Invited by the State Bureau of Religion Affairs, Rev. Andrew Palau, evangelist of the Luis Palau Association of the United States, and a group of eight people visited Xi’an, China's northwestern Shaanxi, from July 27 to 30.
On the morning of July 29, Rev. Wang Jun, chairman and president of Shaanxi Provincial CC&TSPM, first expressed his welcome to the guests and his appreciation to the association for maintaining friendly relations with the Chinese church for many years and for respecting the “Three-Self” principle (self-government, self-support, and self-propagation) . Then he introduced the profile of Xi’an City, Shaanxi Province, especially the human landscape, history, culture, and the development of the church in Shaanxi.
Rev. Li Shizheng, vice chairman, vice president, and secretary general of the provincial CC&TSPM, introduced the history and current situation of the Shaanxi church, and its main tasks. Rev. Wang made a response to the ministries of pastoral training, talent cultivation, sinicization of Christianity, and social service, which were of great concern to the guests.
CCC&TSPM commissioned Dr. Wang Cangfu, a faculty member of Nanjing Union Theological Seminary, to accompany the delegation .
Rev. Andrew Palau thanked Shaanxi CC&TSPM and the Shaanxi church for their hospitality and expressed his appreciation for diverse beneficial ministries carried out by the provincial CC&TSPM. He said that the Luis Palau Association has always been very concerned about the Chinese church, looked forward to further exchanges and cooperation with the Shaanxi Provincial CC&TSPM in the future and, and expected more people to benefit from the sinicization of Christianity in China. Both sides gave each other gifts as souvenirs after the discussion meeting.
On the morning of July 28, Rev. Palau preached at the Dongxin Lane Church and the Nanxin Street Church in Xi’an.
In the afternoon, he and his team visited Shaanxi Bible School and exchanged ideas with the teachers. Both sides communicated about their main ministries, theological education, and talent cultivation. Then they presented gifts to each other as a souvenir.
- Translated by Cassie Li
