2015 it the year to mark the 100th anniversary of Anglican Bishop Ding Guangxun's birth. He was once an officer in Students Apartment of Young Men's Christian Association of Shanghai(YMCA of Shanghai) and inspected the community service work when he was 95 years old in 2000. His comment "This is also Christianity" changed the way in which church and society thinks about community service.
YMCA of Shanghai published an memorial article to memorize Bishop.Ding's influence and his support on the work of YMCA of Shanghai in the 100th anniversary of his birth, meanwhile recalling YMCA's over a hundred years' history in memory of his great contribution in real actions of his patriotism, his love of the religion and serving the society over the years.
Founded in 1900s, YMCA followed the instruction of "You know the truth, the truth sets you free" to take real actions to serve the groups in need in the society. Adhere to the Christian theology "God is love", YMCA do the community service as a special medium and bridge between churches and society.
The article mentioned the theology "God is love ", which is the value on God of Bishop. Ding. "Love is the highest attribute of God", Bishop Ding said God's love, which is the power and goal of following Christ, is regardless of purpose and nation.
The article points out that with the history over a hundred years, in the principle "justice, love, peace, equality" YMCA of Shanghai serves the teenagers, women and children and the elderly groups through volunteer activities such as "Focus on HIV/AIDS Program ", "Inner Mongolia Planting Trees Program", "Ningxia Helping Students Program " to practice the theology "God is love" and wins good testimony.
At the end of the article, it says that YMCA of Shanghai, in the theology "God is love", will bridge YMCA and churches and carry out social activities to "let churches walk into the society and the society walk into churches" gradually as the relation between churches and the society.
