Chinese Parents 'Begging' Schools to Teach Children About Jesus As Gospel Continues to Spread

Sep 06, 2016 12:52 PM EDT

Despite the ongoing persecution of Christians in China, the Gospel continues to spread at an unprecedented rate, as an increasing number of parents are "begging" teachers to teach their children about Jesus.

Speaking to CBN News, Sean Elgut, the headmaster of Veritas Christian Academy of Virginia, revealed that Christian schools are on the rise in China. While many Chinese are atheist, or Buddhist, most parents are open to Christianity, and some even encourage their children to learn all they can about Christ.

"Chinese parents start to realize Christian education is beyond textbooks. The parents want their kids to live with faith. They are begging us to teach them about Jesus," Elgut said.

In addition to teaching Christian values, teachers spend quality time with students in hopes of leading them to Christ: "Time is important. We want to spend more time with them, just like Jesus with His disciples. He had time for them and taught them," Sean said.

Chinese millennials are also embracing Christianity at a dramatic rate, and two Christian converts shared how the Gospel opened their eyes to happiness and peace in an entirely new way. 

"Before attending school, I knew little about Jesus. While I was attending classes, I learned so much about God and His love for His children," Crystal Lu said. "My Christian parents are extremely happy that the Lord finally provided a way for me to know Him, too. My whole family are Christians today."

Wang Zhao Yuan, another Christian convert, also shared how he became a Christian thanks to the influence of his teachers.

"I also enjoy having one-on-one conversation with the teacher. When they prayed with me, I felt so much better. My heart didn't feel so heavy anymore," Wang said.

In an interview with The Gospel Herald, Bob Fu, president and founder of persecution watchdog China Aid, shared how Chinese citizens are "thirsty" for the truth of the Gospel - particularly in light of the oppressive nature of the Communist government.

"The authentic love and compassion that is manifested in the lives of believers has been a major factor in the spread of the Gospel," he said, citing a Purdue University study that found the country is on course to become the world's "most Christian nation" by 2030.

"Under Communism, trust among the Chinese was destroyed," Fu revealed. "But the church was the opposite - Christians were the first ones to love those with disease and illnesses, the first ones to care about the elderly, the vulnerable, the children."

Despite ongoing persecution, Fu added that he is "more optimistic than ever" that the Gospel will continue to impact the country in a tremendous way.

"While we still feel the pain and suffering of our brothers and sisters in China, we have seen the Good News spark the rapid growth of Christianity," he said. "We have seen a great revival - more and more believers are becoming actively involved. I believe that in the end, the Communist Party will be called the 'Servant of the Lord.'"