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Who would think that in one relatively small geographical area in China, over half of the 480,000 people are committed to Jesus Christ? The area is Yunnan, one of the southwest provinces, and the people are Lisu, one of the large non-Chinese minority people groups. Over the past 100 years, Christianity has in some cases spread even more quickly and thoroughly among these ethnic minorities than among the majority (Han) Chinese. Whole clans and villages have come to Christ. In nearly every case, these mass movements can be traced back to seeds planted by some very influential early missionaries.

When the People's Republic of China drew up its first constitution in 1954, it defined the country as a "unitary multinational state in which all the nationalities are equal." The principal nationality is the Han people—those traditionally considered Chinese, who originated during the Han dynasty at the time of Christ. This dominant group numbers more than one billion people. The other 56 nationalities range in population from several hundred to 15 million. They live in China and are patriotic Chinese citizens, but they have their own unique language, history, and land. Politically, they are Chinese, but culturally they have another identity.

For more than 1200 years, Christian missionaries have sought to bring the gospel to the minority nationalities of China. Beginning with the Nestorians during the Tang dynasty (618-907) and continuing at least until the advent of the People's Republic of China, emissaries of the cross have tried to penetrate Mongolia, Tibet, and areas in what is now Xinjiang in northwest China. In the late 19th century, missionary work began among the many minority groups in southwest China.

In the decades leading up to 1949, conditions among these nationalities did not favor the Christian missionary effort. At that time minority peoples were despised, or were at best second-class citizens (they are no longer). Religious hierarchies oppressed them. Feudalism was rampant. Local conditions were chaotic because the central government lacked effective control. Many groups were ravaged by infighting as well as by struggles with other groups. Travel conditions were difficult and dangerous. Education was almost nonexistent, and there was no written literature. The planting and use of opium was the foundation of local economies. Banditry and murder were everyday occurrences. Deadly diseases killed off missionaries, as well as the local people. Apart from times of special crisis, missionaries and local Christians usually were free to preach the gospel. But they faced enormous social, political, and religious challenges.

With the exception of the Mongols, all nationalities in northern China are Muslim. The Mongols and Tibetans believe in Lamaism, a form of Buddhism. Nearly every group in southwest China believes in spirits, or animism—a traditional religion. As missionaries began to reach out to the minorities, the Muslims and Buddhists resisted vigorously. These groups were very structured, with holy books, a priesthood, places of worship, and religious communities. Animistic groups, on the other hand, often received the gospel enthusiastically and saw their lives and communities dramatically changed. This can be seen clearly in the cases of the Lisu and Miao peoples.

The Lisu live mostly in western Yunnan province near the northern border with Sichuan, and also in a few counties in Sichuan. The first Protestant foreign missionary to concentrate his ministry on them was James Fraser of the China Inland Mission, who began his work in Yunnan in 1910. Initially the gospel message bore little fruit. After a short time, Fraser realized that he was in a spiritual battle against demon worship, ancestral rites, the use of opium, and addiction to whiskey. He devoted himself to long periods of prayer.

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