Yanjing Theological Seminary is an important theological education institution that serves churches in northern and northwest China. Since 1986 it has trained many pastors and contributed greatly to the development of the Chinese church.
The origins of Yanjing Theological Seminary are in Peking University, which was founded by Leighton Stuart in 1916. As a Christian school, Peking University established the College of Divinity, which was renamed "School of Religion of Peking University" in 1925. At that time, the religion department of Peking University was full of famous teachers. Zhao Zichen, Liu Tingfang and Wu Leichuan, the famous "three masters of Peking University," all taught in the School of Religion at Peking University during that period.
In early 1950, the School of Religion School was separated from the university and became an independent school. In the 1950s, Yanjing School of Religion merged with many domestic seminaries.
According to the record: "In April 1953, Beijing Theological Seminary, North China United Women's Shengdao College and Peking Bible Seminary were merged into the Yanjing School of Religion and Peking Union Theological Seminary was formed.
In September 1953, Shenyang Northeast Theological Seminary, Henan Kaifeng Baptist Huanei Theological Seminary, and Holy Church Bible College joined the Peking Union Theological Seminary. Later on, Hubei Shekou Lutheran Theological Seminary, Changsha Bible College, The Assemblies of God Aletheia College and Beijing Xiangshan Spiritual School also were merged into Peking Union Theological Seminary."
In 1961, the second national conference of Chinese Christianity adopted a resolution to merge the Peking Union Theological Seminary with the Nanjing Jinling Union Theological Seminary. The teaching staff in Peking was divided into two parts: one part went south to Nanjing to teach, while the other part set up the Beijing Research Office of Jinling Union Theological Seminary in Beijing.
After the reform and opening-up policy was introduced and new religious policies were implemented, theological education developed rapidly in China. In 1983, Beijing Theological Seminary was established by Beijing Christian Council & Three-self Patriotic Movement, and Tianjin Theological Seminary was established by the churches in Tianjin in the following year. In June 1986, the Three-Self Committee in Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Beijing and Tianjin jointly established the Yanjing Theological Seminary, with Beijing Theological Seminary and Tianjin Theological Seminary merged into one school. The school was originally located at No. 43, Dongdan North Street, Beijing. In the autumn of 1992, after much consultation, the decision was made to build a new campus in Qinghe Town, Haidian District, Beijing. The new campus covers an area of 30 mu.
At present, Yanjing Theological Seminary has made remarkable achievements in developing academic disciplines, cultivating talented individuals, building a faculty, establishing pedagogy and research disciplines and constructing a library. Currently, there are 22 full-time teachers, including three persons with doctorates who have studied abroad, 11 with MA degrees who have been trained at home and abroad, and four persons who are studying abroad. This has laid the foundation for Yanjing Theological Seminary to become a first-class Christian college in China.
Yanjing Theological Seminary established the Qinghe church, which was completed on November 2, 2004. In the process of the construction of Yanjing Theological Seminary, there has been no lack of love and dedication from Christians and churches at home and abroad, supporting the seminary with no conditions attached. Mr. Huang Guangpu, a patriotic Chinese American, is a devout Christian who graduated from Peking University before moving to the United States. He contributed half a million dollars to the construction of the church of Yanjing Theological Seminary without asking anything in return. This contribution was of great help in the church’s construction.
The architecture of the Qinghe church at Yanjing Theological Seminary is designed to mimic the Beijing Congregational Church in Dengshikou, only on a smaller scale. This reflects the historical inheritance of famous churches in Beijing and the new look of Christianity in contemporary China.
