China Compass

China Compass
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Semiweekly

With more than two decades of experience in the Middle Kingdom, Ben tackles China’s toughest questions while telling captivating stories and challenging Christians to intercede for revival and reformation. Each weekend episode takes on Chinese current events with wisdom and a wealth of experience (ie, lots of stories), while the midweek podcast (aka, The Prison Pulpit) gives persecuted believers a voice, challenging Christians to pray for those in chains "as bound with them." (Heb. 13:3) Follow to stay informed on current events and evangelism efforts, missionary history, and the ongoing persecution of Christians in China.

  1. 1d ago

    N.D. Wilson is Wrong about Tibetan Yak Butter (+ Trump Troubles Taiwan)

    Welcome to the China Compass Podcast on the Fight Laugh Feast Network and the Christian Podcast Community! I'm your China travel guide, Missionary Ben. You can follow me on X (@chinaadventures) where I post daily reminders to pray for China (PrayforChina.us). Email any questions/comments to bfwesten at gmail dot com and find all our resources @ PrayGiveGo.us! Today’s podcast starts out with a fun critique of ND Wilson’s opinion of Tibetan yak butter (while agreeing with his overall point about the upcoming Narnia movie). Then we discuss China’s future with Lee Kuan Yew (via proxy) on the 77th anniversary of the regime. Next, how did Trump trouble Taiwan last month? Finally, all the Chinese cities to pray for this coming week!    ND Wilson talks yak butter on “Stories are Soul Food” Glitter Bomb Narnia (25:00-30) https://open.spotify.com/episode/38WMSAOGJ3KcVWfrxRaHXa   Book of the Week: Tibet: The Roof of the World | The China Chronicles #4 (Paul Hattaway) https://www.asiaharvest.org/bookstore/Tibet-The-Roof-of-the-World-The-China-Chronicles-N%C2%BA4-p282172673   Former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew with some straight talk on China https://x.com/Eureka_Bing/status/2104900364575310183   Trump's Comments Trouble Taiwan  www.bostonstar.com/news/279338243/taipei-pushes-back-on-beijing-s-world-war-ii-narrative   The list of this week's Pray for China cities (Oct 5-11) will go live on Sun, Oct 5: https://chinacall.substack.com/p/pray-for-china-oct-5-11-2026   Subscribe to China Compass and leave a review on your preferred podcast platform.  Follow us on Twitter/X (@chinaadventures), and find much more @ PrayGiveGo.us Luke 10, verse 2, the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Talk again soon!

  2. 4d ago

    “We Were Waiting To Die”│Prison Pulpit #102

    Welcome to this mid-week Prison Pulpit edition of the China Compass podcast! I'm your China travel guide in exile, Missionary Ben. Follow me on Twitter/X (@chinaadventures) where I share a new Chinese city to adopt in prayer every single day. Email any questions or comments to: bfwesten AT gmail dot com. Finally, for everything else visit PrayGiveGo.us, including our ministry page, substack, patreon and books. On this week’s episode of the Prison Pulpit, I begin by giving a little update from our recent China conferences, as well as a look forward to my next trip to India. Then we dive into a moving testimony from Central Asia, where a missionary and his team were attacked with a grenade and nearly killed. His thoughts on this experience of suffering will help us to better pray for others who find themselves in similarly dire circumstances. Finally, a short Pray for China section finishes out today’s podcast!   Why the Prison Pulpit?  The goal is to remind people to pray for persecuted believers as Hebrews 13:3 teaches: “Remember those who are in bonds, as bound with them”    We Were Waiting To Die www.9marks.org/article/we-were-waiting-to-die-suffering-as-a-missionary-for-the-sake-of-the-name/   Book of the Week: The Autobiography of John G. Paton JohnGPaton.com   Pray for China Cities of the Week (Sep 28-Oct 4): https://chinacall.substack.com/p/pray-for-china-sep-28-oct-4-2026   Follow China Compass Thank you for listening! Subscribe & leave a review on your preferred podcast platform! And don’t forget to visit PrayGiveGo.us for books + Heb. 13:3: Remember those who are in prison, “as bound with them”!

