The Sad Case of Miao Zhitong
One of the most prominent house church leaders in the Wenzhou area during the past 30 years was Miao Zhitong (not be confused with Miao Zizhong, the 'Cedar of Lebanon' profiled in an earlier chapter).
Born in Zhejiang in 1942, both of Miao Zhitong's parents died before he reached his teens and he was raised by relatives. Miao grew up in rebellion against God until the age of 23, when he repented of his sins and dedicated his life to the Lord's service. Respected journalist David Aikman visited Miao in Wenzhou in the early part of the twenty-first century, and asked him to share his story. Aikman later wrote:
"He sensed a call to be a full-time preacher in 1967, at the very height of the Cultural Revolution. It wasn't long before he began to receive what became annual arrests, beatings, and sessions of torture. At one point he was hung up by the arms before being pushed into a pool of sewerage where it was hoped he would drown. He managed to wrestle himself away and plunged into a clean creek before the police grabbed him, took him to a Buddhist temple, tied him to a pillar, and then beat him with bamboo rods. Only the presence of a large group of Christians who showed up at the temple and bravely clamored for his release prevented Miao from being beaten to death on the spot." 1
In the late 1970s Miao Zhitong was rearrested and paraded through the streets. He was forced to stand on the parapet of a bridge, where the officials intended to kill him by pushing him off the edge. Seeing what was about to occur, Miao began praying fervently. A a violent storm suddenly blew in and the parade was cancelled.
Miao proved to be a popular pastor, and he succeeded in unifying various independent house churches in eastern Zhejiang during the 1980s. By the early 1990s he was respected as a man of God and a leading house church 'uncle' in this part of China. The persecution Miao was called to endure never lessened over the years, and "between 1968 and 1988, he said, he had been arrested at least 20 times." 2
It is always tempting to speak only of the good things Christians achieve in their lives, although the Bible never follows that principle, but always presents the balanced truth. Sadly, despite decades of faithful service for the gospel, the last stage of Miao Zhitong's journey before his death in 2013 saw him involved in controversy and intense conflict with other Chinese church leaders.
According to the veteran American missionary Dennis Balcombe, who was a long-time acquaintance of Miao, a dramatic change came over the Wenzhou pastor after some overseas Charismatic leaders—including the late Peter Wagner, and David Wang of the mission organization Asian Outreach—visited China in 2008 and anointed Miao Zhitong the 'First Apostle of China' since the Communist Revolution. 3
This ordination—done without the consultation or agreement of other Chinese Church leaders—appeared to have an immediate negative effect on Miao's character. He seemed to revel in his new-found status, and pride flooded his heart. Whereas generations of believers knew Miao as a humble and selfless leader who was willing to endure great hardship for the gospel, conflict quickly developed between him and other church leaders. Miao also began to strongly attack other Chinese pastors whom he didn't consider worthy of the attention they were receiving.
Miao traveled overseas to speak at meetings, but the recordings made their way back into China, causing great alarm and fury among many house church pastors, including some of Miao's own co-workers. At the time, Miao was the leader of a number of house churches in the Rui'an City area of Zhejiang, with a total membership of no more than 3,000 believers. In one meeting in Singapore that year, however, Miao and his companions ludicrously claimed he was the leader of 30 million believers in China. In other parts of the world the claim was made that he led ten million Christians.
The Christian leaders in Zhejiang who tried to engage with Miao were frustrated by his combative attitude. Many relationships were destroyed, and Miao found himself marginalized and his influence confined to the Wenzhou area, whereas in previous times he had traveled widely throughout China. Balcombe lamented:
"Serious division arose between Miao and a large number of people who at one time worked with him and highly respected him. Many of those leaders themselves had large followings and had sent out workers to many parts of China and pioneered many churches, but they now have no relationship with Miao.
Did Peter Wagner and the other 'apostles' discern that Miao had serious conflict with a large number of leaders in China and overseas? How can someone be an 'apostle' over people whom he attacks and goes to no limits to discredit?
I still respect Miao for his years of faithful service and sufferings for Christ; however nobody has been able to bring up these issues with him without being accused and attacked. Placing someone in apostolic authority who obviously doesn't have such authority or respect is certainly a recipe for more divisions in the future." 4
Miao was ill in the months leading up to his death in 2013, and thankfully he humbled himself and reconciled with some of the offended church leaders. Overall, in the intervening years since Miao's passing, the controversies surrounding the final part of his life have largely been forgotten, and the lasting memory of Miao Zhitong is of a pioneer of the Chinese house church movement, whom God used to bless multitudes of believers.
Footnotes:
1. Aikman, Jesus in Beijing, p. 185.
2. Aikman, Jesus in Beijing, p. 186.
3. Dennis Balcombe, personal communication, September 2006.
4. Dennis Balcombe, personal communication, September 2006.
© This article is an extract from Paul Hattaway's book 'Zhejiang: The Jerusalem of China'. You can order this or any of The China Chronicles books and e-books from our online bookstore.
