Christians in China border valley keep sweet faith
By Emma Graham-Harrison
May 30, 2007

GONGSHAN, China (Reuters) - When China's communist army razed his church, Jesse's grandfather climbed into the forests stacked up above his valley and carved a hole in the trunk of a tree to hide his bible.

Half a century later the wilderness is retreating but his grandson, sitting in front of the church and scripture school rebuilt from scratch, no longer needs it.

His unusual Protestant faith -- which bans smoking and drinking, celebrates the most sacred communion ritual with honey instead of wine and calls followers to five singing and dancing services a week -- is spreading fast.

"I heard the music when I was walking past the church, it drew me in," says weatherbeaten farmer He Chunhua, a recent convert and the only Christian in his family. the rest