At the beginning of the 20^th century, in order to help China catch the stream of Christian development in the world, John Raleigh Mott, a famous missionary, went to China in 1913 and sponsored the first National Christianity Conference and set up the first national central Christian organization, the China Continuation Committee with Cheng Jingyi, a famous Christian, as its Secretary General.

The main tasks of the organization were: implementing the decision of the National Christian Conference, keeping in touch with international Christian organizations, promoting missionary cause through cooperation, publishing the public opinions of the churches and offering advice to the churches. Later, the conference carried out a large-scale investigation on the status quo of Christianity in China and the situation of China and obtained abundant precious information.

The results of the investigation were gathered in a book published in 1922 with its title as The Christian Occupation of China.

In order to achieve the goal of the Christian occupation of China and to echo with the investigation, the conference launched the Christian Occupation of China Movement in Shanghai in 1919. It also advocated promoting the educational levels of Christians, expanding missionary activities, reforming Chinese society and carrying out national missionary movement.