religious freedom, but he did not address reports of violent attacks against churches and individual Christians.
In comments monitored by BosNewsLife on Sunday, November 26, Kobia said "it is in the best interests of the government to actually expand the space for the practice of religion".
Speaking after meeting Chinese government officials during his November 15-22 trip, Kobia told reporters that "it would be detrimental to the government if it is not seen to be providing freedom of religion."
However in a statement that was expected to be criticized by human rights groups, Kobia also said he had been “impressed by the way in which Christian communities are growing in the country, and by the enabling and safe environment in which Christians practice their faith."
HOUSE CHURCHES
Advocacy groups such as China Aid Association however say house churches operating outside the government backed, and WCC associated denominations, continue to be targets of attacks by security forces in several provinces across the country.
In addition several of their leaders as well as other active members have been imprisoned on charges often related to printing and distributing Bibles and other Christian literature as well as for holding worship services and evangelistic meetings.
Groups such as Open Doors estimate there are roughly 80 million Christians in China today, most of them gathering in ‘house churches,’ named this way as they are often organized in the homes of individual believers.
Kobia encouraged the Chinese government "to ensure wider participation and involvement of religious people in efforts" to bring about the Chinese vision of a "harmonious society".
GLOBAL PLAYER
"If China wants to be the kind of global player that it is clearly becoming, then there are norms and standards" in terms of religious freedom "which will be expected of its government, and I think they are aware of this," he added.
Kobia’s delegation also met destitute children at the Dong Zhou Children’s Village in San Yuan County of Shaanxi Province. They spent time with 29 children under the age of 14 whose parents are in prison, executed or unable to meet their basic needs. "Although the parents of these children paid for their own crimes, their children are innocent," an official told the delegation, according to a WCC statement. .
The Village, which is supported by the Amity Foundation, the Shaanxi Christian Council and the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), aims to provide a “healthy environment and protect the children from becoming child laborers, garbage collectors, street children or falling into illegal activities,” WCC said.
The Chinese official, who was not named apparently for security reasons, praised the role played by Christians in supporting the Village to help "these children who should have lived a life like those growing up happily with their families".
PRISONERS’ CHILDREN
"Love, education and hope are the three words that characterize what I have seen here," Kobia told the staff and supporters of the Village.
"This project was born out of an active, practical love. And when the children feel loved and have been given education and training here, then they have hope for the future. There is no better gift that this community can give to these children than hope," he added.
The delegation "was moved" by the response of a 9-year-old girl who expressed gratitude on behalf of the children, WCC said. They also met scholars and officials of the government backed churches. Geneva-based WCC claims to represent 348 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches with more than 560 million Christians in over 110 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. Its secretary general is from the Methodist Church in Kenya.
The ecumenical delegation accompanying Kobia also included representatives of the Progressive National Baptist Convention, USA, the Presbyterian Church of Korea, South Korea, the Church of Greece and the China Study Project of the Protestant churches and mission agencies in Germany. (With BosNewsLife Research and reports from China).
