On September 4, 2017, Jiangsu Theological Seminary held its orientation for the new academic year for 238 new students, including 85 undergraduate students. Several high officials also attended.
Rev. Zhang Keyun, the seminary's president, welcomed the freshmen, guests, and officials, and encouraged the faculty and students to run the school with the spirit of the national and provincial conferences on religious work.
The representatives of the church staff, teachers, current students, and new students made statements.
Li Guohua, director of the Bureau of Ethnic & Religious Affairs of Jiangsu Province, said that he hoped the seminary could further stress the mission and practice of the sinicization of Christianity in Jiangsu in a holistic way. He added that a long-term plan and the cultivation of comprehensively qualified personnel were necessary.
Founded in March 1996, the regional seminary started to recruit students in October 1998. In 2012, it was upgraded to a four-year, bachelor's level institution. It focuses on training undergraduates and meets the learning demand of the faculty and volunteers.
- Translated by Karen Luo