“The Chinese government underestimated the rise of religious believers in China,” says Bob Fu, president of China Aid Association. Fu believes the new numbers are credible, reflecting believers in the house church movement, as well as pro-Vatican Catholics. “Local officials don’t want to show too big a number, in order to show they are effectively controlling the population,” he says.

Yie Xiaowen, director of the China’s State Administration for Religious Affairs, gave the 130 million figure at two internal meetings held at Beijing University and the Chinese Academy of Social Science. The number includes 20 million Catholics.

Fu believes the student democracy movement and the Tian’ anmen Square massacre of June 4, 1989 was a turning point that marked a new kind of growth in the church. “Before 1989 most of the growth was in the rural areas,” he notes. “But after 1989 there was huge growth in the cities, with many university students, professors, and professionals coming to faith.”

“This is God’s special blessing,” he adds, “to capture the minds of the intellectuals.”

The Beijing Olympics of August 2008 will represent further possibilities for growth in the church, Fu believes. “The Olympics will provide a wonderful, unprecedented opportunity to open China,” he notes. China Aid Association—along with believers in China-- will launch a prayer campaign next month for the Olympics.

“We feel the leading from the Lord,” he says. “It’s a very significant occasion.”