On March 14, 2017, the Nanjing Union Theological Seminary has completed the cross construction on the bell tower and claimed that the new chapel will be dedicated on June 6.
The bell tower, with the height of 58.5 meters, is located at the entrance close to the side sanctuary on the east.
On April 1, 2016, the seminary held the launching ceremony of the continuous construction of the seminary chapel. The construction started in 2006 and the principal part of the project was completed two years later. However, the follow-up project had been held up due to the shortage of funds. Until 2015, enough money was raised with joint efforts to continue the project.
The architectural design attempts to interpret Chinese Christianity in the cultural context of China, aiming to reflect church's sacredness, openness and artistry. It is said that the chapel has a total construction area of 5760 m2 with a brief church architectural style, which will be used for worship, art and music performance.
Nanjing (Jinling) Theological Seminary serves as the national seminary of China. There are also several regional seminaries drawing students from several surrounding provinces -- as well as provincial seminaries and Bible Schools. All train much-needed pastors, teachers and evangelists for the Church in China. This is crucial because far too many Protestant churches still do not have trained pastors.
Translated by Karen Luo
