Shandong Penglai Church Marks Centenary Of CUV Bible

Penglai Church of Shandong celebrated Easter on April 21, 2019.
Penglai Church of Shandong celebrated Easter on April 21, 2019. (photo: Provided by Ri Ye)

The year 2019 marks the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Union Version (CUV) Bible.

More than 100 years ago, Calvin Wilson Mateer of the American Presbyterian Church, came to China. He established Tengchow College in Tengchow (later known as Penglai), the first modern university in China that became an important part of the history of modern Chinese education. When Mateer preached the gospel in Penglai, he initiated the Yizhi Shuhui (later renamed the Christian Literary Society for China) . An editorial board was set up to complete an early version of the CUV. Finally, the CUV was published in 1919.

Some of the language in the widely used and most influential Bible version in the Chinese speaking world is actually derived from the local dialect of Penglai.

The church in Penglai, Shandong, held a commemoration activity to recall the contributions of American missionaries in the city. Meanwhile, local gathering points also conducted events to appeal to the congregations to reread the Bible.

In WeChat groups, the church released Q&A pieces for every chapter and every book in the Bible and launched random tests to inspire the fervor of studying the Bible in believers.

- Translated by Karen Luo

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