{"id":57730,"date":"2026-02-24T09:00:20","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T00:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/?p=57730"},"modified":"2026-02-21T13:55:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-21T04:55:10","slug":"vomk-report-386","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/2026\/02\/24\/vomk-report-386\/","title":{"rendered":"CHINA: NEW PASTOR \u201cCODE OF CONDUCT\u201d RANKS POLITICAL LOYALTY AS HIGHEST ETHICAL VALUE"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”57802″ img_size=”full” css=””][vc_custom_heading text=”China\u2019s two government-run Christian associations published a new \u201cCode of Conduct for Clergy\u201d in January. The Code includes four criteria for the selection and evaluation of pastors, with \u201cpolitical loyalty\u201d listed as the highest ethical value.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:1.2em|text_align:left|color:%23111111″ google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” css=”” el_class=”headline”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]According to Voice of the Martyrs Korea Representative Dr<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0Hyun Sook Foley, the new code of conduct is more a test of political loyalty than a set of professional ethical guidelines.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]\u201cThe Chinese government\u2019s new \u2018Code of Conduct for Clergy\u2019 reshapes the identity and role of the pastor,\u201d says Representative Foley. \u201cTraditionally, pastors\u2019 primary role has been to spread the gospel. But this \u2018Code\u2019 r<\/span>equir<\/span>es<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>pastors\u00a0<\/span>first and foremost<\/span>\u00a0to serve as\u00a0<\/span>advocates of Chinese Communist Party policies<\/span><\/span>.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]In its section on basic requirements, the Code states that clergy must support the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party and continuously strengthen their identification with \u201csocialism with Chinese characteristics.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>Representative Foley says that this\u00a0<\/span>association of faith with patriotism and loyalty to the\u00a0<\/span>Communist\u00a0<\/span>Party has been at the core of China\u2019s recent push for the \u201cSinicization of religion.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]The new Code emphasizes \u201cindependence and self-governance<\/span><\/span>\u201d,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0requiring that pastors must adhere to the principle of \u201cnot being subject to control by foreign forces\u201d and must actively resist so-called \u201cforeign religious infiltration.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]\u201cChina has become increasingly concerned about the\u00a0<\/span>international ties of Chinese<\/span>\u00a0pastors,\u201d says Representative Foley. \u201cThe new regulations require clergy to strive to become\u00a0<\/span>so-called\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u2018<\/span><\/span>dual-competency<\/span>\u2019 professionals who are proficient in both Christian doctrine and China\u2019s traditional culture. The goal is to sever the influence of Western theological traditions and to construct what the government describes as \u2018a Christian system with Chinese characteristics\u2019.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]T<\/span>he document requires clergy to\u00a0<\/span>teach\u00a0<\/span>doctrine that\u00a0<\/span>is\u00a0<\/span>\u201cconducive to social harmony and progress of the times.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>Representative Foley says\u00a0<\/span>Christian groups like hers are concerned that this could\u00a0<\/span>mean that the teaching of some traditional Christian doctrines could\u00a0<\/span>be\u00a0<\/span>restricted\u00a0<\/span>or even prohibited.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]\u201cWhen Jesus says, \u2018I did not come to bring peace but a sword<\/span><\/span>\u2019,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0will the government rule that that is \u2018not conducive to social harmony?\u2019 Even the statement \u2018Jesus is Lord\u2019 might be considered controversial,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”57805″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” css=””][vc_custom_heading text=”A government-registered church celebrates Chinese National Day (file photo) ” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0101|line_height:1.45em” css=””][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]The new Clergy Code also provides guidelines for pastors\u2019 online religious activity, calling for pastors to\u00a0<\/span>resist\u00a0<\/span>spreading \u2018<\/span>erroneous and false information<\/span><\/span>\u2019.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]\u201c<\/span><\/span>In the current context, this typically means that clergy must maintain consistency with official\u00a0<\/span>Communist Party positions\u00a0<\/span>on social media and refrain from expressing any views that could provoke questioning<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]The document states that\u00a0<\/span>pastors\u00a0<\/span>who violate laws or church regulations will be disciplined through an \u201cexit mechanism.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>According to Representative Foley, this could mean\u00a0<\/span>that clergy who\u00a0<\/span>fail to<\/span>\u00a0meet political or behavioral standards may lose their\u00a0<\/span>pastoral\u00a0<\/span>status.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]\u201cT<\/span>he Code quotes from\u00a0<\/span>1 Corinthians 14:40<\/span><\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>\u2018<\/span><\/span>Let all things be done decently and in order<\/span><\/span>\u2019<\/span><\/span>\u00a0but\u00a0<\/span>in China\u00a0<\/span>that\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u2018<\/span><\/span>order<\/span><\/span>\u2019<\/span><\/span>\u00a0is clearly defined by the state<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0\u201cThere is a\u00a0<\/span>real danger that these new ethical guidelines could raise up a generation of pastors more committed to Communism than to Christ.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]Individuals interested in learning about or supporting Voice of the Martyrs Korea\u2019s work in partnership with persecuted Christians in China can visit\u00a0<\/span><\/span>www.vomkorea.com\/en\/china<\/span><\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”57802″ img_size=”full” css=””][vc_custom_heading text=”China\u2019s two government-run Christian associations published a new \u201cCode of Conduct for Clergy\u201d in January. The Code includes four criteria for the selection and evaluation of …","protected":false},"author":1959,"featured_media":57805,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[235,869,140],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-57730","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-special-column","category-china-special","category-vomk-report"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.2","language":"en","enabled_languages":["ko","en","zh","ru"],"languages":{"ko":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"zh":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"ru":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57730","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1959"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57730"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57730\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":57809,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57730\/revisions\/57809"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/57805"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57730"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}