To promote friendship among Protestant churches in China and Russia, Dr. William Yoder, a member of the Russian Evangelical Alliance (REA), embarked on his official visit to the Chinese Christian community.
On November 4, Rev. Wu Wei, president of the China Christian Council (CCC), welcomed Dr. William Yoder. They exchanged views on future contacts among the Protestant churches in both nations.
During the meeting, Rev. Wu briefed the guests on the three self-principles and history, as well as the ministry of sinicization of Christianity in progress. Meanwhile, Wu said that churches in China have been willing to connect with churches across the world under the three-self principle.
Dr. William Yoder pointed out that churches in Russia have barely engaged in exchanges with Chinese churches for the past decades. Therefore, he hoped the REA would organize a delegation to visit churches in China, promoting mutual exchange and friendship. Rev. Wu also addressed inquiries from the guests regarding ministries in Chinese churches.
Before the trip to CCC, Dr. William Yoder first visited Shanghai Municipal CC&TSPM and the East China Theological Seminary from November 2 to 3.
On November 2, Rev. Zhang Aili, secretary general of Shanghai CC&TSPM, and Rev. Guo Feng, deputy secretary general of Shanghai CC&TSPM, received Dr. Yoder. At their meeting, Rev. Zhang introduced the current development of the Christian community in Shanghai.
Dr. Yoder also visited the East China Theological Seminary (ECTS) on November 3 to share their individual circumstances, seminary enrollment, and sacred music education.
President Xie Bingguo of the seminary introduced not only the historical development, personnel training, and educational features of ECTS but also a series of explorations it has made in the sinicization of Christianity in recent years, according to ECTS. He also recounted the achievements of the church in China in adhering to the "three-self principle.".
Dr. Yoder introduced the situation of the churches under REA as well as the school-run Protestant seminaries in Russia. The two sides also discussed and shared the enrollment of the seminary, sacred music education, and the students’ career development after graduation.
Finally, the guest visited the seminary’s electric piano classroom, patriotic educational research room, and library.
Founded in 2003, the Russian Evangelical Alliance became a member of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) and a representative union organization of Christian Protestants, which encompasses the Russian Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists (RUECB), the Russian Church of Christians of Evangelical Faith/Pentecostal Union (RACEFP), and seminaries in Moscow and Saint Petersburg.
- Translated by Poppy Chan and Cassie
俄罗斯福音派联盟成员威廉•约德（William Yoder）博士首次拜访中国教会，促进中俄新教教会间友谊。
据中国基督两会，11月4日，中国基督教协会会长吴巍牧师会见了俄罗斯福音派联盟成员威廉•约德（William Yoder）博士，双方就中俄两国基督教会之间开展友好交往进行了沟通。
吴牧师并向客人介绍了中国教会三自原则产生的过程和正在推进的基督教中国化事工；同时强调中国教会愿意在三自原则下，与世界各地的教会进行联系。
威廉•约德博士表示，在过去的几十年里，俄罗斯教会与中国教会几乎没有往来，希望通过这次会面促成俄罗斯福音派联盟将来组团访问中国教会，增进交往与友谊。威廉•约德博士还就各自教会开展的事工提出了一些具体问题，吴巍牧师进行了一一回应。
此前，11月2-3日，威廉•约德第一次拜访上海市基督教两会及华东神学院。
11月2日，基督教两会秘书长张爱理牧师及市基督教两会副秘书长郭峰牧师一同接待博士。在座谈中张爱理牧师介绍了上海基督教的发展近况。（3日约德博士在沪走访了华东神学院。）
俄罗斯福音派联盟（Russian Evangelical Alliance）成立于2003年，是世界福音派联盟成员，也是俄罗斯目前具有代表性的基督教新教宗派联合组织。其包括俄罗斯浸信会和五旬节宗教会等宗派以及设在莫斯科和圣彼得堡的神学院校。
俄罗斯福音派联盟成员拜访中国教界
To promote friendship among Protestant churches in China and Russia, Dr. William Yoder, a member of the Russian Evangelical Alliance (REA), embarked on his official visit to the Chinese Christian community.
On November 4, Rev. Wu Wei, president of the China Christian Council (CCC), welcomed Dr. William Yoder. They exchanged views on future contacts among the Protestant churches in both nations.
During the meeting, Rev. Wu briefed the guests on the three self-principles and history, as well as the ministry of sinicization of Christianity in progress. Meanwhile, Wu said that churches in China have been willing to connect with churches across the world under the three-self principle.
Dr. William Yoder pointed out that churches in Russia have barely engaged in exchanges with Chinese churches for the past decades. Therefore, he hoped the REA would organize a delegation to visit churches in China, promoting mutual exchange and friendship. Rev. Wu also addressed inquiries from the guests regarding ministries in Chinese churches.
Before the trip to CCC, Dr. William Yoder first visited Shanghai Municipal CC&TSPM and the East China Theological Seminary from November 2 to 3.
On November 2, Rev. Zhang Aili, secretary general of Shanghai CC&TSPM, and Rev. Guo Feng, deputy secretary general of Shanghai CC&TSPM, received Dr. Yoder. At their meeting, Rev. Zhang introduced the current development of the Christian community in Shanghai.
Dr. Yoder also visited the East China Theological Seminary (ECTS) on November 3 to share their individual circumstances, seminary enrollment, and sacred music education.
President Xie Bingguo of the seminary introduced not only the historical development, personnel training, and educational features of ECTS but also a series of explorations it has made in the sinicization of Christianity in recent years, according to ECTS. He also recounted the achievements of the church in China in adhering to the "three-self principle.".
Dr. Yoder introduced the situation of the churches under REA as well as the school-run Protestant seminaries in Russia. The two sides also discussed and shared the enrollment of the seminary, sacred music education, and the students’ career development after graduation.
Finally, the guest visited the seminary’s electric piano classroom, patriotic educational research room, and library.
Founded in 2003, the Russian Evangelical Alliance became a member of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) and a representative union organization of Christian Protestants, which encompasses the Russian Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists (RUECB), the Russian Church of Christians of Evangelical Faith/Pentecostal Union (RACEFP), and seminaries in Moscow and Saint Petersburg.
- Translated by Poppy Chan and Cassie
Russian Evangelical Alliance Visits Chinese Christian Community
