Weixi Lisu Autonomous County is under the jurisdiction of Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province. It is the confluence of the "Tea Horse Trade" in ancient northwest Yunnan. From Weixi County walking up along the White Crane Mountain there lies Weixi Christian Bible Training Center between the mountains. It is a three-story building of blue and white.
Started in 1992, the Bible Training Base is the only Christian training center in Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. The church undertakes the task of developing Christians in the whole prefecture through training and improving the comprehensive quality and pastoral management abilities of the pastoring personnel. In 2015 it was given the title of "Harmonious Temple and Church of Yunnan" by Yunnan Bureau of Ethnic and Religious Affairs. The venue area is about 1,000 square meters and it is next to the central church of the county. There are teaching buildings and dorms, but no kitchens, bathrooms, washrooms, garbage room, or other public infrastructures.
The training center holds theological classes every three years, pastoral personnel training twice a year which includes women's ministry, and they carry out short-term pastoral personnel training, According to the statistics, since the first pastoral personnel and women's ministry training classes in Sep 1992, the training center held 23 of each pastoral personnel and women's ministry training classes. The total trainees are up to 4,500 people. Four theological classes have already graduated with nearly 190 students.
Moreover, in the training center, there are picture posters written in Chinese and Lisu Language to help the believers identify true Christianity from heretical cults.
Based on the records of "Christianity History of West Yunnan", Christianity was introduced to Weixi in 1915. With 99% of the population being Lisu people in the county, there are over 8,000 believers. It was in 1985 that the Weixi Christian Three-Self Patriotic Movement Committee was founded.
Translated By: Grace Hubl
