A Memorable Gathering
Photo by Chris Sabor on Unsplash
Three decades ago, from September 4 to 15, 1995, the Fourth World Conference on Women was held in Beijing. As one of the largest global conferences ever hosted in China, the event brought together representatives from 188 states and regions, as well as women’s organizations. The gathering demonstrated that gender equality is a fundamental national policy of China.
The conference primarily aimed to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and elevate their status, under the theme “Action for Equality, Development, and Peace”. Before the formal conference, a forum for non-governmental organizations was held, attracting tens of thousands of participants who attended thousands of workshops and sessions centered around the theme.
As a member of the All-China Women’s Federation (ACWF), the National Council of the Young Women’s Christian Association (hereinafter referred to as NCYWCA) organized a 28-member delegation for the World Conference on Women. The delegates included Shi Ruzhang, general secretary of NCYWCA, Jin Wei, deputy general secretary of NCYWCA, and Wang Juzhen, Liu Nianfen, and Wu Ai’en, who were vice chairwomen and vice presidents of CCC&TSPM, etc. I was also part of the delegation, serving at the time as the vice president of China Christian Council and the vice president of NCYWCA.
This was the first time we had seen so many women of different skin colors and wearing diverse attires gathered in our country. They voiced the most pressing concerns and demands of women during the seminars, which was truly eye-opening for us. Ms. Jin and I also attended the formal conference, where we gained deeper insights into the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action issued during the conference. These documents urged governments worldwide to ensure women’s fundamental human rights in their policies and to eradicate gender discrimination in the workplace, family, and various other settings. This was really inspiring.
The conference also garnered significant attention from religious women. Those from the Christian community partook in the forum, including the president and general secretary of the World Young Women’s Christian Association. The World Council of Churches (WCC) had its Program for Women in Church and Society take on the organization of several seminars, while various denominations form groups to conduct independent activities. These discussions largely addressed women’s issues through the understanding of Christian beliefs, and some even composed special prayers, which were quite enlightening.
At the invitation of the host, the NCYWCA also served as one of the organizers of the seminars, co-hosting one with CCC&TSPM’s Commission on Women’s Ministry (founded in 1993), as an outcome of our discussion. Our seminar was divided into two sessions. The first session, officiated by the NCYWCA, featured a keynote speech titled “Faith Guides Us to Move Forward” by President Zheng Huaimei (now deceased). She shared reflections and suggestions on women’s issues through the lens of civic groups.
During the second part of the seminar, I delivered a speech titled “The Roles of Chinese Christian Women in Education and Development”, with a special emphasis on the efforts made by churches to help illiterate women learn to read through Scripture Reading Classes, as well as on women’s participation in both the church and society.
The seminar attracted a large number of participants, creating a lively and enthusiastic atmosphere. Additionally, 150 delegates from overseas YWCAs visited the Beijing YWCA and watched a slideshow presentation about their ministry. On the following Sunday, several female conference attendees attended the Sunday service at the Chongwenmen Church. These events clearly manifested the mutual care and concerns that Christian women within the global family have for one another.
The active support of Chinese Christian women for the Fourth World Conference on Women was commended by the All-China Women’s Federation. Following the conference, CCC&TSPM’s Commission on Women’s Ministry held a meeting to leverage this opportunity to advance women’s issues and promote gender equality within local CC&TSPMs across provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions. After the conference, I also conducted ten briefings for both religious and non-religious communities. Besides, I wrote an article for the East China Theological Journal, documenting the speeches given by Christian women from various countries and highlighting their biblical and theological foundations.
Gender Equality as a Social Issue
The notion of women being subordinate to men is a harmful vestige in the traditional culture. Since the founding of New China, Chinese women have been liberated from the constraints of outdated customs. Legal frameworks such as the Constitution of China, the Marriage Law, and the Law for Safeguarding Women’s Rights ensure that women enjoy the same rights as men. Social revolution has been a key driver in establishing the value of gender equality. The elevation of Chinese women’s status is reflected in their movement beyond domestic confines to pursue careers and earn their own incomes. No longer economically dependent on their husbands, women have gained a stronger voice within the family. However, as the country became more open to the outside world, coupled with the influx of diverse western cultures, negative influences such as materialism and sex liberalism have become pervasive, leading some young women astray. This underscored the need for women to understand the true essence of gender equality and strive for self-worth while benefiting from social change.
The social status of Chinese women has risen, and so has the status of women within the church. The YWCA has actively engaged in efforts to address social issues. As a social service organization with a Christian background, the YWCA was introduced to China over a hundred years ago. Its motto reads, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free” (John 8:32). The YWCA has branches in 10 major cities, including Shanghai and Beijing, where it promotes the spirit of Christianity by engaging in public affairs to serve society.
Most of the leaders of YWCAs in China were female elites. For example, Ms. Zheng Huaimei, the president of the NCYWCA (previously mentioned), was a specialist in gynecological endocrinology. She led a medical team that provided long-term voluntary medical services in rural areas. She also served as a consultant to the Appraisal Conference of Science and Ethics for the UN’s Program on Human Reproduction. Beyond collaborating with the Young Men’s Christian Association, the YWCAs in China consistently prioritize activities that benefit women, such as the caring for elderly women in communities and providing gender education for girls.
