Protestant churches see 2.4 mln more Chinese in past 5 yrs

Christianity has found a lot more followers in China in the past 5 years. According to the China Christian Council, during 2007 to 2012, there were 2.4 million Chinese baptised in protestant churches in China. The influence of the western religion is growing rapidly. Our reporter Wang Xinye attended Sunday prayer in Beijing Haidian Christian Church, and talked to the pastor there.

Sunday prayer at Beijing Haidian Christian Church starts at 7 o'clock in the morning. On a typical day, the church prepares for a congregation of nearly 2000 for its 4 morning services.

In recent years, more and more young Chinese are choosing the Christian path.

"I was baptised in 2011. I'm now studying in Beijing for a few months and I come to this church every Sunday."

49 year old Wu Weiqing is a senior pastor of the church. He has devoted the best times of his life to God. He studied in Nanjing Union Theological Seminary and holds a Doctor degree in Ministries Studies. Wu Weiqing has stood witness to many that had turned to God.

Reporter: "There are 6 services throughout the day, with one in English. Wu Weiqing, with a Master of Divinity Degree obtained from Canada, holds this special service every Sunday. And that has made the church very popular among non-Chinese speakers."

Wu Weiqing says young Chinese are very keen for spiritual practice. Over 70 percent of the followers of the church are under 35. So the church needs to develop fast to meet that demand.

Wu says the official figure from the China Christian Council puts the number of Protestants in China at around 23 million. But he believes it could be higher than this. And he is confident about the future development of Christian churches in China.