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MAPC UPDATE

Vol. XXXIII, No. 5
May 2007

The Emerging Church in China

Questa and I have just returned from an eighteen-day trip to China. We were part of a small group of trustees and spouses from Princeton Theological Seminary who accompanied seminary President Dr. Iain R. Torrance on a visit to churches and other religious institutions in China. Dr. Torrance, formerly the Moderator of the Church of Scotland, had visited China in 2004 as a part of his moderatorial year, the same year I was there with the Appeal of Conscience Foundation as guest of the Foreign Minister Mr. Li Zhou. This second visit gave us an opportunity to see how quickly things are changing in China, especially in the area of religious affairs.

Questa and Fred Anderson at the Great Wall

We visited with pastors and elders, seminary professors, heads of departments of religion at two of China’s largest universities, the leaders of the China Christian Council (the coordinating and supervising body of the officially recognized Protestant church in China) and the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (the CCC’s political alter-ego), the Director of the Institute of World Religions at the Chinese Academy of Social Science, and the Director of the Second Department (overseeing the Catholic and Protestant churches) of the PRC’s State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA). Our itinerary took us to Shanghai, Nanjing, Chengdu, Beijing and Hong Kong. Along the way we had time to visit Amity Press, the organization affiliated with the United Bible Society that has now published over 40 million Bibles in Chinese, as well as hymnals and other religious materials. In addition, we climbed Mt. Qingcheng, site of an ancient Taoist temple and monastery and Taoism’s holiest site, visited several Buddhist temples, and toured the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Summer Place and the Temple of Heaven.

Among the highlights of the trip, three are especially memorable—each a visit with a church leader who had been imprisoned for his faith. Rev. Mao, Principal of the Seminary at Chengdu, now in his eighties, reminded us of the Chinese proverb “The spring always follows winter,” and told us that China was now living in the springtime of Christian faith. In Shanghai, we heard Elder Li, of Shanghai Christian Jingling Church, talk about his imprisonment during the Cultural Revolution and how his faith sustained him in those darkest days of China’s life. But the most memorable moment was the privilege of an hour-long visit with Bishop Jin, spiritual leader of the Catholic Church in China. Bishop Jin was imprisoned by Chairman Mao for 27 years—seven of them in solitary confinement! He is now 92 years old. When I was last in China he was very ill and thought to be on the threshold of death. But now he is strong, vibrant, bright as a penny and sharp as a tack. His story was electrifying.

There is much more to tell about this remarkable land that may soon have more Christians than any other country in the world. Though the China Christian Council admits to an official number of 20 million Protestant Christians, we found ourselves wondering where those other 20 million bibles went! (The Roman Catholics have their own source of printing Bibles). And then, of course, there is the so-called “Underground Church” that is rumored to be two to four times as large as the officially recognized church, suggesting that the total number of Christians in China is more like 80 million—still a tiny minority in a country of 1.5 billion people.

Join me on Sunday, May 20 at 10 am in Dana Chapel, when I will tell you more about the emerging Church in China.

– Fred R. Anderson

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Men’s Fellowship Breakfast

For better than a year now, a group of MAPC men have gathered on the first and third Friday mornings of each month at 7:30 am for breakfast, fellowship, study, conversation and prayer. Initially the group began studying the scripture lessons appointed for the following Sunday. However, during the summer, Brian McFaren’s book, Generous Orthodoxy, came to Dr. Anderson’s attention, and on his recommendation the group has been reading and discussing a chapter at each meeting.

The group gathers at 7:30 am for a breakfast of juice, eggs, sausage, bagels, coffee and fruit – a bargain at $5, though first-time participants are our guest. At 8 am the formal discussion begins, and by 8:45 conversation is wrapped up and the group concludes in prayer and is then on its way.

If you are interested in being a part of this men’s fellowship, please consider this your personal invitation to join us. A phone call (212-288-8920 x 245) or e-mail to Fred Anderson (fra.mapc@mindspring.com) can put you in touch with the subject material for the next meeting. Join us. It’s a great way to start a Friday morning.

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Congregational Nurture

Calendar of Events for May and June 2007

May 12, 10 am–noon, Families with Young Children in the Roof Garden

May 14, 3–4:30 pm, Seniors Unlimited, in the Parish Hall

Come enjoy a musical afternoon as we welcome back serious young chamber music students from the Third Street Music School Settlement. Over the past few years the students have delighted us with their playing at our May program, and we are excited that they are able to join us once again. A time for fellowship and refreshments will follow the program. Please joins us and bring a friend. RSVP to Ana Mathieu, 212-288-8920 x 245 or e-mail her at alm@mapc.com.

