Amity Foundation, China
Encyclopedia
The Amity Foundation is an independent Chinese voluntary organization. it is the largest charity
in China. It was created in 1985 on the initiative of Christians in China
, with the main objective of helping poor areas of the country to develop. Amity's headquarters are in Nanjing
. The organization is also known for its Amity Printing Company (APC, also sometimes called Amity Printing Press), the largest Bible
producer in China.
One of the driving forces behind the Amity Foundation has been the desire of Chinese Christians, who like other religious groups had experienced persecution especially during the Cultural Revolution
, to contribute to the rebuilding and development of society. From the start, it has worked to spread education, social services, health, and rural development from China's coastal provinces in the east to the minority areas of the west. Amity sees itself not as a faith-based but a faith-initiated organization and works with Christians, members of other religious communities and atheists alike. Its president is Bishop K. H. Ting
. Partner organisation have praised the work and activity of the charity.
Recently the chartitable organisation has been highlighted in both domestic and international media for its action and prompt relief work in China in response to natural disasters.
, since 1987 it has published Bibles in Mandarin and in several ethnic minority languages, as well as in many other languages for export.
The APC has so far published more than 50 million Bibles. Most of the Bibles printed are the Chinese Union Version
, the Chinese Bible translation used by the Protestant churches, but recently Pastoral Bible
used by the Catholic churches has also been printed here. The Chinese Bibles are distributed not by the state-run bookstore chains (such as Xinhua Bookstore
), but through the network of officially registered Protestant churches.
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
in China. It was created in 1985 on the initiative of Christians in China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, with the main objective of helping poor areas of the country to develop. Amity's headquarters are in Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
. The organization is also known for its Amity Printing Company (APC, also sometimes called Amity Printing Press), the largest Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
producer in China.
From faith to social actions
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
, to contribute to the rebuilding and development of society. From the start, it has worked to spread education, social services, health, and rural development from China's coastal provinces in the east to the minority areas of the west. Amity sees itself not as a faith-based but a faith-initiated organization and works with Christians, members of other religious communities and atheists alike. Its president is Bishop K. H. Ting
K. H. Ting
Ting Kuang-hsun , is a former Anglican Bishop in mainland China, who is now Chairperson emeritus of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement and President emeritus of the China Christian Council, the government-approved Protestant church in China...
. Partner organisation have praised the work and activity of the charity.
Recently the chartitable organisation has been highlighted in both domestic and international media for its action and prompt relief work in China in response to natural disasters.
Activities
- Disaster relief
- Support of church-run social work
- Support of medical education in China's poorest areas
- HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention training
- Education in the countryside and for the children of migrant workers, including the Amity Teachers ProgramAmity Teachers ProgramThe Amity Teachers Program is a program by the Amity Foundation to send volunteers to China to teach in rural Chinese universities and colleges. The Amity Foundation is a Chinese non-governmental organisation which was founded in 1984 by Chinese Christians....
- Special education (e.g. work with deaf or disabled children)
- Taking care of orphans
- Environmental protection
- Integrated development (e.g. providing basic health care, schooling, clean energy, agricultural skills training and microfinance to a village community)
Amity Printing Company (APC)
The Amity Printing Company (APC) in Nanjing is the largest producer of Bibles in China, and one of the largest in the world. Partly in cooperation with the United Bible SocietiesUnited Bible Societies
The United Bible Societies is a worldwide association of Bible societies. In 1946 delegates from 13 countries formed the UBS, as an effort to coordinate the activities of the bible societies. The first headquarters were London and in Geneva...
, since 1987 it has published Bibles in Mandarin and in several ethnic minority languages, as well as in many other languages for export.
The APC has so far published more than 50 million Bibles. Most of the Bibles printed are the Chinese Union Version
Chinese Union Version
The Chinese Union Version is the predominant Chinese language translation of the Bible used by Chinese Protestants. It is considered by many to be the Chinese Protestant’s Bible....
, the Chinese Bible translation used by the Protestant churches, but recently Pastoral Bible
Pastoral Bible (Chinese)
The Chinese Pastoral Bible is the Chinese edition of the Christian Community Bible. Work on the translation began in 1991, took 5 years to finish, and the completed translation was published in 1999...
used by the Catholic churches has also been printed here. The Chinese Bibles are distributed not by the state-run bookstore chains (such as Xinhua Bookstore
Xinhua Bookstore
Xinhua Bookstore owns the largest and only country-wide bookstore chain in China.- History :Xinhua Bookstore was originally established as Guanghua Bookstore in 1937 in Yan'an under the Propaganda Department of the Communist Party of China...
), but through the network of officially registered Protestant churches.
See also
- China Christian CouncilChina Christian CouncilThe China Christian Council or CCC was founded in 1980 as an umbrella organization for all Protestant churches in the People's Republic of China with Bishop K. H. Ting as its president. It works to provide theological education and the publication of Bibles , hymnals , and other religious...
- Three-Self Patriotic MovementThree-Self Patriotic MovementThe Three-Self Patriotic Movement or TSPM is a state-controlled Protestant church in the People's Republic of China...
- Chinese Bible TranslationsChinese Bible TranslationsChinese Bible translations mean all works on translating whole or parts of the Bible into the many dialects of Chinese language. The creation of Chinese Bible Translations began in the nineteenth century, but availability only became widespread in the early twentieth century.-Catholic translation...
- Amity Teachers ProgramAmity Teachers ProgramThe Amity Teachers Program is a program by the Amity Foundation to send volunteers to China to teach in rural Chinese universities and colleges. The Amity Foundation is a Chinese non-governmental organisation which was founded in 1984 by Chinese Christians....
- Christianity in ChinaChristianity in ChinaChristianity in China is a growing minority religion that comprises Protestants , Catholics , and a small number of Orthodox Christians. Although its lineage in China is not as ancient as the institutional religions of Taoism and Mahayana Buddhism, and the social system and ideology of...
- United Bible SocietiesUnited Bible SocietiesThe United Bible Societies is a worldwide association of Bible societies. In 1946 delegates from 13 countries formed the UBS, as an effort to coordinate the activities of the bible societies. The first headquarters were London and in Geneva...
External links
- Amity Foundation website (Chinese); Amity Foundation website (English)
- Amity Newsletter (ANL), a quarterly English-language publication which reports on Amity's project work
- Amity Printing Company