The "Back to Jerusalem Movement" (BJM), a vision that was given to the Chinese churches to complete the Great Commission, is asking for "much needed" prayers as they plan for the next consultation meeting in Spring 2006.

The BJM was initiated by Chinese pastors in the 1940's, but has since brought forth a challenge for churches to spread the gospel from China all the way back to Jerusalem.

Many misinterpret the meaning of "Back to Jerusalem," (BTJ) thinking that Chinese churches want to evangelize Jerusalem, but "the vision is much larger than that," they said.

It is a movement where Chinese churches can preach the gospel while establishing fellowships in all countries, cities, towns, and with all ethnic groups within the areas between China and Jerusalem.

The Great Commission Center International (GCCI) President Thomas Wang said, "It is a God-given strategic vision that is a part of fulfilling Christ's Great Commission."

This is "no small task," BTJ said.

There are over fifty countries between China and Jerusalem who worship the three major religions Islamism, Buddhism and Hinduism, and over 90% of the "unreached" people groups who have yet to hear the gospel or have yet to be changed by its words, reside within this area, they said.

Right now they have hundreds of Chinese missionaries working within the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, and Southeast Asia, meanwhile thousands are being trained to speak Arabic and English.

Support, however is still needed. Rev. Wang said, "The vision of 'Back to Jerusalem'…is gaining considerable interest both inside and outside of China" but it "increasingly demands a multinational effort by the Church worldwide."

The BTJ vision was first given to the Chinese churches under the name "Jesus Family" in the late 1920s, and later to several different church groups in the 1930s and 1940s who took the Gospel "on foot" back to Jerusalem. They suffered for their faith and faced persecution as they attempted to evangelize the "unreached" nations.

The roots of BTJ comes from Acts 1:8, which says, "…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."