Guangdong Union Theological Seminary Holds Seminar on Philanthropy

On September 22, Guangdong Theological Seminary held a special seminar on philanthropy to commemorate the 30th anniversary of its reopening. 

Rev. Cai Bosheng, the chairman of Shenzhen CCC&TSPM, stated that as a part of society, social service acts as an extension of the church to society and bears a fruit of love. 

Celebrating the 30th anniversary of its reopening in August 2014, the church in Shenzhen founded the municipal Christian social service center which added thirty social service stations in the community. In 2015, a charity fund was initiated by Guangdong CCC. He also mentioned that the Chinese church invested over 350 million yuan for charity until last October, having benefited exceeding 68,000 people. The church carries out activities during the religious charity week as a contribution of the Christian community for the social development. 

Rev. Huang Zhaoping, the senior pastor of the seminary's chapel, introduced its social care ministry: for the past nine years, the chapel has provided free clinics to the Yao people of Guangdong and distributed free medicine; the church staff and volunteers have cared for the empty nesters from a home for the aged in Guangzhou and the disabled by starting fellowship and visits; set up the psychological counselling lines that has coached 18000 people in the past eight years.

Meanwhile, the chapel has developed ministries for marriage, family education and Christian businessmen. She shared that some Christians adhere not to evade taxation and some who operate catering businesses run with integrity, including forbidding swill-cooked dirty oil.

Dr. Sun Shanyi, the coordination chief of Guangzhou Charity Project of Caring For Children Foundation, points out that the social service ministry of Chinese church needs to enhance its profession and learn from the practice experience of China's charity career and professional social work on project management, non-profitable organization management, communication with professional organizations and institutions, releasing the social influence and running schools jointly.