ATLANTA (ABP) — The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is partnering with the China Christian Council to bring an exhibition on the Bible in China to three U.S. cities this spring and summer.
The exhibition will highlight the Bible ministry of Chinese churches in varying stages and will communicate the spreading of the gospel and the establishing of churches in China. Admission to the exhibition is free.
First showcased in 2004 in Hong Kong, the China Bible Ministry exhibition “A Lamp to My Feet, a Light to My Path” drew more than 20,000 visitors will debut on American soil at the Crystal Cathedral in Los Angeles, Calif., April 27 to May 4.
Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church in Atlanta, will host the exhibition May 19 to 24. The Atlanta exhibition will kick off with a special address by former President Jimmy Carter on May 19. The tour will conclude at St. John the Divine Cathedral in New York June 6 to15.
“The point is to build relationships and offer encouragement to the church in China,” said Anita Snell, CBF Global Missions associate coordinator for Asia. “They also have encouragement to offer us as the church in the U.S.A. We are Christian brothers and sisters, and we need each other.”
David Sapp, pastor of Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church, and others key leaders at the church are part of the team planning and organizing the Atlanta event.
“The explosion of Christianity in China in recent years is absolutely amazing,” Sapp said. “This is the first time, as I understand it, that Chinese Christians have reached outside of China to the international community. They are trying to build friends in the Christian world. It's a major development for Chinese Christians to have the opportunity.”
The exhibition will include six galleries — the early history of the Bible in China, Bible publication after 1980, Bible distribution after 1980, Bible ministries for national minority churches, the Bible and church life, and Christian art works.
The U.S. tour is the result of meetings between the China Christian Council and several American representatives, including Carter, evangelist Billy Graham, and pastor and author Rick Warren, all of whom are Baptists.
“I just hope that American Christians understand how important this is and what a major overture it is for the Chinese Christian community,” Sapp said. “We are proud to be a part of that.”
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— Courtney Hodges is a writer for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.