Rule of law best help to freedom of faith By Ku Ma (China Daily) Updated: 2009-12-03 07:19 In his interview with China Daily, Liu Peng, says the country is at a favorable time to develop an institutional guarantee for the legality and equality of all religions, so that they, as President Hu Jintao recently expected, can make a greater contribution to the general social harmony. GO TO 'READ'--> NEWS OF INTEREST to read a full copy of the article or click on the link below.
Dr. Sharon Taylor and I were privileged to travel to China as representatives of Shadyside Presbyterian Church in October. Sharon and I were part of a larger delegation of ten people traveling with the Outreach Foundation. Outreach is a Presbyterian organization which helps churches pair with missions all over the world, working especially in leadership development and evangelism. We traveled with Outreach’s Executive Director, Rev. Dr. Rob Weingartner. It was Rob’s first visit to China and so we had many doors opened to our group. Our group leader was Dr. Peter Lim, the China Mission Specialist for Outreach Foundation. Peter has numerous friends in leadership positions in China so we were blessed by meeting more officials than we had planned. We learned a lot from Peter during our two weeks together. We visited the cities of Shanghai, Jinan, Weifang, Beijing, Nanjing & Hangzhou. Three members of our group split off to visit Jiangyin to see the progress of a learning center their church, First Presbyterian of Wilmington, NC, helped to build. The official dedication of the building was celebrated.
Shadyside Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, PA was part of the Presbyterian Mission of Shantung Compound built in the1920’s. Our church specifically built the Shadyside Hospital. The Presbyterian Mission is located in Weifang, Shandong Province. We visited with seminary and church officials in Jinan, where Shandong Seminary is located, and then drove to Weifang, where the Shandong Compound is located. We saw Shadyside Hospital surrounded by Shadyside Park. The beauty of Shadyside Park and the care given to the upkeep of the buildings certainly is in contrast to the horrors of war, disease and detainment that is the history of Japanese occupation in the 1940’s of Shandong Compound. The care given to the landmarks shows the historical importance that lasts even today in Weifang.
Our tour group was well received by each delegation in China from the Religious Affairs Bureau to the rural churches. The government and church officials were found to be sincere about their support of the church in China. The Chinese government is more open to church work than ever in the past. The government realizes the social benefit of the church especially in regard to social programs for the church community. The recent economic development of China brings also a shift from a “family/clan” based society to a “community” based society because so many of the rural dwelling Chinese are moving to larger cities and leaving their families. The newcomers are attracted to the sense of community that a church can offer.
I am encouraged by what we witnessed in China. Christianity is growing, the government is supportive and the Christians are willing to partner with our churches to have mutually beneficial relationships. We have much to learn and much to teach. Please continue to pray for God’s hand to guide us and our Chinese brothers and sisters to a better understanding of our cultures and Christ centered partnerships.
Blessings,
Wanda H. Sowell, Elder
Shadyside Presbyterian Church
Pittsburgh, PA
Since 1993 The Outreach Foundation has been developing relationships with the Church in China. We have focused our efforts on supporting the Chinese Church in its development of leaders who can shepherd the millions of believers who have come into the church during the past thirty years. A new direction for our commitment to leadership development in China began with the recently concluded “English Exchange Camp” which was The Outreach Foundation’s first “hands-on” mission trip to China. From July 22-August 3, twelve persons from eight states journeyed to Shanghai, Nanjing, Xuzhou, Huai’an, and Hangzhou for a never-to-be-forgotten experience. The time in Shanghai and Hangzhou bracketed the week in China’s eastern province of Jiangsu, where the cities of Nanjing, Xuzhou, and Huai’an are located.
The “English Exchange” experience was a subject of discussion between The Outreach Foundation and the Jiangsu Provincial Christian Council for four years. When it seemed that 2009 was the right time for this event, The Outreach Foundation’s China Mission Specialist, the Rev. Dr. Peter Lim began working closely with Mr. Shi Li, Associate General Secretary of the Jiangsu Provincial Christian Council on concrete plans. Eventually, fourteen Chinese participants were chosen by the Jiangsu Provincial Christian Council twelve persons joined The Outreach Foundation team.
The camp was originally envisioned as a response to the long-term plan of the Jiangsu Provincial Christian Council to build the capacity of its leaders in spoken English. However, the experience quickly became much more than an immersion in spoken English. It was a true exchange of language, culture, history, and faith for Chinese and American participants alike.
