaders facing persecution
Sustain gospel witness in one of the most restricted mission fields in the world
As we approach the end of the year, I invite you to pray for Pastor Wang Yi and his family, for persecuted believers across China, and for the leaders courageously shepherding God’s people under pressure.
Would you also consider a special year-end gift to help advance this vital work?
Your generosity this December will help Pathway Learning continue equipping underserved church leaders—not only in China, but also in Japan, Muslim West Africa, post-Christian Europe, North America, and Iran—throughout 2026.
Thank you for standing with the persecuted church and helping advance God’s kingdom in the most challenging places on earth. Together, we can help equip leaders who will faithfully proclaim the gospel and shepherd God’s people—no matter the cost.
For the King!
Steve Childers
President, Pathway Learning
WAYS TO GIVE
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Pathway Learning, P.O. Box 2062
Winter Park, FL 32790
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Gifts from Donor Advised Funds and IRA accounts also help advance our mission. You may give securities either by transfer of the certificate of ownership or through account transfer arranged by your broker. In each case, you avoid the tax on any potential gain and receive a deduction for the full fair market value of securities. To give a gift of stock, email us at staff@pathwaylearning.org, call us at 407-682-6942, or write us at P.O. Box 2062, Winter Park, FL 32790.
