The Bible in China:
A Teacher’s First-hand Experience

This report was provided by a Canadian Bible Society (CBS) donor, Kay Martens, who with a colleague is teaching English as a second language in Anqing, China.

ANQING, Anhui Province (PR China) — So crowded are the Sunday services of the Anqing Christian Church, in the heart of this city, that even arriving half-an-hour early doesn’t guarantee one a seat. About 1,000 people can be squeezed in, people of all ages, men and women, and nearly everyone has their own Bible and hymnbook.

For those who do not have copies they can be bought from the church stall, run by one of the leader’s wives – the young and energetic, Zuo Rong (or Minnie), who every Sunday, before and after the service, and at regular hours during the week, sells many Bibles, hymnbooks, calendars, posters and pictures.

Affordable

A small Bible costs 7 Yuan, and a large one 14 Yuan – affordable for most people – and weekly sales usually amount to 1,000-2,000 Yuan. Minnie orders all her stock from the Amity Press in Nanjing, and says they always supply what she needs.

 

A customer buys a Bible and hymnbook 
from Zuo Rong (left) at the Church shop 
 
 Sometimes other Christians from around the area will visit the church for a special occasion such as Christmas or Easter, or for a baptismal service. At one such service, in November 1996, 400 were baptised, and another 300 in April this year, all of whom had attended preparatory classes and had sat a written test.

During the week, different groups meet to study the Bible, but in her work at the Teacher’s College, Ms Martens has also been able to make use of the Bible. At Christmas and Easter she used appropriate Scripture passages in English conversation classes. After one class a student approached her and said: ‘I know these stories; my mother told them to me.’ Ms Martens later lent him some Christian magazines to read.

Discussion

On another occasion, when a student came to her for an interview and had chosen the Bible as his subject for discussion, she had been able to briefly explain to him about the Bible being God’s Word to all people. She later purchased two Chinese Bibles, with the intention of offering one to him.

"God is at work! He is calling men and women to follow him, and the Bible is the guidebook whereby people can learn how to live an abundant, fruitful life. Let us thank God for the ministry of the Church, and the reading of the Word," Ms Martens said.
 

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This page was last updated on Monday, 22nd September 1997.