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The Great Open Door

China was the first Covenat mission field, established in 1890.

Despite a time of significant religious suppression, the church in China is experiencing enormous growth.

The rapid growth of the Christian church in mainland China has created a demand for pastors to lead them. 

The Evangelical Covenant Church in North America has committed to raise $1 million over the next five years in support of ministries of evangelism and compassion in mainland China, working in partnership with the Taiwan Covenant Church.

The goal is to raise $200,000 each year through additional support from individuals and local Covenant churches – voluntary offerings that provide churches with additional strategic opportunities beyond the regular shared ministry budget.

The additional funding for mainland China outreach will allow this new shared ministry to:

• Establish 10 to 20 churches for immigrant laborers each year
• Start 10 factory churches
• Assist economically deprived school children
• Plant 5 urban student centers
• Build urban churches
• Operate house church worker training centers
• Assist Chinese church workers receiving training abroad
• Establish 25 mission sites in Muslim areas

“I believe that this is a God-provided opportunity that we must not let slip away." -Dave Dolan, Regional Coordinator for Chinese Ministries, Department of World Mission, Evangelical Covenant Church

Donate Now

through the Covenant Bookstore with a major credit card. 

Available Resources

Take advantage of the free resources available to help local Covenant churches develop their own China initiative emphases through the Covenant Bookstore. These include a DVD, poster, brochure/bulletin insert, and offering envelopes. You may view and/or download electronic copies of the brochure and poster through the resources page.

Read about Mr. Wang, a $215,000 fundraiser in Taipei, and an elderly woman who remembers Covenant missionaries at church before Communism in the February 2008 World Mission Newsletter. Additional copies may be ordered through the Covenant Bookstore.

Additional information or questions about the Great Open Door also is available by contacting Covenant World Mission.

In the News

Legacy of China Missionaries Lives as New Church is Dedicated
NAN ZHANG, CHINA (November 14, 2007) – Listening to the two elderly Chinese women tell of the significant role early Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) missionaries played in their lives was humbling for Curt Peterson, executive minister of the Department of World Mission

Challenge Grant to Support China Initiative
CHICAGO, IL (June 13, 2006) - An anonymous donor has provided a $100,000 challenge grant for each of the five years of "The Great Open Door" initiative to help develop various projects in China.

Taiwan Church Leader Encourages Mission and Evangelism
MINNEAPOLIS, MN (June 22, 2004) - Noted Taiwanese Covenant pastor and leader Nathen Chang challenged a packed audience during Monday night's worship service to continue in their mission and evangelism efforts as his sermon ended the first day of the 119th Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) on a rousing note.