Protestants visiting the exhibition of China's Bible ministry
held in West Germany on the German Protestant Church Day, were
deeply impressed by the presence of church in China and the related
exhibits.
"This is my first time to see such an exhibition," said Janie
Lagdn.
"What an exciting exhibition," said a professor from Amsterdam,
giving his name as Martiece.
"It's good to see how the words come all over the world,
crossing borders of language and things like this," writes one
visitor at the message book, adding with it a few Chinese
characters of numbers.
"It touches me that there are Christian believers in China. I
want to pray for them," says one with the name of "Christian
Lord".
"It's a great exhibition to learn something about the Bible and
faith in China," said Kayda Lena.
"We're surprised to see that there is a growing group of
Christians in China -- Wonderful news that there is more freedom in
the country," said R. Hdmes.
Warner Conring, a 72-year-old pastor who visited Amity
Foundation and its Bible-printing factory in Nanjing in 2005, was
much surprised to see the number of Bibles printed in China
now.
"Fifty years ago when I got involved in Bible printing with
China through the Bible Society of Germany, there were many copies
being smuggled into China," he recalled.
According to Dr. Cao Shengjie, president of China Christian
Council, over 43 million copies of the Bible were published from
1980 to 2005 in China, including those in ethnic-minority
languages, Braille, and picture books for children.
Knowing that some of the copies printed in China were even found
in countries like the United States, Conring said, "China has the
technology to produce copies of the Bible. It's enormous work
achieved."
Many visitors posed for pictures in front of the Chinese
exhibition hall, buying Christian souvenirs and holding long talks
with Chinese pastors present at the exhibition.
Paul Oppenheim, regional secretary for Ecumenical relations and
ministries abroad at the Evangelical Church in Germany, said it's
the first ever official presentation from China at the German
Protestant Church Day, and in Europe.
"There is huge interest in the Church in China among German
Protestants and Europeans, but there is also ignorance and
misinterpretations. So this is a good way to let the Church in
China present itself in its own way and engage in dialogue with the
European public," he noted, adding that unlike the plainness at
other stands, the Chinese presence in the exhibition is very
"colorful" and "extravagant", which could be attractive to
Europeans.
The exhibition, sponsored by the National Committee of the
Three-Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Churches in China
and the China Christian Council, aims to show the development of
Christianity in China through various versions of the Bible in
different stages of Chinese history, as well as pictures, art works
and historical documents.
After the exhibition ends on Saturday in Cologne, it will go
further to Bavaria for a month-long display at the invitation of
the Mission One World of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of
Bavaria.
(Xinhua News Agency June 10, 2007)