ACF 1st Delegation to People’s Republic of China

Members of ACF delegation: Rabbi Arthur Scheier, Rev. Donald Campion, Jesuit Conference, DC; Rev. David Randolph, Senior Minister, United Methodist Church of Christ, Rev. Dr. Hays Rockwell, Rector St.James Episcopal Church. Buildng people to people relations between China and US. Established Exchange programs with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing for 2 students to study a mosiac of religions in the US. Agreement made between Academy Institute of World Religions (founded in 1964 and resumed active research in 1978 after the interuption of the “Cultural Revolution” )and ACF. The delegation witnessed a renewed vitality for religious groups and were impressed with the re-opening of certain churches, temples and shrines, the governments printing in Chinese of 106,000 copies of the Koran and the printing of 385,000 Protestant bibles in Chinese. The Protesetant Seminary in Nanjing is re-opened with 46 students; over Easter (1981) over 80 baptisms were performed in two active Protestant Churches. ACF established contact with the five major religious groups in China: Moslems, Buddhist, Protestants and Roman Catholic Christians and Toaists. There is no organized Jewish Community although one existed in the city of Keifeng in the 12th Century – the only visible sign is a tablet from their synagogue which no longer exists. Meetings wtih 1. Han Xu, Director, Department Department of American and Oceanian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2. Mr. Xiao Xianfa, Director of Bureau of Religious Affairs of the State Council 3. Mr. Gao Shan, Deputy Director of the Bureau of Religious Affairs of the State Council 4. An Shi We, Chief Imam – Beijing Mosque 5. Zhao Fusan, Deputy Director and Research Fellow, Institute of World Religions, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. 6. Pastors Liu, Kan, Yin and Shu – Beijing Protestant Church 7. Bishop Fu, Catholic Conference.