Seven Chinese church delegates participated in the 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) held in Karlsruhe, Germany, from 31 August to 8 September 2022, under the theme “Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity”. More than 4,000 delegates from all over the world attended the assembly.
The delegation was led by Rev. Wu Wei, president of China Christian Council (CCC), and members were Rev. Kan Baoping, vice chairman of National Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM), Rev. Shen Xuebin, vice president of CCC, Rev. Dr. Lin Manhong, associate general secretary of CCC and academic dean of Nanjing Union Theological Seminary (NJUTS), Rev. Dr. Wen Ge, associate general secretary of CCC and interim chief of the office of academic affairs of NJUTS, Ms. Gu Jingqin, interim chief of the overseas relationship department of CCC&TSPM, and Ms. Shi Meiying, secretary of the overseas relationship department, CCC&TSPM said.
According to CCC&TSPM, Ms. Gu Jingqin and Rev. Dr. Lin Manhong were elected as members of the WCC Central Committee, the chief governing body of WCC between assemblies. Rev. Dr. Lin Manhong was elected as one of the 25-member executive committee.
CCC joined the WCC under the leadership of Bishop K. H. Ting in 1991. Since then, the Chinese registered churches have participated in the assemblies, and some representatives have been elected as members of the WCC central committee and the executive committee.
In the 11th assembly, the Chinese delegation took part in various activities of the conference.
Rev. Dr. Wen Ge was invited to participate in the business committee held every morning. In addition, he was also invited to serve as the rapporteur for the sixth ecumenical conversation — “Broadening the Dialogue on the Church”.
Ms. Gu Jingqin was invited to read the Bible in Chinese at a morning prayer meeting. On the evening of September 6, she was invited to attend the essay collection launch of the International Missionary Council Centenary Conference and shared her views on the impact of the conference on the Chinese church and how the Chinese church will continue to cooperate with overseas churches in the future.
On the evening of September 1, Rev. Dr. Lin Manhong and Rev. Dr. Wen Ge attended the "United and Uniting Churches" meeting of the WCC, giving a brief introduction of Chinese churches.
On the evening of September 2, Rev. Wu Wei and other members of the delegation attended the meeting of churches in the Asian region. Rev. Dr. Wen Ge gave a greeting at the meeting, pointing out that the ecumenical spirit had already existed in Asia, and the union of churches in southern India in the 1940s was a good example. Asian churches that embrace a large number of Christians have their own unique multi-religious cultural and social situation. Therefore, Asian churches should strive to build their own contextualized theology to guide the development and unity of the church and jointly respond to issues like poverty and ecological problems in Asia. Rev. Dr. Lin Manhong gave the closing prayer, and she prayed for Asia, the unity of the church, and the love of Christ coming to those affected by war and natural disasters.
On the afternoon of September 7, the Chinese delegation held a workshop on the theme of "A Journey Towards Unity in a Chinese Context". The workshop was presided over by Rev. Shen Xuebin. The four speakers Rev. Dr. Wen Ge, Rev. Dr. Lin Manhong, Mr. Liu Siyuan, Director of Amity Africa Office, and Rev. Kan Baoping introduced to the delegates the work and achievements of the Chinese church in the aspects of “theology of unity”, “unity in practices”, “unity with people in need”, and “unity of China” respectively.
The audience raised questions that they would like to know more about, including how CCC&TSPM advances the Sinicization of Christianity while respecting and accepting the characteristics of ethnic minorities, whether there is room for multiculturalism in theological education, how to accommodate and reflect the characteristics and cultures of ethnic minorities, what are the main contents and basic characteristics of unity with Chinese characteristics, whether Chinese churches carry out cross-religious cooperation in social service, etc.
At this assembly, the Chinese church delegation renewed their friendship with many old friends and made some new friends. During the assembly, members of the delegation communicated with the heads and staff of several churches and church organizations, including the United Church of Canada, the United Methodist Church in the USA, the World Communion of Reformed Churches, the Christian Conference of Asia, the United Bible Societies, the Foundation for Theological Education in Southeast Asia, the Hong Kong Council of the Church of Christ in China, Christian Action in Hong Kong, the Evangelical Church in Germany, the Association of Protestant Churches and Missions in Germany, Bread for the World (Brot für die Welt), the United Church of Christ in Zimbabwe, the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian, Presbyterian Church in America, the Church in Wales, Christian in Action in the Netherlands, the Church of Scotland, the Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil, the Church of Pakistan, the Church of the Province of Myanmar, the Church of Bangladesh, etc. They shared the current situation of the Chinese church after the outbreak of the pandemic and laid the foundation for resuming communication after the opening of travel.
