VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS)-International Ministries (IM) and the American Baptist Churches USA are pleased to support The Bible Ministry Exhibition of the Church in China, which celebrates the amazing work of God in China. The Exhibition will be held in three locations: the Crystal Cathedral in Los Angeles from April 27 to May 4, the Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church in Atlanta from May 19 to 24, and the St. John's Cathedral in New York from June 5 to 12, 2006.
The Exhibition is sponsored by the China Christian Council and the Three-Self Patriotic Movement. It will be hosted by Christian churches and organizations like Crystal Cathedral, Saddleback Church, Fuller Seminary, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Presbyterian Church (USA), Emory University, American Bible Society, Episcopal Church of New York and American Baptists.
When the Exhibition was held the first time in Hong Kong, it attracted more than 30,000 visitors. In his speech at the opening ceremony, Bishop K.H. Ting, president of the Nanjing Union Theological Seminary, underscored the centrality and significance of the Bible in the life of Chinese Christians. "Christians in China," Ting said, "study the Bible carefully and try to understand the word of God regarding Himself and human life so as to actively respond to the call of proclaiming, in this new century, the good news that God is love."
Rev. Sheng-jie Cao, president of the China Christian Council, shared her joy of seeing the exhibition come to the US. "I know that many Christians in the United States are very concerned about China," said Cao. "They think Chinese Christians have no access to Bibles. The exhibition is intended to bring new understanding between Americans and Chinese, and to create a greater dialogue between Christians in China and the United States."
Since the establishment of the Amity Printing Company in 1988, more than 40 million Bibles have been printed and distributed. Now the company prints about 2.5 million Bibles every year, plus significant quantities of hymnals and Christian literature.
Former President Jimmy Carter supports the Exhibition, stating that it will be "a good learning experience for Americans to see more and more of what is going on in China." Mrs. Ruth Graham, wife of the renowned Dr. Billy Graham, is another honorable guest of the event affirming God's blessings on the land where she was born.
The Exhibition will include six galleries: The History of the Bible in China, the Exciting Bible Publication after 1980, the Dynamic Bible Distribution after 1980, the Bible Ministries for Minority Churches, the Bible and Church Life, and Christian Artwork. Not only will the attendees have a chance to learn the most recent development of church ministry and Christian life in China, they also have an opportunity to see valuable Chinese Bibles dating back to the 18th Century. There will also be music performances by Christians from minority groups.
American Baptist delegations will take part in all three events. Rev. Dr. Roy Medley, ABC General Secretary, and Rev. Charles Jones, IM Acting Executive Director, will represent American Baptists at the exhibition in New York. Rev. Benjamin Chan, IM's area director of East Asia, China and India, has played an active role in the planning and promotion of the event and will be attending the Los Angeles exhibition.
American Baptists have supported the printing of the Bible and mission cooperation based on mutual understanding and respect. The denomination has sponsored church planting, pastoral training, leadership exchange, and a variety of Christian social ministry in China.
Andrew C. Jayne American Baptist Churches, USA Mission Resource Development http://www.abc-usa.org/