BREAKING NEWS

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. The six-member delegation visited officials of the state Bureau of Religious Affairs, which oversees religious activities, as well as with the National Three-Self Patriotic Movement, which proclaims a common program for all Christians in China, of self-government, self-support, and self-propagation. The delegation also met officials of the Christian Council of China. The following is an excerpt from a first-hand report written by Adventist Review editor William G. Johnsson that will appear in the June 10 issue of the Review.

his is an official visit. Pastor Matthew Bediako, general secretary of the world church, heads the Adventist delegation. Dr. Lyn Behrens, president of Loma Linda University and Medical Center, is part of the group, as is Dr. Jairyong Lee, president of the Northern-Asia Pacific Division, with headquarters in Seoul, Korea; Pastor James Wu, president of the Chinese Union Mission; and Glenn Mitchell, communication director of the Northern-Asia Pacific Division. Pastor Wu has worked tirelessly in preparing for facilitating the visit. As we have traveled from appointment to appointment, his cell phone has become an extension of his body.

We have not come with a specific agenda. We will meet with various officials involved with religious matters, and through personal contact seek to build stronger relations and remove misunderstandings.

These meetings follow a strict protocol: formal introductions, exchange of business cards (presented with two hands), careful selection of placement of persons around the table, speeches, tea, and exchange of gifts.

GC secretary Matthew Bediako preaching in Beijing.

Seventh-day Adventists in China face a unique situation. Our work began here more than a century ago, and by 1949 had grown to about 22,000 members. Today, Adventists in China number some 300,000, and continue to increase. Major changes have taken place over the past half century.

With the communist revolution led by Chairman Mao Zedong, a new China was born in 1949. Among the vast changes in the restructuring of society was a re-ordering of the Christian churches. The leaders of the new China wanted Christians to be independent of foreign influence, further, they sought to remove frictions due to denominational differences. Accordingly, in 1950 the National Three-Self Patriotic Movement came into being. It proclaimed a common program for all Christians: self- government, self-support, and self-propagation. Under this program, all Christians are classified under just two groups: Roman Catholics or Protestants.

In 1966 another major wave rolled across China. The Cultural Revolution closed churches, burned Bibles, forbade services, and sent leaders to jail. Families were uprooted, and intellectuals sent to work on farms.

By 1979 the Cultural Revolution waned; slowly churches reopened and services began again. In Beijing Adventist believers were permitted to hold Sabbath services in Beijing in 1982. At first the preaching there was done by a "Sunday" pastor, but later the believers received permission for an Adventist pastor to preach once a month; then twice a month; then three times a month; then every Sabbath. Adventists encountered other difficulties: they had to enter by the back or side door, could not use any other rooms for instruction, and so on.

Sabbath in Beijing

In the People's Republic of China, Adventists are impacted by three structures set up by the government: The Bureau of Religious Affairs (BRA), the Patriotic Three-Self Movement (TSM), and the Christian Council of China (CCC).

The BRA has oversight of all religions. Adherents of all faiths total about 100 million, they told us, and the numbers are growing. Five main religions comprise this number: Buddhists, Moslems, Roman Catholics, Protestants, and Taoists. The Bureau's central office is in Beijing, with regional offices elsewhere.

The leaders of the TSM and the CCC are all Christians. Some suffered jailings and other hardships during the Cultural Revolution. The two bodies work in close concert, with some overlapping, to guide the affairs of Christians, whether Roman Catholic or Protestant, and to safeguard the principles enshrined in the TSM. The central office of the TSM and CCC is in Shanghai, with regional branches around the country.

During our five days in Beijing we have met with a series of leaders from the BRA, TSM, and CCC, in five different appointments. In addition, we have had several conversations with smaller groups. Some Adventist believers have professional connections that enable them to provide additional insights. For instance, Mrs. Zhao, a member of the Beijing congregation we attended, is a nationally recognized pianist and professor of music; her husband, now retired, served the People's Republic of China as an ambassador. Her brother, Zhao Yuyong, is a wealthy businessman with responsibilities in the government.

Our approach in all these meetings and conversations was open and straightforward. We sought, like the apostle Paul, to be so transparent in all our dealings that the truths we hold dear might commend themselves to all whom we met (See 2 Cor. 4:3).

These meetings were invaluable; they revealed clearly the concerns of the government of this vast population. The authorities seek to safeguard against terrorism, fanatical groups, or others that would divide society; also to ensure Chinese independence from foreign influence and control. One group that concerns them, a cult called "Eastern Lightning," teaches that Jesus has come in female form in one of the provinces. It resorts to violence, deception, and kidnappings.

The Adventist delegation received a warm welcome in Beijing.

With regard to Seventh-day Adventists, Chinese officials mentioned that they should not separate themselves from interaction with other believers, that they should be involved in society but should avoid participation in demonstrations. When teaching and preaching the return of Christ, they should emphasize the Second Coming itself rather than the destruction of the social order. Further, Adventist preachers should confine their work to their own province where the regional TSM oversees activities.

In sharing the Adventist perspective, we underscored that Adventists are loyal to the nation wherever they find themselves around the world. We do not carry a political agenda; rather we believe that we best worship God by serving our fellow human beings. Accordingly, Adventists worldwide are noted for their health care services, educational programs, and humanitarian activities. We are a gentle people who do not use force or deception.

We also laid out specific concerns of our own. First, we need more Adventist pastors. Although Adventist believers may be, and have been, admitted to the 28 seminaries operated by TSM, they often feel uncomfortable with some of the doctrinal emphases, the diet offered, and activities on the Sabbath. We requested that the ministerial training provided by the Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies (AIIAS) in the Philippines, Samhyook University in Korea, and Mission College in Thailand be recognized as qualifying candidates for the ministry in China. We were delighted to learn that the TSM recently sponsored two Adventist students for ministerial study at AIIAS; we expressed the wish that this might become an ongoing practice. We also emphasized the need for Adventists to be granted permission to publish books and articles that will ground believers in sound doctrine and thus help to protect them from fanatical influences. Further, we expressed the desire that Adventists might be more clearly recognized as having a distinct identity among Protestants.

We indicated appreciation for the freedom to observe the Sabbath and other freedoms that Adventist believers now enjoy in China. And we were gratified to have leaders of the BRA emphasize to us that one of their responsibilities is to ensure that the beliefs of religious minorities are respected and protected.

Adventist Review Announces Staff Changes
Sandra Blackmer has joined the Adventist Review staff as an assistant editor with responsibility for news coverage. Carlos Medley, news editor for the past 18 years, will devote his full time to the OnLine Edition.

Blackmer previously served as communication director for the Michigan Conference, editorial assistant for the Adult Sabbath School Quarterly (now known as the Adult Bible Study Guide), and most recently as a copy editor at Pacific Press Publishing Association.

Sandra's husband, Larry, is associate director of education for the North American Division. The Blackmers have one daughter, Melissa, who is a student at Pacific Union College.

"With unique visitors from 130 countries each month, the OnLine Edition has become a major contributor to the Advenist Review's worldwide ministry," noted editor William Johnsson. "As Carlos concentrates exclusively on this edition, I am very glad to have Sandra Blackmer take over the news."

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