An ongoing exhibition in the United States is offering American Christians a rare peek into China’s church history, while promoting religious exchanges between the two countries. “A Lamp to My Feet, A Light to My Path--The Bible Ministry Exhibition of the Church in China,” is the first such overseas event to be held and traces the course of the Bible’s early journey in China, Bible publication and distribution since 1980, Bible ministries for ethnic minority churches and church life. It also displays Christian art works from six galleries.
　　The exhibition, running from April 27 to June 12 and touring several locations in the United States, is sponsored by the China Christian Council (CCC) and the National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement of Protestant Churches in China (TPSM). It brings together more than 80 local Christian organizations.
　　“I hope the exhibition will lead to greater dialogue and strengthen friendship between Christians in China and the United States,” said Reverend Cao Shengjie, President of the CCC at a press conference in Beijing before leaving for the United States. “It will also help promote a better understanding between the two peoples.”
　　The exhibition’s honorary chairpersons include former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. He opened the six-day Atlanta exhibition on May 19--the second stop after Los Angeles which attracted 7,000 visitors from April 27 to May 4--along with Reverend Cao. “I have a special affinity for China,” said Carter at the Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church.
　　Carter, who served as U.S. president from 1977 to 1981, first visited China in 1949 as a naval officer, and has since retained an interest in China--as a state lawmaker, a governor and as president.
　　Reverend Cao said that between 1980 and 2005, more than 40 million copies of the Bible were published and distributed in China. These include ethnic minority language editions, Braille editions and pictorial bibles for children.
　　Dr. David Sapp, senior pastor of the Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church, said the exhibition offers a first-time look at church life in China. It is aimed at fostering friendly exchanges with churches in other countries and strengthening cooperation between churches in China and the United States. More than 2,000 people attended the Atlanta opening of the exhibition.
　　“It’s unbelievable, it’s exciting,” said Peggy Smith, a Presbyterian from Atlanta in an interview with China’s official Xinhua News Agency. Smith’s father was born in China in the 1880s, and spent many years there. In 1980, Smith went to Shanghai, trying to find the church where her father worked decades before. She did find it, but all its doors were closed. And then to her surprise, one of the doors opened as someone stepped outside to throw out the garbage. Many changes have taken place since Smith’s visit shortly after China adopted the reform and opening-up policy in the late 1970s.
　　Ye Xiaowen, Director General of China’s State Administration for Religious Affairs, said 27 years ago, the late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping said during a meeting with Jimmy Carter that the two principles guiding religious affairs in China were to protect freedom of religious belief and to maintain the independence and self-governance of churches in China.
　　“These two principles, which are like the two sides of a coin, have ensured the smooth and sound development of the church in China,” he said.
　　It is believed that the Bible came to China in 635 A.D., during the Tang Dynasty. There are an estimated 16 million Christians in China, and the number is growing. The exhibition is due to be displayed in New York from June 5-12.
　　Reverend Cao shares her views on China’s church development in a written interview with Beijing Review just before her visit to the United States.
　　“Three-self,” however, does not mean self-isolation and we have a lot of exchanges with foreign churches, especially after China adopted the policy of reform and opening up to the outside world in 1979. We have frequent exchanges with some large Christian groups in the United States.
　　We believe that through our exhibition in the United States, we can further enhance mutual understanding and have more exchanges in the future.
　　Some American Christians do not understand the real situation in China. They pray for China, saying it does not have bibles and they wish to donate bibles to Chinese Christians. This is not true. I hope, through this exhibition, we can improve our mutual understanding.
　　How do you view the accusation of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) that the Chinese Government severely violates freedom of religion and belief and discriminates against individuals on the basis of their religion or beliefs?
　　What the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom said is not true. My own experience and other evidence in China show improvements in China’s religious freedom.
　　However, we admit that the implementation of the policies on religion is not satisfactory in some particular regions in China because of its large territory. But it is absolutely not true to say the Chinese Government “severely and systematically violates freedom of religion and belief.”
　　The report issued by USCIRF mentions the International Religious Freedom Act several times. We respect the Act, but we also believe no garbled quotations or double standards should be used in this respect. The China Christian Council and the National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Churches in China have written to USCIRF to state our position.
　　
　　How do you regard China’s current religious policy?
　　
　　The Chinese Government is continuously improving and implementing its policy on religious freedom, and individual Christians enjoy full freedom.
　　In 2005, China issued the Regulations on Religious Affairs, bringing the policy into the legal system to ensure its implementation. After the regulations were publicized, the Chinese Government promoted them throughout the country.
　　In 2001, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council held the national working conference on religious affairs and pointed out that religious believers were a positive force in building socialism with Chinese characteristics. Recently, the Chinese Government has been promoting the establishment of a harmonious society and has been specially stressing the positive role that religion can play.
　　What has been the development of theological seminaries in China?
　　China currently has 18 theological seminaries with about 1,800 students. Nanjing Union Theological Seminary in east China’s Jiangsu Province is China’s only national seminary, as well as China’s highest institution for Christian education. Bishop Ding Guangxun is the president. The new campus of the seminary is coming up in the Nanjing Jiangning University City and is expected to enroll 500 students.
　　We also have five regional theological seminaries covering several provinces, while the rest are provincial theological seminaries or bible schools. In these theological seminaries, we not only teach religion and literacy, but also try to adapt our education to the needs of social progress and church development. We have added several courses such as church management, pastor counseling and church history. In some remote provinces, we even have courses such as basic medical treatment so that our students can better serve the local people after graduation.
　　Besides the 18 theological seminaries, many provincial and municipal Christian councils and the committee of the TSPM frequently offer basic theological training, offering opportunities for volunteers and believers to participate in church work. In 2005, more than 26,000 people took up such training.

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