Dear Friend,

ooking back over the past 15 years, it is hard to really know where to begin to describe all that God has accomplished through East Gates.

When East Gates was just beginning, I remember sitting around a table with five Chinese House Church leaders in Shanghai, China.  They asked if my family would consider forming a ministry named East Gates (a name they had already chosen).  I expressed to them that given the timing, just shortly after the Tiananmen Square incident, creating a US-based organization to work legally in China representing the House Church to both the State influenced Open Church and the Chinese government was quite impossible!  One of the Chinese leaders simply looked at me with a twinkle in his eyes and quoted Mark 10:27, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”  One of the woman leaders said, “All we need to do is have faith.”  She then opened her Bible to the book of Hebrews, Chapter 11 and began to read…

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.  By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible...  By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance.   And he went out, not knowing where he was going.  By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise...By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days...

In Hebrews 11 alone, the word “faith” is mentioned 28 times!

Needless to say, I was humbled by the tremendous faith of these dear Chinese brothers and sister.  Right then and there, I agreed to step out in faith with them—to see beyond the impossible! Since then, we have never looked back.

Over the past 15 years, God has been so incredibly good to us as we have tried our best to be good and faithful stewards of the resources and ministry opportunities He has entrusted to us.

Seeing Beyond the Impossible

East Gates was the first Christian organization to negotiate a contract with the China Christian Council to legally print and distribute Bibles strictly to House Church believers across China through “Project Light.” To date, we have distributed over three million Bibles.  Now, because of East Gates’ pioneering efforts back in 1992, Chinese can readily obtain Bibles legally though any number of channels.  This accessibility to Bibles now negates the need for Bible smuggling that endangers local believers.

East Gates has hosted numerous delegations representing the United Front Work Department, the State Administration of Religious Affairs (SARA) and the China Christian Council.  Through these diplomatic activities, we have had a direct and positive influence on some of China’s key religious policies concerning the practice of Christianity in China.

We have established close to 250 mini-libraries and distribution points in every single province in China including Tibet.  Through these locations, we distribute not only Bibles but a wide variety of evangelical Christian literature from apologetics and theological works to books by John Maxwell, Rick Warren, Josh McDowell and my father and mother.

We helped the Jesus Film project get started in China and also the Radio Bible Class with its wonderful devotional, Our Daily Bread.  We have also helped large businesses, based on Christian beliefs and principles, such as Servicemaster, get started in major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

I could go on and on sharing how God has not only allowed us to “see beyond the impossible” but to accomplish what men and women said was impossible!  In the following pages you will read more about how God is using this unique ministry to have a strategic impact on a nation that will most likely be the world’s next great superpower.

From its humble beginnings, this has been a ministry of faith lead by God’s Holy Spirit.  We continue to be completely and utterly dependent upon Him for all that we have and all that we do.

To God be all praise, honor and glory—Amen.

Your brother in Jesus Christ,

Ned Graham
President of East Gates