Chinese Minister On Evangelising Asia

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30269, 23 October 1963, Page 21

Chinese Minister On Evangelising Asia

Christianity was gaining ware and more converts a year among Chinese outside tne mainland of China, the Rev. Andrew Gih, founder of the Evangelise ChinTmwement, which operates in seven c*h'Su*2S M “- *■ *"

Mr Gih said that the most active response to Christian teaching was in Formosa where the greatest concentration of Chinese outside China was to be found. Here the president and his wife General Chiang Kai-shek and Madame Chiang, both Methodists, set examples of worship. prayer, and Christian living.

He said the work being done by his organisation includes maintenance of two orphanages, two Bible colleges, a high school, five pri-

mary schools, nine self-sup-porting churches, three kindergartens, and a department for charitable work. The organisation operates in seven countries Formosa. Hong Kong, Macao, Singapore this headquarters), Thailand, Malaya, Indonesia—and much support is provided by overseas Chinese. Mr Gih said the work of the mission in Formosa and in these countries was going ahead in great strides, unlike China, where the Govem-

®ent wag anti-religious In »Pite of this, Mr Gih said, there were strong cores of believers, but these were forced to meet underground. ,j™S?’ nlin S f® the Communist Chinese Constitution there wag no religious persecution, yet about 95 per cent, of the churches had been closed down. Churches in the remaining 5 per cent were invartablo- showpieces tor visitors, who always seemed to find them crowded and which helped to convince them that the freedom to worship clause in the constitution was real he said

Mr Gih. when asked how he entered the church, said it was almost by accident. He was born in Shanghai His father was a Confucian scholar who had his own school at which he, himself, was supposed to attend. Mr Gih said lessons were in Chinese and he wanted to learn languages. So he entered a school where English was taught, and eventually was converted. This is Mr Gib’s first visit to New Zealand. He said that after three weeks here he was of the impression the Dominion was the most religious thinking of any Western country He could not elaborate the reason but considered there was more per-son-to-person evangelism and that when preached simply and directly the gospel exerted great influence and power.

Dr. Gih is the author of several religious books, the latest of which is “The Church Behind the Bamboo Curtain." He is in New Zealand for a total of five weeks. While in Christchurch his visit is being sponsored by the Ex-angelicicai Alliance (Canterbury).

At last it looks as if something is to be done about easing Rome's chaotic traffic problem by building an underground railway through the city centre. Construction firms have been asked to submit tenders by December 15 for a line which will link the main railway station with such well-known tourist haunts as Via Veneto, the Spanish Steps and the Vatican.—Reuter.