An ongoing exhibition in the United States is offering American Christians a rare peek into China’s church history, while promoting religious exchanges between the two countries. “A Lamp to My Feet, A Light to My Path--The Bible Ministry Exhibition of the Church in China,” is the first such overseas event to be held and traces the course of the Bible’s early journey in China, Bible publication and distribution since 1980, Bible ministries for ethnic minority churches and church life. It also displays Christian art works from six galleries.

The exhibition, running from April 27 to June 12 and touring several locations in the United States, is sponsored by the China Christian Council (CCC) and the National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement of Protestant Churches in China (TPSM). It brings together more than 80 local Christian organizations.

Reverend Cao Shengjie, President of the CCC, shares her views on China’s church development in a written interview with Beijing Review just before her visit to the United States.

BEIJING REVIEW: What is the purpose of the exhibition? Do Chinese churches have frequent exchanges with U.S. churches?

CAO SHENGJIE: Chinese churches do have a lot of exchanges with U.S. churches. Before 1949, there were more than 70 Christian sects in China. But at that time, China was only a place for missionary activities for foreign countries. After the People’s Republic of China was founded, churches in the country launched a “three-self movement,” namely, self-governance, self-support and self-propagation. Now, we have set up our own churches, which are different from Western churches.

“Three-self,” however, does not mean self-isolation and we have a lot of exchanges with foreign churches, especially after China adopted the policy of reform and opening up to the outside world in 1979. We have frequent exchanges with some large Christian groups in the United States.

We believe that through our exhibition in the United States, we can further enhance mutual understanding and have more exchanges in the future.