The Three-Self Patriotic Movement of Protestant Churches in China (TSPM) was initiated by Chinese Protestants during the 1950s in the context of the declaration that the “Chinese people [had] stood up.” Christians hoped that the church would be reborn, and made the choices that were necessary for the church to make its own way amidst the construction of a new China. Thus, the TSPM bore features that were distinctive to that time. The Three-Self theory was never rigid, isolated, or closed, but from its inception was open to the times, had its finger on the pulse of developments in society, and was integral to running the church well. Sixty years later, the Chinese Church is continuing its fine tradition of loving the country and loving the church, and is carrying the TSPM into a new historical period. We believe that as we seek to do this, the most vital concern must be to build a harmonious and healthy Chinese Church by deepening the TSPM.
