Celebrating Christ with Christians in China

Judy Springer, chair of the NC SWO Mission: Community Committee, and Linda Christman, former NC SWO treasurer's assistant, made a three-week trip to China this summer. The primary purpose of the trip was to attend a reunion of Judy's students on the tenth anniversary of their graduation from Huaiyin Teachers' College. Judy and Linda also made arrangements to visit several Amity Foundation projects and two churches while they were there, as well as do the customary sightseeing.

The Amity Foundation, an independent Chinese voluntary organization created in 1985 on the initiative of Chinese Christians, works in many fields. In the area of education, Amity recruits teachers of English and places them in regional teachers' colleges that otherwise could not afford foreign language teachers. It is through this program that Judy and her husband, Charles, taught English in Jiangsu Province in 1992 and 1993. One of the best-known Amity projects is the Amity Printing Company, a joint venture with the United Bible Societies. Through this project more than 23 million Bibles have been printed and distributed across the nation, as well as 17 million copies of "Hymns of Praise." Some of the other Amity projects are the Christian Grannies, medical clinics, homes for the elderly, kindergartens, animal husbandry, and farming.

Judy and Linda had asked to visit the Christian Grannies, because the NC Women of the ELCA had dedicated one-half of their 2004 convention offering to the project. The Christian Grannies are retired medical workers who go to Chinese orphanages and give individual attention to the babies--holding them,   playing with them, and loving them. Judy and Linda were privileged to see the Grannies in action. They also visited a school for the children of migrant workers and a medical clinic for migrant families.

One of the two churches that Judy and Linda visited was a village church, which has doubled in size-both the building and the attendance--since Judy was last there. The building was constructed by a husband and wife, with their own hands and their own money on their own land, because they felt their village needed a church.

The other church that Judy and Linda visited was the one which Judy and Charles regularly attended. At that time, 3000 worshippers gathered on Sunday morning in two services in the house of a former Presbyterian missionary. A new church building, seven stories high, has recently been constructed. It seats 4000 people and holds two worship services on Sunday morning, which are packed with worshippers. The pastor reported that there are now more than 720 registered meeting points in the greater Huai'an area with 130,000 regular worshippers.

Judy and Linda are available to speak to groups on the subjects of the church in China or the Amity Foundation. If you are interested, contact Judy Springer.

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