Nanjing, Friday, October 19, "Don't Worry"

We arrived in Nanjing last night on a train that ran at 200 km/hour from Shanghai.  Clean.  Smooth.  Impressive.

Leadership, leadership, leadership.  That's a challenge we hear about over and over again, from the national offices of the China Christian Council, the East China Theological Seminary in Shanghai, and today from the the Chairman of the the Three-Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant churches in Jiangsu Province (where Nanjing is located), and leaders of the Nanjing Seminary.  As Christianity grows, training elders for leadership as well as pastors is a top priority, both in terms of numbers and quality.  Last week, before embarking on this trip, we had a consultation with Princeton Theological Seminary at which we discussed the subject of commissioned lay pastors as a response, in part, to leadership needs in places where our U.S. congregations do not have ordained ministers of the Word and Sacrament.  China, too, looks to trained elders for leadership in rural areas and where ordained ministers are not available.

Twice we passed the Mu Chou Lu church, which means the "Don't Worry" church.  I'm glad to know that the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) contributed to this church.  I only wish we'd had time to stop in and take in that message, "Don't worry."  It calls to mind Paul's words in Philippians, "Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."

I love factory tours.  I've been to semiconductor, cell phone, pager, paper, automobile, spaghetti, and knitting factories, to name a few.  I would stop and watch with my kids when Mr. Rogers took us on a television tour of the graham cracker factory and the crayon factory.  Amity Bible Printing Company, Ltd., is by far one of the most impressive, and certainly the most meaningful, among all of the tours that I have personally experienced.

Established in 1986 as a joint venture of the Amity Foundation (the Christian education, social service, health, and rural development agency) and United Bible Societies, the Amity Publishing Company was the inspiration of Bishop K. H. Ting, one of China's leading scholars and church leaders.  The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) was a founding contributor.  As a side note, when Samuel Kobia, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, visited China last fall, he described Bishop Ting as "a living ecumenical ancestor."  I will say more about this remarkable man later.

Over 50 million Bibles have been printed and distributed from this factory, and construction is well under way for a new factory to replace it that will open in 2008, with the capacity to print 1 million books a day.  The first ones produced used the New Revised Standard Version, and those versions now sell for about $1.80 a copy.  Many of the Bibles are in Chinese and English - written side by side - and are used not only for worship and Bible study, but to teach English as well.  (Knowledge of English is required for university entrance.)  One has in side-by-side columns Greek, four different Chinese versions and English.  This printing press now produces Bibles in other languages for other countries, and medical reference books used in connection with ministries of health services.

Not far from the Amity Publishing Company is another impressive facility - the new campus of Nanjing Seminary, currently under construction on a 23 acre site.  The campus includes a large library, separate administration building, four dormitories, gym and sports field, and a very large church of soaring, stunning architecture, with a 1,000-seat sanctuary and smaller chapel.  When the seminary moves there next year, they will be able to increase the student body from the current number of approximately 160 to 500.

We met some of the outstanding faculty members of Nanjing Seminary (another leading institution with Presbyterian origins) and spoke of their challenges, visions for the future, and "reconstruction of Christianity," a movement among scholars to interpret Christianity in the context of China.  Key principles of this theological reconstruction are:  Understanding Christ's work among all people by Chinese Christians, who are a minority in China; traditional values and understandings of community and relationships; a sense of the nation as large community; and pervasive concepts of unity and harmony.  The China Christian Council churches adopt the Nicene Creed and the Apostles' Creed, but not others.  Another current topic among some church leaders and scholars is whether they could - or should - develop a confession or statement of faith.  The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has helped to support the education of several of the impressive, scholarly faculty members, whom we met, and they contribute to the worldwide church as scholars and colleagues - another important, ongoing connection between us.

Again and again, we have seen legacies of Presbyterian mission and engagement.  Many of the leading educational and hospital institutions had Presbyterians as founders.  These institutions are now under Chinese leadership, but they continue to feel connection and partnership with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).  In many cases, we have continued to provide financial support at important times, as above.

After Nanjing Seminary, we had the great privilege and honor to meet Bishop K. H. Ting, a "living ecumenical ancestor."  A longtime and great friend of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), scholar and author of many books, 93-year old Bishop Ting is a legend in China, and is now the Chair of Nanjing Seminary and honorary Chair of the Amity Foundation.  Today is a day in China that elders are honored; we were the ones honored to visit with Bishop Ting in his home.

In this profoundly life-transforming journey, I truly sense our collective call to live out the charge to honor all people, and to love and serve the Lord.

Comments

[sammie]

wow!

awesome!

your journeys and ministry is greater than amazing. i am elated and rejoice and pray for you, et al, and with you as you live your call to bring God's healing, salvation, and joy in living to God's beloved people on earth.

thank you sincerely for sharing and doing God's will!

please express greetings from me to your family, as well.