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
燕京神学院与清河教堂
燕京神学院是中国华北、西北地区重要的神学教育机构，1986年以来，为中国教会培养了不少优秀的牧者同工，为教会的发展做出巨大贡献。
燕京神学院的源头，就是建于1916年，由司徒雷登建立的燕京大学。作为教会大学，燕大设立了神学科，1925年改名为 “燕京大学宗教学院”。当时燕大宗教学系可谓名师云集，著名的“燕大三师”赵紫宸、刘廷芳、吴雷川就是这一时期在燕大宗教学院任教。
1950年初，燕大宗教学院与燕京的大学部分开，成为独立的学校。在五十年代，燕京宗教学院汇集了国内不少神学院的精华。
根据记载：“1953年4月，北京神学院，华北联合女子圣道学院，北平圣经神学院并入燕京宗教学院，联合成了燕京协和神学院。1953年9月又有沈阳东北神学院，河南开封浸会华内神学院，圣洁教会圣经学院加入燕京协和神学院。其后又有湖北滠口信义会神学院，湖南长沙圣经学院，神召会真理学院，北京香山灵修院等先后加入了燕京协和神学院。”
1961年，中国基督教第二届全国会议通过决议，将燕京协和神学院与南京金陵协和神学院合拼。燕京的教师队伍被一分为二，一部分南下任教，一部分在北京成立金陵协和神学院北京研究室。
改革开放后，随着宗教政策的落实，神学教育又在中国得以发展。1983年北京基督教两会成立北京神学院，次年天津教会建立天津神学。而到了1986年6月，河北、山西、内蒙古、陕西、甘肃、宁夏、青海、新疆、北京、天津十省、市、自治区基督教三自爱国运动委员会联合合办了燕京神学院，北京神学院和天津神学院并入。学校最早院址位于北京市东单北大街43号。1992年秋，经多方面协商决定，在北京海淀区清河镇附近为燕京神学院另择新址建院，新址占地30亩。
目前燕京神学院“在学科建设、人才培养、师资队伍建设、教学科研和图书馆建设等方面都取得了显著成绩。现有全职教师22人，其中海外留学博士3人、国内外培养的硕士11人，正在留学的4人，为‘燕京’建设成为全国一流基督教宗教学院奠定了基础。”
燕京神学院建立了清河教堂，于2004年11月2日落成。在对燕京神学院的改造过程中，不乏海内外基督徒和教会无附带任何条件的爱心奉献。美籍爱国华侨黄光普先生是一位虔诚的基督徒，早年毕业于燕京大学，后移居美国。他希望无任何附加条件地为燕京神学院教堂的建设奉献五十万美元，促进了教堂的建设。
燕京神学院清河教堂的建筑风格模仿北京公理会的灯市口教堂，只是建筑规模较小。这体现了对北京教会著名教堂的历史传承，更表现了当代中国基督教的新风采。
Yanjing Theological Seminary is an important theological education institution that serves churches in northern and northwest China. Since 1986 it has trained many pastors and contributed greatly to the development of the Chinese church.
The origins of Yanjing Theological Seminary are in Peking University, which was founded by Leighton Stuart in 1916. As a Christian school, Peking University established the College of Divinity, which was renamed "School of Religion of Peking University" in 1925. At that time, the religion department of Peking University was full of famous teachers. Zhao Zichen, Liu Tingfang and Wu Leichuan, the famous "three masters of Peking University," all taught in the School of Religion at Peking University during that period.
In early 1950, the School of Religion School was separated from the university and became an independent school. In the 1950s, Yanjing School of Religion merged with many domestic seminaries.
According to the record: "In April 1953, Beijing Theological Seminary, North China United Women's Shengdao College and Peking Bible Seminary were merged into the Yanjing School of Religion and Peking Union Theological Seminary was formed.
In September 1953, Shenyang Northeast Theological Seminary, Henan Kaifeng Baptist Huanei Theological Seminary, and Holy Church Bible College joined the Peking Union Theological Seminary. Later on, Hubei Shekou Lutheran Theological Seminary, Changsha Bible College, The Assemblies of God Aletheia College and Beijing Xiangshan Spiritual School also were merged into Peking Union Theological Seminary."
In 1961, the second national conference of Chinese Christianity adopted a resolution to merge the Peking Union Theological Seminary with the Nanjing Jinling Union Theological Seminary. The teaching staff in Peking was divided into two parts: one part went south to Nanjing to teach, while the other part set up the Beijing Research Office of Jinling Union Theological Seminary in Beijing.
After the reform and opening-up policy was introduced and new religious policies were implemented, theological education developed rapidly in China. In 1983, Beijing Theological Seminary was established by Beijing Christian Council & Three-self Patriotic Movement, and Tianjin Theological Seminary was established by the churches in Tianjin in the following year. In June 1986, the Three-Self Committee in Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Beijing and Tianjin jointly established the Yanjing Theological Seminary, with Beijing Theological Seminary and Tianjin Theological Seminary merged into one school. The school was originally located at No. 43, Dongdan North Street, Beijing. In the autumn of 1992, after much consultation, the decision was made to build a new campus in Qinghe Town, Haidian District, Beijing. The new campus covers an area of 30 mu.
At present, Yanjing Theological Seminary has made remarkable achievements in developing academic disciplines, cultivating talented individuals, building a faculty, establishing pedagogy and research disciplines and constructing a library. Currently, there are 22 full-time teachers, including three persons with doctorates who have studied abroad, 11 with MA degrees who have been trained at home and abroad, and four persons who are studying abroad. This has laid the foundation for Yanjing Theological Seminary to become a first-class Christian college in China.
Yanjing Theological Seminary established the Qinghe church, which was completed on November 2, 2004. In the process of the construction of Yanjing Theological Seminary, there has been no lack of love and dedication from Christians and churches at home and abroad, supporting the seminary with no conditions attached. Mr. Huang Guangpu, a patriotic Chinese American, is a devout Christian who graduated from Peking University before moving to the United States. He contributed half a million dollars to the construction of the church of Yanjing Theological Seminary without asking anything in return. This contribution was of great help in the church’s construction.
The architecture of the Qinghe church at Yanjing Theological Seminary is designed to mimic the Beijing Congregational Church in Dengshikou, only on a smaller scale. This reflects the historical inheritance of famous churches in Beijing and the new look of Christianity in contemporary China.
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
Yanjing Theological Seminary and Qinghe Church
