May 30, 2014 Sam Logan: The book described below is highly recommended.  This description of the book is posted here at the request of WRF member Dr. Sung-Il (Steve) Park who may be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..   Ordering information for the book is at the bottom of this article.

China’s Reforming ChurchesMission, Polity, and Ministry in the Next ChristendomEdited by Bruce P. Baugus

Paperback, 352 pagesPage Size: 6 x 9 inchesRetail Price: $20.00ISBN 978-1-60178-317-2E-book 978-1-60178-318-9

RELIGION / Christian Ministry / Missions Publisher’s Description: China is now home to more evangelical believers than any other nation, and the church continues to grow and make inroads in every level of Chinese society. Such dramatic growth, against the backdrop of modern China, has produced profound and urgent church development needs. As faithful Chinese ministers strive to meet these needs, an increasing number are discovering the rich biblical and theological resources of the Reformed tradition and Presbyterian polity. This is a critical moment in the life of China’s reforming churches and the Presbyterian and Reformed mission to China. This book provides both a historical look at presbyterianism in China and an assessment of the current state of affairs, orienting readers to church development needs and the basic outlines of Reformed Christianity in China today. While laying out the challenges and opportunities facing the church, the authors argue that assisting this reformation in China should be a central objective of the Presbyterian and Reformed mission to China in this generation. Endorsements: “Rarely do you encounter a book on China’s Christians by scholars who are so distinguished and expert on the topic. Brimming with profound and carefully researched insight into the subject, China’s Reforming Churches is the finest work on Christianity in China that I have seen in years. It is also elegantly written and edited. It deserves the widest readership.” —David Aikman, author of Jesus in Beijing:How Christianity Is Transforming China and Changing the Global Balance of Power  “I found this book of essays to be both interesting and informative. If you take seriously your Reformed (i.e., Presbyterian) theology and church polity and care about the church in China, you should read this book.” —Daniel H. Bays, professor emeritus, Calvin College, and author of A New History of Christianity in China  “It is meaningful to remember that the Reformed and Presbyterian mission to China was initiated by American and British missionaries, but it was a Korean missionary who carried the baton as the final runner in that chapter of the China mission. As that last Korean missionary to China, I am gratified that in this book the Korean mission is given a place in the history of the Presbyterian mission in China.” —Pang Chi-Yil, missionary to China from 1937 to 1957 and pastor emeritus, Yongdeungpo Presbyterian Church, Seoul, Korea  “What is the actual state of the church in China? Only the Lord of the church knows for sure. But one thing is certain. We are in the midst of a time when God is at work in an unprecedented way throughout China, gathering His elect to Himself, building and reforming the church there. To this observer, one of the most encouraging aspects of this remarkable development is the growing desire to see the church become expressly Reformed in doctrine and life and presbyterian in government. The editor is to be commended for his vision and efforts in providing us with this book. Its various contributors together offer informative perspectives on current conditions in the Chinese church, both great encouragements and undeniable challenges. This book is an invaluable aid to anyone interested in being better informed about the church in China, not least in being better able to pray more intelligently for the great work God is doing there.” —Richard B. Gaffin Jr., professor of biblical and systematic theology emeritus, Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia  Contents: Introduction: China, Church Development, and PresbyterianismBruce P. Baugus Part I—The History of Presbyterianism in China A Brief History of the Western Presbyterian and Reformed Mission to ChinaMichael M. Watson Hayes and the North China Theological SeminaryA. Donald MacLeod A Brief History of the Korean Presbyterian Mission to ChinaBruce P. Baugus & Sung-Il Steve Park Part II—Presbyterianism in China Today In Their Own Words: Perceived Challenges of Christians in ChinaBrent Fulton Why Chinese Churches Need Biblical PresbyterianismLuke P. Y. Lu “A Few Significant Ones:” A Conversation with Two of China’s Leading ReformersBruce P. Baugus Part III—Challenges & Opportunities for Presbyterianism in China The Social Conditions of Ministry in China TodayG. Wright Doyle China: a Tale of Two Churches?Brent Fulton Two Kingdoms in China: Reformed Ecclesiology and Social EthicsDavid VanDrunenFrom Dissension to Joy: Resources from Acts 15:1–35 for Global PresbyterianismGuy Waters Part IV—Appropriating a Tradition The Emergence of Legal Christian Publishing in China: An Opportunity for Reformed ChristiansPhil Remmers A Report on the State of Reformed Theological Education in ChinaBruce P. Baugus The Indigenization & Contextualization of the Reformed Faith in ChinaPaul Wang Conclusion: The Future of Presbyterianism in ChinaBruce P. Baugus AppendicesRobert Morrison's CatechismIntroduced and Translated by Michael M.Shandong Student Protest and AppealIntroduced by Bruce P. Baugus and Translated by Born About the Editor: Bruce P. Baugus is associate professor of philosophy and theology at Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, Mississippi. He was the co-organizer, with Dave Holmlund, of the China’s Reforming Churches conference. Bruce is a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America where he serves on the Candidates and Credentials Committee. This book may be purchased at this site: http://www.heritagebooks.org/products/chinas-reforming-churches-mission-polity-and-ministry-in-the-next-christendom.html