A nine-member delegation from the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), visited the Beijing Christian Council on July 21.
Chairman Rev. Wu Weiqing of Beijing CC&TSPM affirmed the friendly relations between the two parties, emphasizing the importance of enhancing friendly exchanges with WEA while maintaining independence and self-management in church affairs, said Beijing CC&TSPM.
Rev. Li Hua, vice president and general secretary of the Beijing Christian Council (CC), provided a brief overview of the sinicization of Christianity in Beijing, highlighting key efforts in talent development, social services, and theological education in recent years. He stated that Beijing CC is dedicated to assisting churches to be rooted in Chinese culture, adaptable to contemporary Chinese society, and stick to the truth. He continued that they are involved in public welfare and charitable activities and bear witness to the faith.
Rev. Ezekiel Tan, the delegation's chief coordinator, who is also the special envoy of the World Evangelical Alliance to China and Chinese territories, briefly introduced the current WEA initiatives. The two parties exchanged views on the sinicization of theological thought and the translation issue of a new Chinese Bible commentary. Both sides agreed to strengthen contact and explore opportunities for cooperation and exchange in more areas.
On the morning of the visit, the delegation attended the Sunday service at Chongwenmen Church. After the service, Rev. Liu Cuimin, president of Beijing CC and senior pastor of the church, led the guests on a tour of the main building and auxiliary rooms, providing a brief introduction to the church's rough situation.
It is said that the delegation will travel to Jiangsu Province and other places during their stay in China.
The WEA's last visit to China can be traced back to 2017 when the then-secretary general, Bishop Efraim Tendero, met with the late Elder Fu Xianwei, the then-chairman of TSPM.
The WEA is a network of churches in 129 nations, each of which has formed an evangelical alliance, and over 100 international organizations that have joined together to give a worldwide identity, voice, and platform to more than 600 million evangelical Christians.
Originally published by China Christian Daily.