On September 1st, Rev. Wu Wei, Rev. Kan Baoping, Rev. Shen Xuebin, and two staff of the overseas relationship department had dinner with the heads of the Evangelical Church in Germany and the Association of Protestant Churches and Missions in Germany.
On September 5th, Rev. Wu Wei and Ms. Shi Meiying had lunch with Olav Fykse Tveit, the former general secretary of the WCC. Rev. Dr. Tveit has visited Chinese churches many times, knowing Chinese churches well and being willing to strengthen the connection and cooperation between WCC and Chinese churches. After stepping down as general secretary in 2020, he has served as the presiding bishop of the (Lutheran) Church of Norway. He expressed to Rev. Wu Wei the willingness to continue the friendly exchanges of visits between churches in Norway and China. The Norwegian Church hopes to strengthen its connection with the Chinese Church. When international travel is no longer affected by the pandemic, the Norwegian Church hopes to organize a group visit as soon as possible. Rev. Dr. Tveit was also concerned about the Chinese church's pandemic prevention, pastoral work, and social services for pandemic prevention.
On September 7, Rev. Wu Wei was invited to talk with the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and his wife. Rev. Shen Xuebin and Ms. Gu Jingqin also attended the talks. After the talks, both sides expressed that they will continue to strengthen the exchanges between the churches of the two countries and conduct more dialogues in the future.
After the assembly, the delegation went to Frankfurt, during which they participated in a video conference to communicate with the local believers in Germany. They held talks with ministry leaders there, including the secretary of the Hesse State Church Ecumenical Relationship Department, Father Willing of the German "China Center", the director for East Asia of the Association of Protestant Churches and Missions in Germany, the secretary for Asia-Pacific of Mission EineWelt, visited the social service ministry of the Church in Frankfurt, and exchanged views on topics such as church contextualization and religious dialogue.
中国教会代表团共7人参加了2022年8月 31日至9月8日在德国卡尔斯鲁厄市（Karlsruhe）召开的世界基督教联合会（World Council of Churches以下简称世基联）第十一届大会。全世界4000多人参与了此次大会，主题是“基督的爱使世人走向合一与和好”。
本次代表团由中国基督教协会会长吴巍牧师担任团长，团员包括中国基督教三自爱国运动委员会驻会副主席阚保平牧师、中国基督教协会驻会副会长沈学彬牧师、中国基督教协会副总干事、金陵协和神学院教务长林曼红牧师、中国基督教两会海联部临时负责人顾静琴同工和海联部干事史美莺同工。
据中国基督教网报道，本次大会顾静琴同工、林曼红牧师当选世基联最高权威机构中央委员会的新一届委员。林曼红牧师继续当选执行委员会委员（执委会共25人）。
1991年，中国基督教协会在丁光训主教的带领下加入了世基联，此后每次大会中国教会都有代表团参加，也有代表当选为中央委员和执行委员会委员。
此次大会，中国代表团积极参加了大会的各项活动。
文革牧师获邀参与每日早上举行的大会事务委员会（business committee）。此外，文革牧师也受邀担任普世对话活动中第六主题组的书记员——“拓展关于教会的对话”。
顾静琴同工获邀在大会早祷会上以中文读经。9月6日晚，她应邀参加了国际宣教协会成立一百周年庆典研讨会论文集的发布会，分享了这一研讨会对中国教会的影响以及中国教会今后如何与海外教会继续合作交往的看法。
9月1日晚，林曼红牧师和文革牧师参加了世基联“联合与联合中之教会”的聚会，并做了简要的中国教会情况介绍。
9月2日晚，吴巍牧师和其他代表团成员一起参加了亚洲地区教会的聚会。文革牧师受委托在会上致问候语，指出普世精神在亚洲早已存在，印度南部教会在二十世纪四十年代的联合就是很好的标志。不但如此，亚洲教会有自己独特的多元宗教文化和社会处境，而且基督徒人数众多，故亚洲教会要努力构建自己的处境化神学来指导教会的发展与合一，共同来回应亚洲的贫穷、生态等问题。林曼红牧师在会议结束前做代祷，她为亚洲祷告，为教会的合一祷告，求基督的爱临到那些受到战争、自然灾害等影响的人们。
9月7日下午中国代表团举办题为“合一”的主题工作坊。工作坊由沈学彬牧师主持，四位讲员依照分享题目顺序分别是文革牧师，林曼红牧师，爱德基金会非洲办公室主任刘思源先生和阚保平牧师。他们分别从合一的神学、教育与实践、社会服务和“中国的统一”四个方面向与会代表介绍了中国教会在合一方面所做的工作、取得的成果，以及坚持“一个中国”原则的必要性。