May 15, 10:30 am–noon, MAPC Knitters meet in the Hood Library.

 

May 16, 6 pm. Come enjoy the annual Library Evening with dinner and a program of readings and music, sponsored by the Hood Library Committee. This year’s theme is New York, New York! and features readings about our city from works by Harpo Marx, E. B. White, Truman Capote, Paul Auster and more. Sarah Pillow, member of the MAPC octet (who sings jazz as well as classical music), will sing some favorite songs about NYC. The evening will begin with a reception at 6 pm in the Church House Lobby, followed by dinner in the Parish Hall at 6:45, and the program will start at 7:30. The cost of dinner is $30. Reservations may be made by contacting Ana Mathieu by May 10, at the church office, 212-288-8920 x245, or alm@mapc.com. If you can’t come for dinner, please feel free to come for the program.

May 20, 12:30 pm, Congregational Lunch and Presentation
by the Africa team.

MAPC Team visits Lovemore Home, a remarkable ministry of Presbyterians in Harare, Zimbabwe

Our final Congregational Lunch of the spring will feature a presentation by the 921 Fund Ministry Exploration Team about their trip to Southeastern Africa, and also information about the exciting Global Ministry Fellowship. Fred Anderson, J.C. Austin, Dawn Ravella, Denise Welsh, Allison MacEachron, and Sarah Badavas will share their experiences from the trip through photos and stories. Lunch will be available for $10, $8 for seniors and children under 12 eat for free.

 May 20, 2 pm, 20s/30s will visit the Buddhist Temple on West 96th Street.

The group will meet during coffee hour in the Parish Hall and travel to the West Side together.

May 23, 8 - 8:30 am, Parents Prayer Group for parents of teens and young adults meets in the Phillips Lounge.

June 6, 8 - 8:30 am, Parents Prayer Group in the Phillips Lounge.

June 9, 10 am - noon, Families with Young Children. This will be the final Families gathering before summer.

June 13, 9 am to 5 pm, Seniors Unlimited Bus Trip to Cold Spring, New York and the Boscobel House Museum.

We’ll travel to Cold Spring in the morning and have time to wander through the antique shops or sit and look at the Hudson River before lunch. In the afternoon we’ll have a guided tour of the Boscobel House Museum, one of the finest examples of Federal architecture in the country. We’ll also have time to enjoy the gardens and the beautiful views of the Hudson River and Hudson Highlands from the Boscobel grounds. Further details will be sent to those on the Seniors Unlimited mailing list. If you do not get that mailing and would like more information, please call Beverly Bartlett at 212-288-8920 x247.

June 20, Mid-Timers Outing to the Staten Island Yankees Opening Home Game Against the Brooklyn Cyclones.

Join us for what is becoming an annual event. If you’ve never taken in a minor league game, you’re missing out on a lot of fun! We have a block of 20 tickets for our group. The game starts at 7 pm. The stadium is right next to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal, and the views of the Manhattan Skyline and New York Harbor from the ferry and stadium can’t be beat! This is a child-friendly event, so if you’re a Mid-Timer with children, bring the family! To reserve your seat, call Beverly Bartlett at 212-288-8920 x247, or email bab@mapc.com. Tickets are a whopping $9, the ferry is free, and food is whatever you choose to spend!

For more information on any of the above events or groups, please contact Beverly Bartlett at the church, 212-288-8920 x247, or bab@mapc.com.

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Interested in Helping New York Children Experience Camping Ministry?

Then there’s a great opportunity for you! The Presbyterian Center at Holmes, NY is looking for Board Members to provide leadership in their efforts to provide a dynamic camping ministry in the New York City metropolitan area. The time commitment is low (only a couple of hours a month), but the impact promises to be high, as they seek to develop and expand their ministry. Board Meetings typically take place in New York City, so convenience is not a concern. If you have a passion for children’s ministry and/or camping and would like to know more, you can find the Center’s website at http://www.presbyteriancenter.org. If you would like to volunteer as a Board Member or if you would just like to know more about what that might entail, contact the Rev. J.C. Austin at jca@mapc.com or call him at the church office (212-288-8920).

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Parish Register Baptisms Emily Barrow Anderson daughter, of *Scott Randall Anderson & *Elizabeth Anne Anderson Helen Williams Marshall, daughter of C. Adrian Marshall & *Lydia Heenan Marshall New Members Leigh Natasha Gore Tyler Craig Gore Barbara Heckman Edward Hudaverdi (*MAPC Member)

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Additional Information

Also, see:

• MAPC Home Page
• Worship Services
• Christian Education Programs
• MAPC Calendar
• St. Andrew Music Society Concerts

 

 

 

 

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