  3. Sep 26

    Macau: The Las Vegas of Asia & the Legacy of Pastor Lucky (+ Surviving SARS)

    Our two big China training events are complete, but I’m already back on the road in Macau. Today’s show (besides the intro/outro) is a mashup of a couple previous episodes about Macau, the Las Vegas of Asia, where I am ministering this weekend. After a brief Macau introduction, we remember Pastor Lucky and learn about his “unsolvable Chinese complex”, followed by the story of early pioneer missionaries Morrison & Milne, who served right here in Macau over 200 years ago. Finally, I share my “SARS Survival Story”, from the very first episode of this podcast.    Welcome to the China Compass Podcast on the Fight Laugh Feast Network and the Christian Podcast Community! I'm your China travel guide, Missionary Ben. You can follow me on X (@chinaadventures) where I post daily reminders to pray for China (PrayforChina.us). Email any questions/comments to bfwesten at gmail dot com and find all our resources @ PrayGiveGo.us!   Substack: The Legacy of Pastor Lucky https://chinacall.substack.com/p/the-legacy-of-pastor-lucky   Book: The Memoirs of William Milne  (Published by Robert Morrison in 1824, Edited by B.F. Westen in 2024) https://a.co/d/bALLtAf   The list of all this week's Pray for China cities (Sep 28-Oct 4) in one place will go live on Sunday, September 27: https://chinacall.substack.com/   Subscribe to China Compass and leave a review on your preferred podcast platform.  Follow us on Twitter/X (@chinaadventures), and find much more @ PrayGiveGo.us Luke 10, verse 2, the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Talk again soon!

  4. Sep 23

    Righteous Deception and the Persecuted Church (w/ Andrew Rappaport)│Prison Pulpit #101

    On this 101st episode of the Prison Pulpit, Andrew and I have a discussion about the ethics of deception in missions and other war-time scenarios, and then I give some real-time examples from our ongoing Chinese conferences. Finally, a quick look at the remaining Pray for China cities this week. Welcome to the China Compass podcast! I'm your China travel guide in exile, Missionary Ben. Follow me on Twitter/X (@chinaadventures) where I share a new Chinese city to pray for every single day. Email me with any questions, comments, or complaints: bfwesten AT gmail dot com. Finally, check out my personal landing page PrayGiveGo.us for everything else, including my patreon, substack, and books.   Free Ebook: Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret https://anekopress.com/product/hudson-taylors-spiritual-secret/ China Compass on the Christian Podcast Community https://strivingforeternity.org/show/china-compass/ The Rapp Report with Andrew Rappaport https://strivingforeternity.org/show/the-rapp-report/   Help Equip and Encourage China’s Persecuted Church Last Chance (really, this time): if you (or your family or organization ) would like to “sponsor” a Chinese church leader, I can personally provide you with the name (or secure nickname) of the particular pastor/leader who you sponsor, and for whom you can continue to pray for going forward. Sponsor a Chinese Pastor/Evangelist for $1000!  Contact me (bfwesten AT gmail dot com) or donate directly at: MCI3.org    Pray for China Cities of the Week (Sep 22-27): https://chinacall.substack.com/p/pray-for-china-sep-21-27-2026 Follow China Compass Thank you for listening! Subscribe & leave a review on your preferred podcast platform! And don’t forget to visit PrayGiveGo.us for books + Heb. 13:3: Remember those who are in prison, “as bound with them”!

  5. Sep 21

    Are China's NEW Visa Rules an Open Door? + Evangelism in the Mysterious Mountains of Guilin

