DALLAS — In religiously diverse Hong Kong, Angel Li once believed in multiple gods. Now she puts her faith in one.

"In Chinese society, there are so many different gods, people worship them for good things such as peace, fortune, luck," she said in a recent e-mail to The Associated Press. "However, Jesus promises to clean my sin and give me eternal life."

Li's conversion experience has been so strong that the 30-year-old university employee now leads a Bible study group. She wants to learn more about the Bible so she can be a better teacher, and that has brought her — in a virtual sense — to Texas.

The nondenominational Dallas Theological Seminary is offering courses online in Chinese, and plans to expand the program in the spring.

No one knows the exact number of Christians in China today, although analysts say the faith is spreading dramatically.

"So the need for theological education in China is huge," said Mark Bailey, the seminary president.

The program has been in development for two years, and an official rollout came this fall. Only about 30 students worldwide are participating now, with 60 expected in the spring, when more courses will be offered.

The seminary got word out about the courses through its Web site and advertisements in Christian magazines in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Hundreds of applications have been received — more than the 2,000-student seminary can deal with — and the program is expected to expand tremendously over the new few years, said spokesman Mark Yarbrough.

Several years of talks with officials in mainland China resulted in the communist government's blessing. A group of students in Beijing is taking the online classes in a Chinese seminary, as are students from Malaysia, Australia and the Ukraine, said Philip Chia, a Dallas Theological professor based in Hong Kong.

The program is believed to be the first of its kind.

"We are not aware of a school other than Dallas that is offering courses in Chinese by distance methods to students in China," said Nancy Merrill, spokeswoman for The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada. The organization has about 250 member schools.

The courses provide only the taste of a theological education. Those who finish 30 semester hours receive a graduate studies certificate that can be applied toward a degree at Dallas Theological.

Meanwhile, small groups of professors from the Dallas seminary have traveled to China each semester to provide training on Christian leadership, including worship and preaching.

China's officially atheist government permits religious observance, but allows worship only in Communist Party-approved churches, temples and mosques. Worship outside that official structure, such as at Tibetan Buddhist retreats or home churches, is generally banned, and organizers face harassment, arrest and being sent to labor camps or prison.

Hong Kong is not affected by the religious restrictions.