From 8 to 16 September 2024, an eight-member delegation from the United Bible Societies (UBS), led by Secretary General Rev Dirk Gevers, visited Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing in Jiangsu province, and Kunming in Yunnan province.
The delegation met with leaders of the religious affairs authorities, the Protestant and Catholic churches, two theological institutions, and Amity Printing Company. In all these meetings, UBS and our Chinese partners reaffirmed our shared mission to make the Bible available, accessible and affordable to the Christians and churches in China.
The close collaboration between UBS and the Chinese churches has spanned nearly 40 years, and this visit fostered UBS’s continued commitment to serve and support the Chinese churches in their Bible ministry.
We are grateful for the warm and generous hospitality of the Chinese hosts who expressed heartfelt appreciation for UBS’s significant contributions to the Bible ministry of the Chinese churches. As we give thanks to God for the ties we have forged with our ministry partners in China, we pray that the Lord will continue to lead and empower us to advance our Bible mission in China in partnership with the Chinese churches.
Mr Ni Zhiqian, Deputy Director of the National Religious Affairs Administration (front row, centre) warmly welcomed the UBS delegates and expressed his appreciation to UBS for many years of support rendered to the Chinese churches in Bible printing and distribution.
Front row:
- Dr Sigit Triyono, General Secretary, Indonesian Bible Society (far left)
- Rev Dirk Gevers, Secretary General of UBS (2nd from left)
- Rev Priyantha Wijegoonawardena, General Secretary, The Ceylon Bible Society (2nd from right)
- Rev Saw Sha Moe Aye La, General Secretary-designate, The Bible Society of Myanmar (far right)
Back row:
- Mr Prakich Treetasayuth, General Secretary, Thailand Bible Society (far left)
- Mr Bayarmagnai Bayardalai, Executive Director, Mongolian Union Bible Society (2nd from left)
- Dr Bernard Low, Co-Director (Ministry), UBS China Partnership (centre)
- Rev Liu Wei, Lecturer in New Testament from Nanjing Union Theological Seminary and interpreter for the delegation (2nd from right)
- Mr Hu Deping, Deputy Division Chief of International Exchanges, NRAA (far right)
The UBS delegates had a fruitful dialogue discussing collaboration in Bible ministry with these Catholic church leaders who warmly received them:
- Archbishop Li Shan (front row, 2nd from left), President of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA) and Bishop of the Beijing Diocese;
- Bishop Guo Jincai, Vice-President of the Bishops’ Conference of the Catholic Church in China (BCCCC) (front row, far right);
- Father Yang Yu, Secretary-General of BCCCC (back row, far right);
- Father Li Jianmin, Head of Religious Affairs Department of CCPA & BCCCC (back row, 2nd from left).
The UBS delegates met up with Bishop Shen Bin, President of the BCCCC and the Bishop of the Shanghai Diocese (4th from right).
At the meeting with the China Christian Council & National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Churches in China (CCC&TSPM), Rev Xu Xiaohong, Chairman of the National TSPM (front row, 4th from left), affirmed the friendship and partnership between CCC&TSPM and UBS spanning nearly four decades.
Rev Kan Renping, Chairman of Jiangsu TSPM (6th from right), and his team hosted the delegation to a welcome dinner when they arrived in Nanjing.
The UBS delegation visited NJUTS where ties were renewed as both sides explored areas for collaboration. Li Jiangyue, the Vice President of NJUTS (5th from right), and Dr Wen Ge, the Head of Academic Affairs (6th from left), warmly received the delegation.
The delegation visited Amity Printing Company (APC) in Nanjing and experienced APC’s first-class hospitality as they learned about their latest innovations, advanced printing technology, their Phase 2 building project, and how they have been serving the Bible needs of the churches in China and elsewhere.
In Kunming, Yunnan, the delegation met Rev Yu Wenliang, Chairman of Yunnan CC&TSPM (front row, centre), and other church leaders who warmly received them at Trinity International Church.
The delegation visited the cathedral of the Kunming Catholic Diocese where they were warmly received by Archbishop Joseph Ma (front row, 5th from left) and other clergy.
The UBS delegates (front row) with the faculty and students of Yunnan Theological Seminary.