The Chinese participants grew more confident in their spoken English, while the American participants learned a few phrases in Chinese, especially words for our favorite foods. We all learned more of the culture and history of our respective countries, and we gained a new appreciation for the work of the Church in China in this province. For example, we toured the Amity Printing Press, which has printed more than 60,000,000 Bibles since 1987. In Northern Jiangsu Province we saw a church-run senior citizens’ home in Xuzhou, and we saw a church-run clinic in Huai’an. In the latter city also we visited a church that seats 8000 in its main sanctuary and has two Sunday services. The amazing grace of God has resulted in incredible growth in this area where Presbyterian missionaries served from the late 1800s until 1949.
For one of the American participants, retired Christian Educator Ann Broom, the visit to Huai’an was especially meaningful as this was where Dr. L. Nelson Bell, father-in-law of Billy Graham, served in the “Love and Mercy Hospital” for twenty-five years. After Dr. Bell returned to the United States, he lived in Montreat, North Carolina and was Ms. Broom’s Sunday School teacher when she was a student at Montreat College. Two others of the American group. Jimmy and Lynne Quinn, had a “Dr. Bell” connection, as their church, First Presbyterian Church of Houston, had a capital campaign in 1925 to help expand the mission hospital where Dr. Bell served.
The greatest blessing for Chinese and American alike came in the way the camp was structured. It felt more like a retreat than a classroom experience, for each day began and ended with a time of worship. A spirit of quiet meditation with Taizé-type hymns and guided prayer from the Celtic spiritual tradition complemented testimonies and sermons by the Chinese participants. The general feeling of all participants was that this framing of the “English Exchange” in worship and prayer was what made the week so impactful for them.
As the week drew to an end, participants were already talking about next year. The Chinese wanted two weeks instead of one. Americans were trying to figure out how they could fit this special event into their schedule. And all wanted to see more participants from both sides.
Look for information from The Outreach Foundation about the 2010 English Exchange Experience in the months ahead. In the meantime, save the last half of July for an amazing experience of bonding with Chinese brothers and sisters.
The 2008 Outreach Foundation Trip to China
Jeff Ritchie and Peter Lim, Co-Leaders
This year’s Outreach Foundation trip to China was billed as a “Presbyterian Heritage Tour” of China. Some twenty participants from nine states travelled from Shanghai through Jiangsu and Shandong Provinces, journeyed as far west as Xi’an in Shaanxi Province, and concluded with a couple of days in Beijing.
In Jiangsu and Shandong we saw the fruit of the Presbyterian mission enterprise, both in the growth of the church in these provinces and in the ways the church is developing leaders to shepherd this growth. In Xi’an we saw the original place to which Christianity came during the Tang Dynasty (635 AD). Finally, in Beijing the group saw what all tourists in 2008 want to see—the “Bird’s Nest” stadium, where the Olympics were held, and the Great Wall.
The group was most congenial and, since it was composed of seasoned travelers, handled the occasional unpleasant—and in one case, potentially dangerous--situations with grace, flexibility, and prayer. For example, on a foggy day in northern Jiangsu Province we were almost part of a multi-vehicle accident chain reaction. We were saddened to see that several of those involved in the accident were injured and even killed. We thanked God for our bus driver’s skill in keeping us from being caught up in the tragedy.
Beyond the logistics and itinerary of the trip, a couple of themes stood out. First of all, The Outreach Foundation’s commitment to long-term relationships with the church in a few provinces was affirmed in place after place, as we were greeted by the leaders of the church in each place, “lao peng you,” which means “old friends.” The fact that we return to the same provinces year after year has built trust among our Chinese friends to the point that we are now able to consider more direct people-to-people involvement with the church in these places. We hope, for example, to have a couple of week-long “English camps” in two provinces next summer.
Secondly, we saw the fruit of our investment in leadership training wherever we went. The Jiangsu Provincial Bible College has added more land to its campus thanks to gifts from Outreach Foundation partners. A lay training center in Xu Yi County in northern Jiangsu Province was another project supported by The Outreach Foundation. Two years ago it was only a shell of a building. Now it is complete, and we saw both the building and sixty-three lay leaders in the middle of a three-week course of training. It was so encouraging to see how our investments in the church in China are bearing fruit as more leaders are trained and equipped for service.
Finally, we saw the people resources that God is bringing together from the PC(USA) to bless the church in China and to resource American Presbyterians who want to be engaged in China. Don Snow, the PC(USA)’s Regional Liaison for China, was an invaluable guide to the group as we began our trip, both for his overall orientation to Chinese history and culture and for his lucid explanations of the church in China today. Scott Sunquist, Professor of Mission and World Christianity at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, joined the group a week into the trip. Once he joined us, he provided insights into the historical significance of Shandong Province for Presbyterian mission, and he gave an excellent talk on the introduction of Christianity into China when we were in Xi’an.
