The Born Again Movement (重生派 Chongshengpai) B.A.M., or Word of Life Church, or All Ranges Church (全范围教会 Quanfanwei jiaohui, "Total Scope Church") of China is a

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...

religious movement founded by Peter Xu Yongze in 1968 during the Chinese

Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated go ...

, when all churches were officially closed by the

Communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a ...

government under

Chairman Mao Mao Zedong pronounced ; also romanised traditionally as Mao Tse-tung. (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976), also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founder of the People's Republic of China (PR ...

. The B.A.M. is a

Henan Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...

-based

house church A house church or home church is a label used to describe a group of Christians who regularly gather for worship in private homes. The group may be part of a larger Christian body, such as a parish, but some have been independent groups that see ...

network whose membership may run into the millions. In 1998 there were an estimated 3 million followers independent of the official

Three-Self Patriotic Movement The Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM; ) is the official government supervisory organ for Protestantism in the People's Republic of China. It is colloquially known as the Three-Self Church (). The National Committee of the Three-Self Patriot ...

churches in China. The magazine ''

Christianity Today ''Christianity Today'' is an evangelical Christian media magazine founded in 1956 by Billy Graham. It is published by Christianity Today International based in Carol Stream, Illinois. ''The Washington Post'' calls ''Christianity Today'' "evan ...

'' reports that “Spinoffs from BAM, one of the fastest-growing religious groups in China, have an estimated 20 million followers, nearly twice the size of the registered church, which was re-established in 1979”. Xu had taught that weeping was an essential evidence of repentance, though in recent years this has had less emphasis in the movement. Concern over this emphasis came not only from the official

church, but also from some Chinese house church leaders. Xu was arrested by the Chinese government in 1998 on charges of “being a leader of a banned religious cult, disrupting public order, and spreading religious heresy about the imminent end of the world”. The official Chinese news agency compared Xu to

David Koresh David Koresh (; born Vernon Wayne Howell; August 17, 1959 – April 19, 1993) was an American cult leader who played a central role in the Waco siege of 1993. As the head of the Branch Davidians, a religious sect and offshoot of the Davidian Sev ...

. Both registered-church and

leaders, including Samuel Lamb and Allen Yuan, have criticized Xu and his movement for unorthodox teaching, such as the expectation that new converts weep for three days to bring about forgiveness for their sins. He was set free in 2000.

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* . * claims 16 million in Born Again Movement of China in 2008. {{Chinese Independent Churches Christianity in China Christian organizations established in 1968 Persecution of Christians Pentecostal denominations Christian denominations established in the 20th century

See also

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