Evangelist Worries About Religious Intolerance in China

August 13, 2008

Author: Kevin Pates

Source: Duluth News Tribune

Wire Service: AP

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/articles/index.cfm?id=72040&section=sports

Evangelist Steve McConkey isn’t at the Summer Olympics in Beijing, however, his thoughts and prayers are with America’s athletes.

The part-time Superior resident and president of 4 Winds Christian Athletics hopes United States competitors, if they wish, will be allowed to give testimony to their Christianity and continue Bible readings while in China.

He had his concerns, after a pre-Olympic controversy centered on reports of China’s religious intolerance. That has been denied by Beijing organizers. And his group’s Web site has received “denial of service” attacks from China.

Yet, he received good news by e-mail last week from the U.S. track and field team training camp in Dalian, China, located 300 miles east of Beijing.

An American athlete wrote that about 12 team members gathered for Bible study, and the interest was high enough to plan three meetings a week.

“I don’t anticipate that the [Chinese government] will treat our athletes badly, and I have heard that Bibles are going to be allowed and distributed in the Olympic Village. But we just won’t know until the [track] athletes get there,” McConkey said last week.

His ministry works with about 50 track and field athletes, including some 2008 Olympians. Testimony from some athletes has been posted on the 4 Winds Web site (4wca.org) and distributed internationally, including through underground churches in China.