Above all, the value of Peter Lim as our Outreach Foundation’s China Mission Specialist, was proved in place after place as he served as a helpful and necessary bridge between American and Chinese mission partners. Even though we were provided with a guide from the National China Christian Council, Peter often had to translate for talks and individual conversations. He also helped the group understand culturally appropriate ways to work in China. It is great having a new team member for China.
As the rest of the group was preparing to depart China, Peter flew to Nanjing to represent The Outreach Foundation at the tenth anniversary of the founding of the Jiangsu Provincial Bible School in Nanjing. Walter Lewis and I also remained in China for a few more days, as we flew to Harbin to see our friends, Pastor Li Meilan and Pastor Lü Dezhi, as well as the teachers and students at the Heilongjiang Provincial Bible School.
Pastors Li and Lü are building a prayer and continuing education retreat center they are calling the “Mount of Olives.” It is ambitious faith venture, but the work is proceeding swiftly. They plan to dedicate the new retreat center next summer. Walter and I saw the progress of the construction on a snowy Saturday, and had several opportunities to hear this dynamic couple share their dreams and visions for ministry.
We were also impressed by the brand-new classroom and library building of the Heilongjiang Bible School. It has been a long time in the planning stage, but now it is almost ready to move into. It will expand the student capacity of the seminary by 25%, and provide space for other continuing education opportunities for the rural pastors and lay leaders.
Walter and I spent time with both faculty and students at the Heilongjiang Bible School, enjoyed a lively worship at the Korean-Chinese Emmanuel Church where Pastor Li Meilan serves, and saw an English Bible Study at yet another church which was led by a Nigerian Christian graduate student. Harbin is truly an amazing center for ministry.
Next year The Outreach Foundation will have at least two China opportunities to visit China. May 12-23, 2009 will be the official trip led by Rob Weingartner and Peter Lim. Participants will go to Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanjing, and Beijing.
There will also be an English “camp” for Chinese church leaders in Jiangsu Province who have a working knowledge of English, but who need more practice in real-life settings. The date of this hands-on trip to Jiangsu is roughly July 23-August 5.
If you are interested in how you can be part of The Outreach Foundation’s work in China, you have options! Contact our China Mission Specialist, Peter Lim: peterllim@yahoo.com; Jefferson Ritchie, Associate Director for Mission: jeff@theoutreachfoundation.org; or go to our website and follow the links to China: www.theoutreachfoundation.org.
08809
November 3, 2008
HONG KONG — Recently elected leaders of China’s officially-sanctioned Protestant churches have said they care about house churches that sometimes operate underground and that they are willing to provide them with Bibles.
“For those house churches without registration, we will try our best to be with them, to recognize them and to help them, so long as they have an orthodox faith, don’t stray from the truth and don’t follow heretics,” Elder Fu Xianwei, chairperson of the National Three Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM), told some 200 Hong Kong church leaders at an Oct. 22 seminar titled “Chinese Church — New Leaders, New Challenges.”
The 12 member-delegation of TSPM and China Christian Council paid their first visit to Hong Kong and Macau from Oct. 19-26 since assuming the national leadership of their church organizations in January.
Fu, the leader of the delegation, said that CCC/TSPM was willing to help house churches by, for example, providing them with Bibles, and also desired to work with them in building the Chinese Protestant church.
The officially-sanctioned Chinese Protestant church estimates there are at least 18 million Protestants in China, but many other Christians belong to “house” or underground churches, say some analysts.
The Three-Self Patriotic Movement was conceived in 1951 and formed in 1954 as the only legitimate umbrella for Protestant activities. The China Christian Council emerged with the support of the TSPM after China’s Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976, when the expression of religious life was effectively banned.
Fu said that there were insufficient pastors and preachers, and that theological education posed challenges to the Church. He said that when more and more people in China were migrating from rural villages to urban areas, pastors in cities were exposed to greater challenges.
Asked if members of the ruling Chinese Communist Party could convert to Christianity, the Rev. Gao Feng, president of CCC, said that although the Communist Party’s constitution stated that members should follow Marxism, which espouses atheism, the doors of the Church remain open to all.
Church leaders say there has been debate in China concerning a third way for the existence of Christian communities in the mainland, and about whether all Protestant communities seeking registration need to do so within the framework of the CCC/TPSM.
Yu Jian Rong, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said on Oct. 8 at a conference on religion and social sciences at Beijing University that it was time to consider whether to recognize the legitimate status of house churches, and let them register separately to from the CCC/TSPM, which describe themselves as post-denominational.
Yu said that some house churches in China were already in the process of seeking government registration outside the CCC/TSPM.
