Distribution trip highlights hunger for God’s Word in China

Based on a report from Ruth Li, assistant to Kua Wee Seng,
UBS Asia Opportunity Program Coordinator

LIAONING PROVINCE, China — In 1988, the year after it was created as a joint venture between the Amity Foundation (an organisation founded by Chinese Christians) and the United Bible Societies, the Amity Printing Company (APC) produced half a million Bibles. Impressive as this achievement was, it soon became clear that many more Bibles would be needed to meet the rapidly growing demand for Scriptures from the Church in China. By last year, APC’s annual output had soared to a record 4.17 million Bibles and New Testaments, around two thirds of which were destined for the domestic market.

Striving

With APC striving to constantly increase its productivity, the other key challenge in such a vast country is actually getting Bibles to remote congregations which currently have few. On a trip last year to Liaoning Province in northeast China, Kua Wee Seng, UBS Asia Opportunity Program Coordinator, saw at first hand the significant role that regional Bible distribution centres play in bringing the Scriptures to people who, in many cases, have longed for them for years. With a total of 31 vans having been purchased under the Opportunity 21 program for use by the distribution centres, they are now capable of reaching more and more rural churches.

Expanding

Some of the 300 people who worship at Liangjiazi holding the Bibles they received when their church was visited by a distribution van funded by the Opportunity 21 program. Liangjiazi, Changtu County, China. Photo: Asia Opportunity Program (PRC04DJ-1.JPG)

Liaoning Province, part of the former Manchuria, was well known for its heavy industries. However, as a result of market reform over the past decade, many large state-owned enterprises began to struggle and had to lay off huge numbers of employees. Many of its 40 million inhabitants, particularly those in rural areas, struggle to earn a living. Some Christians have had to meet in makeshift buildings, even where congregations are large, and many of those living in the countryside make sacrifices in order to save enough money for the bus fare to church each week. Many congregations are expanding rapidly, and there is a shortage of Bibles. So, at all the places visited, church members expressed great joy at receiving their own copy of the Scriptures.

One of the places visited by the distribution van was Liangjiazi, where it was greeted warmly by Wang Chunlong. He explained that, when he first opened his house as a place of worship in 1990, only six people attended. Now his congregation numbers 300, even though many people have to stand throughout the services. Until the van arrived, around two-thirds of them did not own a Bible.

“Our brothers and sisters are overjoyed to receive these Bibles,” Mr Wang said. “Although our place is small and we are not wealthy, our hearts are full of joy and gratitude.”

Bamboo shed

There was a similar reaction in Santaizi, where a bamboo shed has recently been built to accommodate the rapidly expanding congregation. Here, the visitors heard about how the life of the preacher, Bi Keqin, changed dramatically after she came to faith. Having had a reputation for being very quick to lose her temper, she became a different person after seeing God at work in her mother’s life.

“God is amazing! The first person in my family to believe was my mother. It was because of three miracles in her life that I also came to believe in the Lord. Firstly, with prayer, my mother’s illnesses disappeared and she was completely healed. Secondly, she was illiterate, but she learnt to sing every song in the hymnal in just 15 days after coming to know the Lord. Thirdly, my parents used to quarrel often, but after my mother’s conversion they no longer fight as they used to.

When he first opened his house as a place of worship in 1990, only six people attended. Now his congregation numbers 300, even though many people have to stand throughout the services. Until the van arrived, around two-thirds of them did not own a Bible.

“This congregation was started 12 years ago when my mother became a Christian and has since grown to 400 worshippers. This is all because of God’s amazing salvation!”

At around 100, the congregation in Donggangzi is relatively small. However, the visit here was no less moving for Mr Kua and his colleagues than their visits to much larger congregations. “The believers love the Lord very much, thirst after God’s Word and enjoy praying together,” he says. “After we presented the free Bibles to the church leaders, we prayed for them. During the prayer, they were so overcome by emotion that they started to shed tears. They were touched by the expression of love and fellowship through our gift of Bibles to them and our prayer for them. We were moved by their tears as well.” (WR 386/20 - 6/7.04)

Previous articles about the distribution of Bibles in China can be found in World Report 375/5, 368/39 and Special Report 29/22.