Beijing Municipal Three-Self Patriotic Movement Committee and China Christian Council Hold a Praise Concert to Celebrate the 90th Anniversary of the Founding of the Party

Translated by China Aid Association  06/20/2011

ChinaAid note: The report below is from the official website of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement Committee and the China Christian Council, the two government organs that oversee and govern China’s official Three-Self churches, the only churches that are legally allowed to exist in China. The original report in Chinese can be found here: http://www.ccctspm.org/news/lo_ex/2011/617/11617332.html

Beijing Municipal Three-Self Patriotic Movement Committee and China Christian Council Hold a Praise Concert to Celebrate the 90th Anniversary of the Founding of the Party

On June 11, the Beijing Municipal Three-Self Patriotic Movement Committee and the China Christian Council [commonly referred to simply as “the two associations”] held a praise concert at the Century Theatre called “One Heart, One Direction” in celebration of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the [Chinese Communist] Party. In addition to the 1,700 believers in the audience, also watching the performance were Chi Weisheng, director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau for Religious Affairs; bureau deputy directors Ma Zhongpu and Zhao Hongsheng; Lu Shuping, full-time deputy director of the Committee for Ethnic and Religious Affairs under the Beijing Municipal Political Consultative Conference; Peng Liang, office director of the Committee for Ethnic and Religious Affairs under the Beijing Municipal Political Consultative Conference; Wang Yamin, chief of the Comprehensive Section of the Office for Ethnic, Religious and Overseas Affairs of the Standing Committee of the Beijing Municipal People’s Congress; Cai Kui, chairman of the Beijing Municipal Christian Three-Self Patriotic Movement Committee; and Pastor Yu Xinli, president of the Beijing Municipal Christian Education Committee.

At 3 p.m. on June 11, laughter and cheers could be heard everywhere in the Century Theatre as a festive atmosphere filled [the hall]. Before the performance started, Cai Kui, chairman of the Beijing Municipal Christian Three-Self Patriotic Movement Committee, made these remarks on behalf of the many pastors and lay leaders in the capital. He said: “In the past 90 years, the Chinese Communist Party, while closely uniting people of various nationalities and various walks of life in China, has never stopped caring about and helping Chinese Christianity. Especially since the beginning of the new period [i.e. period of Communist Party rule], with the generous help of the Party and the government, churches have been built everywhere across China and great efforts have been made in training clergymen who actively engage in social work and walk a path compatible with socialism. At the same time that the living and working conditions of the vast number of clergymen have greatly improved, their social status and political treatment have also risen without interruption. Facts have proven that the Chinese Communist Party is sincere in its treatment of and support for the development of Chinese Christianity. And Chinese Christianity has already formed a constant and changeless relationship of co-dependency and mutual aid with the Chinese Communist Party and the Central People’s Government and will always be of one heart and on the same path with the Party and the government. As long as we adhere to the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party as we always have, adhere to serving the overall interests of the Party and the government, adhere to the policy of independence and autonomy in religion, adhere to being of one heart with and on the same path as the Party and the government and firmly abide by the Three-Self policy in the road ahead, then we will certainly create a more brilliant tomorrow for China.”

After that, Pastor Yu Xinli, president of the Beijing Municipal Christian Education Committee, led everyone in a prayer of thanksgiving.

The performance started with the bright and clear sound of 150 believers singing “Entering a New Era.” The concert was divided into three parts: “Entering a New Era,” “Picking a Camellia to Give to the Party,” and “Praying for Tomorrow.” “Entering a New Era” movingly reflected the boldness with which the many Christians [of China], under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, confidently entered the New Era. “Picking a Camellia Flower to Give to the Party” movingly expressed the gratitude of Christians toward the Party and the government for the many years of care and help they have given to Christianity, and “Prayer for Tomorrow” used the words of Christians believers themselves to express their prayer for eternal world peace and for a world filled with friendship and love.

The entire performance included both Christian hymns and revolutionary songs praising the Party, both grand and passionate choruses sung by more than a hundred singers and graceful and elegant solos, both lively and joyful dances and simple but refined string ensembles. When the melodies “Entering a New Age,” “Motherland, My Dear Mother,” “Picking a Camellia to Give to the Party,” “Playing My Lovely Homemade Pipa” and “Song of the Guerrillas” started up, all the believers responded with round after round of enthusiastic applause. When the famous singer Liu Bingyi sang “I Produce Petroleum for the Motherland,” his passionate song not only brought the whole concert to its climax, it also greatly inspired the audience’s love for the Party and the country.

At 5:20, the curtain fell, bringing the concert to a successful end as 150 believers sang “Praying for Tomorrow.”

Leaders of the Beijing Municipal Bureau for Religious Affairs went onstage to greet all the performers and take group photos with them to mark the occasion.

The theme that was unfurled in this praise concert was that when everything is well with the Communist Party and the state, then everything will be well with the church. [The concert] once again demonstrated the Christians’ true feelings of support for the Party, love for the country and love of their religion, and expressed the eternal theme that Chinese Christianity has always been of one heart with and on the same path as the Chinese Communist Party and the Central People’s Government. In particular, the inscription by Pastor Yu Xinli on the title page of the program all the more expressed the deep gratitude of the many Christians on this 90^th birthday of the Chinese Communist Party: “The Chinese Communist Party and the people of China have been of one heart and on the same path for 90 years, and the Party has led us from victory to victory, has brought about the revival of the Chinese nation and our lives are becoming better and better. May God bless our motherland and its people!”

This performance is another major event for Beijing Christians following the“100 Days Countdown to the Olympics” concert and the concert in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement. It is a profound embodiment of the support of Beijing Christians for the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party and their firm adherence to the path of loving their country and loving their religion. It is also a vivid portrayal of the support for and allegiance to the Party and the government on the part of the many Beijing Christians. Even more, it is another important achievement since the launch of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement in the capital city of Beijing. This will surely inspire all the Christian clergy of Beijing in their enthusiastic and indefatigable efforts in the construction of a “harmonious society!”

The Chinese Communist Party and the people of China have been of one heart and on the same path for 90 years, and the Party has led us from victory to victory, has brought about the revival of the Chinese nation and our lives are becoming better and better.  May God bless our motherland and its people. 

Yu Xinli
May 29, 2011.