Dedication of new Amity Printing Plant

Sunday, May 18th, the Amity Printing Company in Nanjing held the dedication and opening ceremony for its new, larger facility.The new plant heads Amity toward becoming one of the largest printing companies and one of the largest producers of Bibles in the world. The groundbreaking ceremony had taken place on November 8, 2005, with the actual construction beginning in June of 2007. Now a seamless transition with no gap in production has been made from the old, very cramped facility to the new immense and impressive one. With three high speed Timson presses whirring away at breakneck speed, the plant now has the capability of producing 2900 volumes per hour or 12 million volumes each year, a staggering figure that would have been impossible to envision 20 years ago when Amity Printing Company, a joint venture between the United Bible Societies and the Amity Foundation first began in Nanjing. The Amity Printing Company is producing copies of God's word for the people of China and for the people of the entire world and already celebrated the production of the 50 millionth Bible late last year. Sunday's dedication ceremony was attended by the honorable Bishop K.H. Ting, who was instrumental in the establishment of the Amity Foundation in 1985 and subsequently of the Amity Printing Company and instrumental in the realization of the dream to print Bibles in China for the Chinese believers. Additionally the current national church leaders, including the Rev. Gao Feng, President of the CCC (China Christian Council); Elder Fu Xianwei, Chair of the TSPM (Three-Self Patriotic Movement); the Rev. Xu Xiaohong, General Secretary of the TSPM; and the Rev. Kan Baoping, General Secretary of the CCC, were present. Provincial and city church leadership and the Nanjing Union Theological Seminary representative were also among the guests. The United Bible Societies, the American Bible Society and other Bible Societies from around the world; and a representative of the World Council of Churches were among those who brought greetings and congratulations to Amity, and a number of individual denominations were also represented. The entire operation of the Bible printing in Nanjing takes place with the full knowledge, the approval and even the encouragement of the governmental offices on religious affairs, whose leaders also brought their congratulations to Amity on this occasion. In fact, in addition to its regular production, Amity has received permission to print and to make available free copies of the Bible for every athlete, coach and official who wants to have one at the Beijing Olympics in just a few months. God works in wondrous and amazing ways in our midst.

Those present at the dedication ceremony also expressed deep concern for those suffering from the devastation of the earthquake in Sichuan Province. Originally, the ceremony was to have also included an evening banquet and program, but the event was brought to a close in the afternoon, saving money. A donation of 100,000 yuan (nearly $14,500) was made to help the in the rescue and relief efforts. In addition, we learned that the workers and staff at the printing company had also made donations earlier in the week, that the China Christian council had already donated 6 million yuan (nearly $870,000) to the relief work, and individual churches and believers were still doing more. All of this is in addition to the relief work that the Amity Foundation itself and whose updates we have been regularly sharing. In addition, the Bible societies pledged to provide Bibles free for all in the earthquake area who need them.

On Friday (the 16th), faculty and staff of Nanjing Union Theological seminary gathered at 3 p.m. The Rev. Gao Ying, Vice President, shared a few words expressing our sorrow and our support for the victims, following which each of us made our contribution to help those whose lives have been torn asunder by the quake. On Sunday, the 18th, the 9:00 a.m. service in the seminary chapel focused on prayer for the victims, some reflections on the ways in which God helps us through the most difficult times in life and an additional offering to bring tangible help. It is through the church network that those in greatest need will be recipients of that help.