    Due to our ongoing China conferences, I am unable to record a new podcast this week. What follows is a lightly edited show from 2024, that focuses primarily on Guangxi, the province where the grandfather of my current travel partner, Dan Bausum, lived and served. We're going to be sharing some of the stories from today's podcast with the Chinese leaders this coming week. They love to hear the stories of the missionaries who first brought the Gospel to China! Donate to help cover the expenses for these Chinese pastors/leaders/missionaries: MCI3.org (or contact me for more info)! On today's podcast I discuss some of the latest rule changes for tourist visits to China. Then I talk in depth about Guangxi, including my first and only visit to the karst mountains of Guilin (2018), concluding with fascinating stories from the missionaries and martyrs who served in Guangxi before, including my friend’s grandfather. Welcome to China Compass on the Fight Laugh Feast Network! I'm your China travel guide, Missionary Ben. You can follow me on X (@chinaadventures) where I post daily reminders to pray for China (PrayforChina.us). You can also email me with any questions or comments @ bfwesten at gmail dot com. You can also find easy links to everything we are involved in @ PrayGiveGo.us!   China Transit Visa Opportunities https://www.china-briefing.com/news/china-upgrades-144-hour-visa-free-transit-to-10-day-stay-adds-21-ports/   Recommended Resources (in the order they were mentioned):  Operation China: Introducing All the Peoples of China https://www.asiaharvest.org/operation-profiles His Life For Mine: A Missionary’s Story (The Life and Legacy of Joy Bausum) https://a.co/d/gY0Huyp The Memoirs of William Milne (Foreword by Dan Bausum): https://a.co/d/bALLtAf   Pray for China Province of the Week: Guangxi (Zhuang Autonomous Region) Guangxi in south central China is matched up with Alabama and Mississippi for prayer. See which Chinese province your state is praying for @ PrayforChina.us! Asia Harvest overview: https://www.asiaharvest.org/china-resources/guangxi Wikipedia profile: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guangxi   “I Don’t Want Your Jesus”: Evangelism in the Mysterious Mountains of Guilin https://chinacall.substack.com/p/i-dont-want-your-jesus   Guangxi Missionaries & Martyrs (incl. many who didn't make it on the show): https://www.asiaharvest.org/china-resources/guangxi/1924-j-r-cunningham https://www.asiaharvest.org/china-resources/guangxi/1926-tang-pan https://www.asiaharvest.org/china-resources/guangxi/1928-preacher-zhong https://www.asiaharvest.org/china-resources/guangxi/1951-bill-wallace

  6. Sep 17

    Is Persecution Good or Bad for the Chinese Church? (w/ Andrew Rappaport)│Prison Pulpit #100

    On this 100th episode of the Prison Pulpit, Andrew and I have an in-depth discussion about the spiritual state of the modern Chinese church and why the revivals of the past generation may be waning.   Welcome to the China Compass podcast! I'm your China travel guide in exile, Missionary Ben. Follow me on Twitter/X (@chinaadventures) where I share a new Chinese city to pray for every single day. Email me with any questions, comments, or complaints: bfwesten AT gmail dot com. Finally, check out my personal landing page PrayGiveGo.us for everything else, including our missions website, substack, and books.   Why the Prison Pulpit?  The goal is to remind people to pray for persecuted believers as Hebrews 13:3 teaches: “Remember those who are in bonds, as bound with them”    China Compass on the Christian Podcast Community https://strivingforeternity.org/show/china-compass/ The Rapp Report with Andrew Rappaport https://strivingforeternity.org/show/the-rapp-report/   Help Equip and Encourage China’s Persecuted Church Last Chance: if you (or your family or organization ) would like to “sponsor” a Chinese church leader, I can personally provide you with the name (or secure nickname) of the particular pastor/leader who you sponsor, and for whom you can continue to pray for going forward. Sponsor a Chinese Pastor/Evangelist for $1000!  Contact me (bfwesten AT gmail dot com) or donate directly at: MCI3.org    Pray for China Cities of the Week (Sep 14-20): https://chinacall.substack.com/p/pray-for-china-sep-14-20-2026   Free Ebook: Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret https://anekopress.com/product/hudson-taylors-spiritual-secret/   Follow China Compass Thank you for listening! Subscribe & leave a review on your preferred podcast platform! And don’t forget to visit PrayGiveGo.us for books + Heb. 13:3: Remember those who are in prison, “as bound with them”!

  7. Sep 12

    Charlie Kirk’s China Warning: “America Must Shape Up, or China Wins”

