Bible Ministry Exhibition
Grand Opening Ceremony of Bible Ministry Exhibition Held in Washington, D.C.–September 28, 2011.
The Grand Opening
Ceremony of Bible Ministry Exhibition Held in Washington D.C.
Gu Mengfei, Translated
by Liu Song
On September 28th,
2011, the Grand Opening Ceremony of the Bible Ministry Exhibition of the Protestant Church
in China was held in Mt. Vernon
Place United Methodist Church, Washington,
D.C., U.S.A. The exhibition which has
been prepared for almost two years opened at this moment. This is the second
time that China Christian Council (CCC) and Three-Self Patriotic Committee of
China (TSPM) has held the itinerant
exhibition in the U.S.A.
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Opening Ceremony of the
Bible Ministry Exhibition in Mt.
Vernon Place United Methodist Church
At 11 o’clock in
the morning, the sun was shining bright and the melody was beautiful. The grand
opening ceremony was held with the wholeheartedly blessings of the guests. A
great number of friends at home and abroad met together, and the atmosphere was
friendly. The delegation of CCCTSPM, the delegation of State Administration of
Religious Affairs, Almost 300 guests attended it including the Local Steering
Committee, American churches and their leaders, together with brothers and
sisters in Washington D.C.. Distinguished guests from various international
Christian organizations in Japan,
Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan all joined it.
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Rev. Gao
Feng, President of CCC presiding the Opening Ceremony
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Mr. Wang
Zuo’an greeted the participants of the ceremony
The Opening Ceremony was presided by Rev.
Gao Feng, President of CCC. Mr. Wang
Zuo’an, Minister of State Administration of Religious Affairs, PRC (SARA),
greeted the participants of ceremony, saying that the exhibition could not have
been possible in the United
States again without the concerted efforts
of many loving members of both Chinese churches and American churches. “(It is)
more valuable for the churches of our two countries to build the bridge between
our hearts and discuss how to narrate the world in love.” He hopes that the
Bible connects churches and that love makes peoples more willing to listen to
and learn about one another. “This is what the exhibition is all about.”
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Elder Fu
Xianwei, Chairperson of National Committee of TSPM delivered a speech
Elder Fu Xianwei, Chairperson of TSPM
delivered a speech in which he gave thanks to American churches and friends who
supported the exhibition. He also hoped that all visitors are welcome to see
and feel the marvelous changes that have taken place in the Chinese churches in
the past five years, which bears witness to God’s blessings and grace.
Leaders of
different US denominations and organizations of USA gave warm remarks and
expressed their best wishes to the Bible Ministry Exhibition including: Dr.
Yawei Liu, Director of China Program of the Carter Center, Dr. Lamar Vest,
President of American Bible Society, the Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, General
Secretary of National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., the Rev.
Dr. John Upton, President of Baptist World Alliance, the Most Rev. Katharine
Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church, the Rev.
Geoffrey Black, General Minister and
President of the United Church of Christ, U.S.A., the Rev. Dr. Sharon E.
Watkins, General Minister and President of Christian Church, U.S.A. and Canada,
the Rev. Dr. Geoff Tunnicliffe, Secretary General/CEO of World Evangelical
Alliance, Mr. Thomas Kemper, General Secretary of General Board of Global
Ministries, the United Methodist Church, the Rev. Dr. G. Wilson Gunn, Jr,.
General Presbyter of National Capital Presbyterian Office, the Rev. Dr. Daniel
Vestal, Executive Coordinator of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Dr. Douglas L.
Rutt, Director for International Ministries, Lutheran Hour Ministries, Dr.
Eugene Hsu, Former Vice President of General Conference of the Seventh-day
Adventist Society, the Rev. Dr. H.S. Wilson,
Executive Director of Foundation for Theological Education in South East Asia,
the Rev. Robert Cunville, President of United Bible Societies, Mr. David Moyer,
Executive Director of Maryland Bible Society, Mr. Myrrl Byler, Director of
Mennonite Partners in China, the Rev. Dr. Donna Claycomb Sokol, Pastor of Mount
Vernon Place United Methodist Church.
Rev. Geoffrey Black said that it was his honor to attend
the Bible Ministry Exhibition, and “the exhibition makes us feel the Church in China
is experiencing God’s abundant grace.”
Rev. Dr. Sharon E.
Watkins said that the Word of God will not be different in spite of the
difference of denomination, race or culture, for Christ makes us reconcile with
God, and God makes us united.
Mr. Myrrl Byler
said that the Bible Ministry Exhibition makes us feel that Chinese Christians
love the Bible, no matter male or female, young or adult, in the city or in
village, “in spite of differences in culture and language, God’s blessings will
be upon us.”
The Choir from the D.C. Chinese
Communities also contributed to the ceremony by offering two beautiful hymns.
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Mr. Zhang Yesui, Ambassador of the
Embassy of People’s Republic of China to U.S.A.
attended the Opening Ceremony and was invited to cut the ribbon with Minister
Wang Zuo’an, and Chinese and American
Church leaders. All
guests applauded warmly and bore witness to this historical event.
After the opening
ceremony, Rev. Gao Feng guided the guests to tour the exhibition. Red lanterns,
beautiful paper-cuttings, Chinese calligraphy and paintings with biblical
themes make the exhibition full of Chinese characteristics and atmosphere with
the fragrance of Christ. The huge wood-carving on the life of Jesus, and
different precious Bible versions, testimonies of the believers, the great
achievements of the Bible ministry of the Chinese churches, the colorful church
life and Christian arts impressed every visitor. Such words as “Thanks to the
lord”, “marvelous”, “unforgettable”, “unbelievable” and “congratulations”
filled the space of exhibition.
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The Opening Ceremony of the Bible
Ministry Exhibition of the Protestant Churches in China was a great success. In the
afternoon, the exhibition was opened to the public.
At 3 pm, the Sharing Meeting between
Chinese church delegation and American church leaders took place, which was
presided by Rev. Kan Baoping, General Secretary of CCC. More than 40 people
gathered together to share their friendship and future development of the
churches. This testified the tenet of the Bible Ministry Exhibition that “the
Bible unites us.”
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