听众提出了想进一步了解的问题，包括中国基督教两会如何在尊重和接受少数民族的特点的同时推进基督教中国化，神学教育里是否有多元文化存在的空间，如何包容和体现少数民族的特点和文化，实现具有中国特色之合一的主要内容和基本特点是什么，中国教会在社会服务事工方面是否开展跨宗教合作等等。
在此次大会上，中国教会与许多老朋友更新了友谊，也结交了一些新朋友。会议期间，代表团成员分别与加拿大联合教会、美国联合卫理公会、世界归正宗教会联盟、亚洲基督教教会协议会、联合圣经公会、东南亚神学教育基金会、香港基督教协进会、香港基督教行动会、德国新教教会联合会、德国福音事工协会、德国教会“粮惠”组织、津巴布韦基督教协会、中非长老会、美国长老会、英国威尔士教会、荷兰教会在行动组织、苏格兰长老会、巴西信义会、巴基斯坦教会、缅甸教会、孟加拉教会等多个教会及教会机构的负责人与工作人员交流沟通，一方面分享疫情发生后教会的现况，另一方面为开放旅行后重新恢复交往打下基础。
9月1日，吴巍牧师与阚保平牧师、沈学彬牧师以及两位海联部同工与德国新教联合会以及德国福音事工协会的负责人一同晚餐。双方进行了友好交流。
9月5日，吴巍牧师和海联部史美莺同工应约与世基联前总干事奥拉夫·维特（Olav Tveit）共进午餐。维特总干事曾多次访问中国教会，对中国教会比较了解，也愿意加强世基联与中国教会的联系与合作。2020年卸任总干事职位之后，他目前是挪威教会的首席主教。他向吴牧师表达了两国教会继续友好互访的意愿。挪威教会希望能加强同中国教会的联系，待疫情不再影响国际旅行时，挪威教会希望能尽快组团来访。维特主教也关心中国教会的抗疫情况，以及在疫情中中国教会如何做好信徒的牧养工作，在社会服务方面做了哪些抗疫事工等。
9月7日，吴巍牧师应邀与坎特伯雷大主教夫妇会谈。沈学彬牧师和顾静琴同工参加了会谈。双方在会谈后都表示今后将继续加强两国教会的交往，开展更多对话。
大会结束后代表团前往法兰克福，期间参加了与德国当地信徒交流的视频会议，与黑森州教会普世关系部主任、德国“中国中心”威灵神父、德国福音事工协会东亚区事工负责人、“宣教一个世界”亚太区干事等见面会谈，并参观了法兰克福教会的社会服务事工，进一步了解德国当地教会的事工情况，同时也就教会处境化、宗教对话等议题交换意见。
中国教会代表团参加世界基督教联合会第十一届大会
Seven Chinese church delegates participated in the 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) held in Karlsruhe, Germany, from 31 August to 8 September 2022, under the theme “Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity”. More than 4,000 delegates from all over the world attended the assembly.
The delegation was led by Rev. Wu Wei, president of China Christian Council (CCC), and members were Rev. Kan Baoping, vice chairman of National Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM), Rev. Shen Xuebin, vice president of CCC, Rev. Dr. Lin Manhong, associate general secretary of CCC and academic dean of Nanjing Union Theological Seminary (NJUTS), Rev. Dr. Wen Ge, associate general secretary of CCC and interim chief of the office of academic affairs of NJUTS, Ms. Gu Jingqin, interim chief of the overseas relationship department of CCC&TSPM, and Ms. Shi Meiying, secretary of the overseas relationship department, CCC&TSPM said.
According to CCC&TSPM, Ms. Gu Jingqin and Rev. Dr. Lin Manhong were elected as members of the WCC Central Committee, the chief governing body of WCC between assemblies. Rev. Dr. Lin Manhong was elected as one of the 25-member executive committee.
CCC joined the WCC under the leadership of Bishop K. H. Ting in 1991. Since then, the Chinese registered churches have participated in the assemblies, and some representatives have been elected as members of the WCC central committee and the executive committee.
In the 11th assembly, the Chinese delegation took part in various activities of the conference.
Rev. Dr. Wen Ge was invited to participate in the business committee held every morning. In addition, he was also invited to serve as the rapporteur for the sixth ecumenical conversation — “Broadening the Dialogue on the Church”.
Ms. Gu Jingqin was invited to read the Bible in Chinese at a morning prayer meeting. On the evening of September 6, she was invited to attend the essay collection launch of the International Missionary Council Centenary Conference and shared her views on the impact of the conference on the Chinese church and how the Chinese church will continue to cooperate with overseas churches in the future.
