A 10-day visit by leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist world church to the People's Republic of China, April 22 to May 2, connected the delegation with local Adventists, as well as with government officials overseeing religious work in the world's most po
A 10-day visit by leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist world church to the People’s Republic of China, April 22 to May 2, connected the delegation with local Adventists, as well as with government officials overseeing religious work in the world’s most populous nation.
Pastor Matthew Bediako, general secretary of the world church, headed the Adventist delegation. Dr. Lyn Behrens, president of Loma Linda University Medical Center, was part of the group, as was Dr. Jairong Lee, president of the Northern-Asia Pacific region of the Adventist Church, with headquarters in Seoul, Republic of Korea. Also in the delegation were Pastor James Wu, president of the church’s Chinese Union Mission; William G. Johnsson, editor of the Adventist Review, and Glenn Mitchell, communication director of the Northern-Asia Pacific region.
Delegates met with officials of the state Bureau of Religious Affairs, which oversees religious activities, as well as with the Patriotic Three Self Movement, which proclaims a common program for all Christians in China, of self-government, self-support, and self-propagation. The delegation also met representatives of the Christian Council of China. Mrs. Guo Wei, deputy director general of the State [national] Religious Affairs Department, hosted the highest-level meeting.
Following his return from Beijing, Pastor Bediako commented that, “It was a privilege to visit this great country and worship with our believers. I was touched by their devotion, dedication and strong faith.
“Meeting with government officials was also a worthy occasion. I appreciated their friendly and warm reception of our delegation and their willingness to protect the rights of minority believers,” he added.
The church delegation initially was to be led by Dr. Jan Paulsen, president of the World Church. Last-minute developments prevented his presence on the visit. “For some time I have been planning to make this visit, both to meet with the members of the Adventist family, and to meet leaders within the government and religious community,” Paulsen said. “For unforeseen reasons, this had to be canceled at short notice. But while I am disappointed not to have been able to go through with these plans at this time, I look forward to opportunities to visit a flourishing Adventist faith community, and for building even better relations with the authorities in China. I know that the Lord will lead in this endeavor.”
While in China, the Adventist Church delegation attended weekly Sabbath worship services in Beijing and Shanghai, as well as 10th anniversary celebrations for Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital in Hangzhou. The facility, which was constructed by the Hong Kong philanthropist, enjoys a close relationship with Loma Linda University Medical Center, exchanging staff for educational trips. Loma Linda University has sent medical missions to China for more than 20 years.
In 2002, there were over 300,000 Seventh-day Adventist believers in the Peoples Republic of China, worshipping in hundreds of congregations.
[Editor’s Note: The June 8, 2004 issue of Adventist Review will feature a first-hand report of the visit, written by William G. Johnsson, Editor.]