    I'm your China travel guide, Missionary Ben. Follow me (@chinaadventures) on X, email any questions/comments (bfwesten at gmail dot com), and find verything else at PrayGiveGo.us! In honor of the anniversary of the martyrdom of Charlie Kirk, I’m re-sharing a lightly edited version of the episode from this time last year when I let him "take the mike", as he discussed many of his thoughts on China in detail on his own show just a week before he was killed.  After a lengthier-than-expected introduction, we work through Kirk’s China takes one by one, commenting along the way. It's obvious that Charlie understood China much better than most. I learned a few things myself, especially from the second-to-last clip. Note: Don’t miss the Man Rampant intro/outro, and the final sad segment!   Borden of Yale: The Millionaire Missionary No Reserve, No Retreat, No Regrets www.BordenofYale.com    Pray for China places of the week (Or, follow @chinaadventures daily…) https://chinacall.substack.com/   Bonus: Here are the Timestamps from Charlie Kirk’s “China” Podcast… America Must Shape Up, or China Wins (Sept 3, 2025) https://www.podbean.com/media/share/dir-d8vyq-274dd443 2:42-3:28 - Audience of One (Who?) 3:28-3:35 - Not Xi, but Trump!? 3:35-4:31 - Comparing China and America’s military expenses (and size) 4:58-5:34 - What is China? Rival? Enemy? Internationalist ambitions. 5:34-6:08 - Chinese “Friendly” Neighbors. Kirk Meets China’s Vice. 6:09-6:48 - Tougher than the Cold War. China is far more pragmatic. 7:06-8:36 - China’s Moment in Empire vs America’s 8:37-9:09 - Trump Criticizes China (and comparing military $ again) 9:09-10:13 - Who is going to win the 21st Century? Installing a gate in the USA. 10:13-10:42 - US Department of Interior selling Made in China 11:44-13:40 - “The End of History and the Last Man” (Peak Neo-Liberal Ignorance) 13:40-15:49  - Bill Clinton celebrated China’s entrance to the WTO 15:50-17:15  - We are facing the consequences of 1990s pride and cockiness 18:40-21:23 - Charlie talking with Senator Mike Lee about his upcoming visit to Utah   Subscribe to China Compass and leave a review on your preferred podcast platform.  Follow us on Twitter/X (@chinaadventures), and find much more @ PrayGiveGo.us Luke 10, verse 2, the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Talk again soon!

  8. Sep 10

    On Praying for China + Equipping the Chinese Church (w/ Andrew Rappaport) │Prison Pulpit #99

    On this week’s Prison Pulpit I am joined by Andrew Rappaport, host of the Rapp Report podcast (among other things) to discuss praying for China and equipping the Chinese church. This segment is part of a longer conversation Andrew and I had the other day. You can listen to the rest on his podcast (see the link below) or on my podcast during subsequent episodes. I’m off to Manila for a few days. God bless! Welcome to the China Compass podcast! I'm your China travel guide in exile, Missionary Ben. Follow me on Twitter/X (@chinaadventures) where I share a new Chinese city to pray for every single day. Email me with any questions, comments, or complaints: bfwesten AT gmail dot com. Finally, check out my personal landing page PrayGiveGo.us for everything else, including our missions website, substack, and books. Why the Prison Pulpit? The goal is to remind folks to pray for the persecuted as Hebrews 13:3 teaches: “Remember those who are in bonds, as bound with them”    China Compass on the Christian Podcast Community https://strivingforeternity.org/show/china-compass/ The Rapp Report with Andrew Rappaport https://strivingforeternity.org/show/the-rapp-report/   Help Equip and Encourage China’s Persecuted Church Last Chance: if you (or your family or organization ) would like to “sponsor” a Chinese church leader, I can personally provide you with the name (or secure nickname) of the particular pastor/leader who you sponsor, and for whom you can continue to pray for going forward. Sponsor a Chinese Pastor/Evangelist for $1000!  Contact me (bfwesten AT gmail dot com) or donate directly at: MCI3.org    Pray for China Cities of the Week (Sep 7-13): https://chinacall.substack.com/p/pray-for-china-sep-7-13-2026 Wed, Sep 9 - Pray for Qingshanhu (Clear Mtn Lake) District in Nanchang, the capital of SE China’s Jiangxi Province: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qingshanhu,_Nanchang Jiangxi is paired with Georgia for prayer. For more about Jiangxi (incl. my podcast, where I discuss my first visit in Aug, 2002): https://prayforchina.us/index.php/Jiangxi/   Free Ebook: Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret https://anekopress.com/product/hudson-taylors-spiritual-secret/ Follow China Compass Thank you for listening! Subscribe & leave a review on your preferred podcast platform! And don’t forget to visit PrayGiveGo.us for books + Heb. 13:3: Remember those who are in prison, “as bound with them”!

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About

With more than two decades of experience in the Middle Kingdom, Ben tackles China’s toughest questions while telling captivating stories and challenging Christians to intercede for revival and reformation. Each weekend episode takes on Chinese current events with wisdom and a wealth of experience (ie, lots of stories), while the midweek podcast (aka, The Prison Pulpit) gives persecuted believers a voice, challenging Christians to pray for those in chains "as bound with them." (Heb. 13:3) Follow to stay informed on current events and evangelism efforts, missionary history, and the ongoing persecution of Christians in China.

Information

  • Creator
    China Compass
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    237
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    China Compass

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