On the evening of September 1, Rev. Dr. Lin Manhong and Rev. Dr. Wen Ge attended the "United and Uniting Churches" meeting of the WCC, giving a brief introduction of Chinese churches.
On the evening of September 2, Rev. Wu Wei and other members of the delegation attended the meeting of churches in the Asian region. Rev. Dr. Wen Ge gave a greeting at the meeting, pointing out that the ecumenical spirit had already existed in Asia, and the union of churches in southern India in the 1940s was a good example. Asian churches that embrace a large number of Christians have their own unique multi-religious cultural and social situation. Therefore, Asian churches should strive to build their own contextualized theology to guide the development and unity of the church and jointly respond to issues like poverty and ecological problems in Asia. Rev. Dr. Lin Manhong gave the closing prayer, and she prayed for Asia, the unity of the church, and the love of Christ coming to those affected by war and natural disasters.
On the afternoon of September 7, the Chinese delegation held a workshop on the theme of "A Journey Towards Unity in a Chinese Context". The workshop was presided over by Rev. Shen Xuebin. The four speakers Rev. Dr. Wen Ge, Rev. Dr. Lin Manhong, Mr. Liu Siyuan, Director of Amity Africa Office, and Rev. Kan Baoping introduced to the delegates the work and achievements of the Chinese church in the aspects of “theology of unity”, “unity in practices”, “unity with people in need”, and “unity of China” respectively.
The audience raised questions that they would like to know more about, including how CCC&TSPM advances the Sinicization of Christianity while respecting and accepting the characteristics of ethnic minorities, whether there is room for multiculturalism in theological education, how to accommodate and reflect the characteristics and cultures of ethnic minorities, what are the main contents and basic characteristics of unity with Chinese characteristics, whether Chinese churches carry out cross-religious cooperation in social service, etc.
At this assembly, the Chinese church delegation renewed their friendship with many old friends and made some new friends. During the assembly, members of the delegation communicated with the heads and staff of several churches and church organizations, including the United Church of Canada, the United Methodist Church in the USA, the World Communion of Reformed Churches, the Christian Conference of Asia, the United Bible Societies, the Foundation for Theological Education in Southeast Asia, the Hong Kong Council of the Church of Christ in China, Christian Action in Hong Kong, the Evangelical Church in Germany, the Association of Protestant Churches and Missions in Germany, Bread for the World (Brot für die Welt), the United Church of Christ in Zimbabwe, the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian, Presbyterian Church in America, the Church in Wales, Christian in Action in the Netherlands, the Church of Scotland, the Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil, the Church of Pakistan, the Church of the Province of Myanmar, the Church of Bangladesh, etc. They shared the current situation of the Chinese church after the outbreak of the pandemic and laid the foundation for resuming communication after the opening of travel.
On September 1st, Rev. Wu Wei, Rev. Kan Baoping, Rev. Shen Xuebin, and two staff of the overseas relationship department had dinner with the heads of the Evangelical Church in Germany and the Association of Protestant Churches and Missions in Germany.
On September 5th, Rev. Wu Wei and Ms. Shi Meiying had lunch with Olav Fykse Tveit, the former general secretary of the WCC. Rev. Dr. Tveit has visited Chinese churches many times, knowing Chinese churches well and being willing to strengthen the connection and cooperation between WCC and Chinese churches. After stepping down as general secretary in 2020, he has served as the presiding bishop of the (Lutheran) Church of Norway. He expressed to Rev. Wu Wei the willingness to continue the friendly exchanges of visits between churches in Norway and China. The Norwegian Church hopes to strengthen its connection with the Chinese Church. When international travel is no longer affected by the pandemic, the Norwegian Church hopes to organize a group visit as soon as possible. Rev. Dr. Tveit was also concerned about the Chinese church's pandemic prevention, pastoral work, and social services for pandemic prevention.
On September 7, Rev. Wu Wei was invited to talk with the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and his wife. Rev. Shen Xuebin and Ms. Gu Jingqin also attended the talks. After the talks, both sides expressed that they will continue to strengthen the exchanges between the churches of the two countries and conduct more dialogues in the future.
After the assembly, the delegation went to Frankfurt, during which they participated in a video conference to communicate with the local believers in Germany. They held talks with ministry leaders there, including the secretary of the Hesse State Church Ecumenical Relationship Department, Father Willing of the German "China Center", the director for East Asia of the Association of Protestant Churches and Missions in Germany, the secretary for Asia-Pacific of Mission EineWelt, visited the social service ministry of the Church in Frankfurt, and exchanged views on topics such as church contextualization and religious dialogue.
Delegation of Chinese Churches Attend the World Council of Churches 11th Assembly
