Skip to content
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Log In
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Log In
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
The Baptist Paper
The Baptist Paper
  • SBC 2025
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your state news
  • Classifieds
  • SBC 2025
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your state news
  • Classifieds

Chinese house church network in TX trains leaders, prepares those who may return overseas

  • November 28, 2022
  • Southern Baptist Texan
  • Church Life, Latest News, Missions, Texas
(Photo courtesy of Southern Baptist Texan)

Chinese house church network in TX trains leaders, prepares those who may return overseas

Chinese believers who accept Christ while living in the U.S. might not be able to find an American-style church if they return overseas. That’s part of the reason Eugene Zhang is leading a house church movement in the Dallas-Fort Worth area as a model of what to expect if such a transition occurs.

Most Chinese believers who return overseas never join a church there, Zhang said, because they cannot find one like they’ve known in America.

“If you start a Chinese house church and they worship just like a house church [overseas], when they go back, it’s easier for them to fit in the culture there,” he said.

Zhang grew up in a house church overseas and briefly served as a missionary in Russia before immigrating to the United States, where his primary employment has been as a truck driver. He and his wife, Lily, attended Hillcrest Baptist Church in Cedar Hill, Texas, and along the way they began ministering to Chinese students at Dallas Baptist University.

Opportunities

The couple learned the students were often uncertain about the future and were looking for purpose in life. As an outreach, the Zhangs started providing opportunities to engage with American culture in activities such as horseback riding, target shooting and fishing.

“Food always makes good friends, especially in Chinese culture,” Zhang said, noting that providing homemade Chinese food reminded the students of home.

“We started to talk about Jesus. Some believed, and we had a Bible study,” he said. “Later on, we bought a home not far from DBU because we want to continually share the gospel with Chinese students.”

The first week of 2020, Zhang’s group formed a house church in Grand Prairie, hosting not only a Bible study but worship services and weekly evangelism training. During the pandemic, two more house churches started, and now the number is up to six throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

Using the name Hillcrest Chinese Church Network, Zhang partners with Hillcrest Baptist Church, the North American Mission Board and the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention to reach not only Chinese students, but Chinese people of any age or station in life. “God has really blessed the ministry, and I am very happy with that,” he said.

Zhang explained that some house churches overseas can accommodate a thousand people if the home has a large yard or appropriate facility, but generally house churches have 50 to 100 people. In the Hillcrest network, each church has around 20 people — although the original Grand Prairie location has grown to 40.

“Every meeting we have a meal, just like the early church did,” Zhang said.

Potential impact 

One of his main challenges now is training leaders to care for each of the house churches, he said. He has handed four of them over to others, and he is leading two of them.

Church planting is important, Zhang said, because he sees Chinese unbelievers, but he doesn’t see people sharing Jesus with them.

“God loves everyone and wants them to be saved … [This is] about eternal death or eternal life. It’s very serious,” he said.

The house churches in the Hillcrest network allocate at least 5% of tithes and offerings to the Cooperative Program, and Zhang emphasizes that all future churches he hopes to plant — even throughout the U.S. — will be encouraged to participate in CP.

Zhang envisions that many of the Chinese people in the house church network in Texas will return overseas well-equipped to start or serve similar churches there.

Research shows 80% of Chinese students will return to their home country, Zhang said. A student trained and experienced in house church ministry is equipped to replicate the ministry, perhaps impacting generations.

“This ministry could potentially reach into the hardest-to-reach places on earth,” Zhang said.


EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Erin Roach and originally published by the Southern Baptist Texan. 

Share with others:

Facebook
X/Twitter
LinkedIn
Email
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email

Latest News

  • Serving through Disaster Relief: One trip was all it took
    Serving through Disaster Relief: One trip was all it took
    July 10, 2025/
    0 Comments
  • Baptist DR teams providing ‘a little bit of hope’ as TX flooding death toll rises
    Baptist DR teams providing ‘a little bit of hope’ as TX flooding death toll rises
    July 9, 2025/
    0 Comments
  • IRS: Churches can endorse political candidates
    IRS: Churches can endorse political candidates
    July 9, 2025/
    0 Comments

Sign up for the Highlights

Get all latest content delivered to your email a few times a month.
Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

Related Posts

Serving through Disaster Relief: One trip was all it took

“We found Disaster Relief to be a great organization,” said Johnie Alden.  

Baptist DR teams providing ‘a little bit of hope’ as TX flooding death toll rises

As of Wednesday morning (July 9), the latest death toll from the horrific flash flooding in Central Texas had risen at least 119, with at least 150 people still missing, mostly in Kerr County, according to the latest media reports.

IRS: Churches can endorse political candidates

For years, conservative legal groups have argued that an IRS rule barring churches from endorsing candidates was unconstitutional.

First person: Steps to victory over pornography

Like every year for the past several years, I watched in 2024 as more church leaders fell into the trap of pornography. Here are some steps to defeating it.

Want to receive news highlights throughout the week? Sign up here!

Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

About

  • Our Story
  • Our Team
  • Our Partners
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Contact us
  • Our Story
  • Our Team
  • Our Partners
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Contact us

Explore

  • State-specific news
  • Archive
  • Opinion pieces
  • Sunday School lessons
  • Persecuted Church
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • State-specific news
  • Archive
  • Opinion pieces
  • Sunday School lessons
  • Persecuted Church
  • Podcasts
  • Videos

Submissions

  • Story suggestions
  • Your Voice/Letter to the Editor
  • Photos / Videos
  • Corrections/other
  • Submission Policy
  • Story suggestions
  • Your Voice/Letter to the Editor
  • Photos / Videos
  • Corrections/other
  • Submission Policy

Subscribe

  • Subscribe
  • Renew subscription
  • Gift a subscription
  • Start a new member subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Request free trial
  • Subscribe
  • Renew subscription
  • Gift a subscription
  • Start a new member subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Request free trial
The Baptist Paper
Address:
3310 Independence Dr.
Birmingham, AL 35209
Copyright © 2025 TAB Media Group
  • Privacy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ
  • Privacy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ

Email:
news@thebaptistpaper.org

About

  • Our Team
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Donate
  • Photo Galleries
  • Contact us
  • Hosted Church
  • Our Team
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Donate
  • Photo Galleries
  • Contact us
  • Hosted Church

Explore

  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your State News
  • Persecuted Church
  • Editorials
  • Opinions
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Archive
  • Submit your news
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your State News
  • Persecuted Church
  • Editorials
  • Opinions
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Archive
  • Submit your news

Subscribe

  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Subscribe
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Subscribe
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate

Log Out?

Lost your password?

Log In

Lost your password?

Log in

Become a part of our community!
Forgot your password? Get help
Privacy/Terms of Use

Reset password

Recover your password
A password reset link will be e-mailed to you.
Privacy/Terms of Use
Back to
Login
×
Close Panel