BEIJING, CHINA (ANS) -- Just around the corner from the site of many of this year’s 2008 Beijing Olympics events is a recently built church with a large cross on top. In English the words "Christian Church" make it stand out. Its 21st century styling fits right in with the "Bird’s Nest" and "Water Cube" which have made so many headlines. Yet the church building, like China’s Church, as a whole, is a perplexing dichotomy.

David Sullivan in Tiananmen Square, Beijing

Representatives from the UK based charity Harvest Fields Commissioning International and its media and TV production arm, OLI Productions were in Beijing earlier this year while the city was being spruced up for its front stage role. They asked many questions for their documentary film "CHINA: Reflections from Heaven", which is being aired on a number of Christian TV networks worldwide this week.

One of the questions was "Who paid for such a beautiful church in the midst of so many other needs." The answer was that "since the church is a government registered church and since it is in a prime location in Beijing, the government decided to pay for it". In communist China there is, often, no line marking separation between church and state. Already, protests have begin in Beijing, some even from Christian sources.

A representative of HFC International explained it this way: "You can protest and make the world news – for a moment. Or you can pray and go and give and help to change the situation. China is a very unique country and will never be bullied into changing policy. There are those Christians who are working at many levels praying and talking and sharing. Some of those we met with are even working on certain levels of the Olympics." This is a China with one of the most tragic and lengthy histories of any nation.

Various ministries are now in China and Beijing working in various capacities to be a help to the Chinese people - just as they have been during the recent earthquakes there. HFCI’s representative continues "The long-term people working so effectively within China are there for the long haul and have long term goals and plans to help the people in this land. They don’t grab the headlines. They grab the shovels and the chalkboards and the arms of those who need, quite often, just a shoulder to unburden themselves on."

Bibles are urgently needed but so are people with practical and spiritual giftings. Cursing the darkness might bring headlines but lighting a candle is the fastest way to draw people to the Lord of the Harvest.

"CHINA: Reflections from Heaven" is one of a series of DVD / TV programmes being aired on 12 Christian networks worldwide and available on DVD and Blu-ray High Definition (HD) DVD, called "Into All the World."

Harvest Fields Commissioning International is a U.K. Registered Charity with the purpose of assisting in raising up and encouraging churches and leaders in 42 countries and on all 5 continents for work in churches, charities and other humanitarian assistance groups. Its websites are at: http://www.agapelive.net and http://www.hfci.net.

For further information or high-res photos:
Press Department info@agapelive.net or info@hfci.net