The Enlightenment of Feminist Exegesis on Christian Women
Since the establishment of New China, outdated social norms that oppressed women have gradually ameliorated. For instance, women are encouraged to join the workforce and pursue education. However, long-standing beliefs formed throughout history are not easily eradicated. In the early days of church services, men and women were not allowed to sit together. In our church, female believers outnumber male believers, as women are passionate about the church and place great importance on reading the Bible. However, due to lower literacy levels among women at the time, they often understood the Bible only in a literal sense. Some passages, such as those in Paul’s letters, emphasize composure and obedience as required traits for women (see 1 Timothy 2:11-12), which seem to belittle women in words and reinforced the perception that women were inferior to men.
Growing up in a Christian environment, I become accustomed to this ideas and paid little attention to gender equality issues. However, in 1991, I attended a WCC training session with the theme “Walking Towards an Inclusive Society”. The teaching of feminist theology left a profound impression on me. The feminist perspective of reading the Bible provides me with new insights into certain verses.
For instance, both women and men are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), and in Christ Jesus, there is neither male nor female, for all are one (Galatians 3:28). There is a balance between the order of salvation (Jesus was born of a woman, and women were the first to announce the resurrection) and the order of creation (Eve was made from Adam). As a “helper” to Adam, Eve is by no means in a subordinate position (the original term is also used to describe God’s help to humans, as seen in Exodus 18:4). To fully understand Paul’s letters, it is essential to adopt a historical, comprehensive, and insightful biblical perspective.
At that time, I wrote an article titled “The Experiences and Endeavors of Chinese Christian Women in the Construction of the Church and Society in China”, which was later published in the 1993 July issue of the WCC’s journal, Ministerial Formation. During this period, female teachers at Chinese theological seminaries began exploring how to apply feminist theology in the context of China’s social realities. Direct communication was established between female delegates from overseas churches and Chinese Christian women. For example, the Asian Church Women’s Conference organized two visits to China, with members from countries such as South Korea, India, Japan, and Malaysia. I accompanied them on visits to several cities, including Shanghai, Beijing, and Nanjing. The joint visit of feminist theologians Lettie Russel and Guo Peilan also was an inspiring exchange for us.
Since 1998, the Christianity in China has embarked on the Reconstruction of Theological Thinking. While remaining steadfast in fundamental faith, there is an encouragement to critically reflect on Western theology and engage in theological reflection that aligns with China’s real context. Currently, the Chinanization of Christianity is our overarching goal. We also feel obligated to inherit and pass on the excellent traditional Chinese culture and learn from the core socialist values, with “equality” being a key component. Advancing these within the church requires a deeper exploration of exegetical methods, including the insights from feminist exegesis. It is anticipated that Chinese Christian woman will reap more benefits from it.
An Increase in Female Pastoral Staff and Leadership
In past years, female preachers in the church were of lower status and excluded from ordination. In 1944, Ronald Owen Hall, Bishop of the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui, ordained Li Tianyuan as a pastor, due to the urgent needs during the anti-Japanese war. Despite being the first female pastor in the Anglican Church, she had to leave because she faced rejection from the global Anglican Communion. When Chinese churches reopened in 1979, they adopted union worship and began to ordain female pastoral staff. The number of female pastors has since surged. According to incomplete statistics from 2020, female pastors accounted for 42% of the total pastoral staff nationwide.
To demonstrate the church’s emphasis on women, prior to the fifth National Christian Conference in China, CCC&TSPM stipulated that female representatives should make up at least 30%; however, the actual figure was only 21.3%. The fundamental reason lies in the scarcity of female leadership in grassroots churches, making it difficult for women to be nominated as representatives. Before the World Women’s Conference, a survey conducted by the Commission on Women’s Ministry, targeting over 500 middle-aged female fellow workers, volunteers, and seminarians, revealed that churches tended to overlook female fellow workers. For example, they had limited opportunities to engage in decision-making and to deliver sermons or conduct sacred liturgies on important occasions. The objective of the 30% gender ratio among representatives was only achieved at the tenth National Christian Conference in 2018, reaching 31.2%.
Though it spans 17 years, significant changes are indeed visible. During this period, I was elected as the first female president of China Christian Council, serving from 2013 to 2018. As of today, there are eight women serving as presidents or chairpersons, along with 77 women in vice president and vice chairperson role across the 27 provincial CC&TSPMs (including autonomous regions and municipalities).
To my knowledge, in recent years, Chinese churches have been welcoming an increasing number of female fellow workers who are taking on ministry or leadership positions. This is a response to the call of God and the trust of believers, rather than any intentional attempt to seize power or compete with their male counterparts. Initially, some female pastors tended to shy away from opportunities when faced with male colleagues, and some male fellow workers were not accustomed to being in the same position as or subordinate to female colleagues. However, these phenomena are now largely a thing of past.
God created both males and females with their own distinctive traits. From my perspective, gender equality doesn’t mean that women’s way of managing things must be identical to men’s. Instead, it involves fully realizing their respective gifts, complementing one another, and serving the church and society concertedly. Leadership responsibilities demand us to possess comprehensive insights, broad inclusiveness, and steady confidence -- traits that are not innate to everyone, but are developed through continuous prayer, learning, and training, for both males and females. I believe that God shows no favoritism (Acts 10:34). I am confident that, in the future, God will raise many more women in China and around the world to become fitting instruments in fulfilling God’s beautiful will for humanity.
Author: Cao Shengjie
Translator: Bei Feng
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