ABSTRACT
Beijing Shouwang Church was the earliest and most public among “newly rising urban churches” (chengshi xinxing jiaohui), publishing a magazine, launching a website, and openly challenging the state’s religion policies. When the last move sparked repression, Shouwang resisted longer due to three factors: leadership capacity that meant savvy strategizing and wide ties; institutionalized structures for decision-making and public communication, and local context that offered public support from other Protestant groups and sparked international media attention to restrain official repression. Analysis of Beijing Shouwang’s resistance suggests that unregistered Protestant groups can increase but not determine their chances of survival.
