According to Shanghai Christianity, a WeChat account, a symposium on foreign Christians' worshipping was organized by the Shanghai Bureau of Ethnic and Religious Affairs and the Shanghai China Christian Council (CCC) & Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) and held on January 1, 2019. The more than 50 attendees from the government, churches, and the department on foreign Christians' worshipping activities, came together to review and forecast the arrangements for foreign Christians worshipping in Shanghai.
Rev. Xu Yulan, president of the Shanghai TSPM, gave a speech about the characteristics of churches having foreigners worshipping. These characteristics included such things as multiple-languages, self-management, and active participation in works of charity. The Shanghai CCC & TSPM would keep improving services and management regarding foreign Christians' worship activities; make assessments on the service quality and safety of places and facilities for foreign Christians worshipping; enhance personnel training; and, following Shanghai's Revised Regulations on Religious Affairs, standardize management activities, guide foreign Christians to fit into communities and take part in charity works.
Speeches on the origins and development of worshipping in a foreign language were made by organizers of the English worships held at Shanghai Community Fellowship, the Hong'en Church in Pudong New District, the Marriot Hotel in Changning District as well as Zhu'en Church in Qingpu District, the Korean worships conducted in the Jianan Hotel, Fuyin Church in Pudong New District, the Cantonese worship hosted in the Xinjing Church in Changning District, the Germany worship in the All Saints Church in Huangpu District, and the Spanish worship in the Zhabei Church in Jing'an District.
A ceremony was also held for the release of the promotional video, Christianity in Shanghai, which was also played during the colloquium.
A plan was outlined and direction given for the work regarding foreign Christians worshipping in Shanghai this year. The colloquium ended with warm New Year's greetings.
-Translated by Lin Changfeng
