Central Hunan Lutheran Church’s Progress toward Self-Reliance (1902–1951): A Study Based on the Archives of the Norwegian Missionary Society

In 1902, the Norwegian Missionary Society (NMS) sent its first missionaries to central Hunan, China, preach and set up a local Lutheran Church. Missionaries in China traditionally had sense of religious superiority. At that time, Chinese Christians were experiencing series national crises, their desire for self-reliance correlated with rise consciousness. Hunan’s demanded autonomy Church, causing tension Western missionaries’ The Central Hunan Church realized balanced transfer authority through contradiction dialogue. establishment Council aided gradual realization Christians’ demand self-reliance, 1922, an anti-Christian movement strong anti-imperialist sentiments triggered further moves toward independence. However, churches faced many difficulties progress was slow, owing economic situation, lack material foundation, weak theological foundation highly mobile population. This article examines how responded huge gap between own will conditions they faced, illustrating historical process cross-cultural cooperation as cultures collided.