An important partner of American Baptist International Ministries (IM), the Nanjing Union Theological Seminary (NJUTS) recently elected key leaders to executive roles following the retirement of Bishop K. H. Ting, the seminary’s long-serving president.

Rev. Gao Feng, originally from Shandong Province, has assumed the position of Nanjing UTS president after being appointed by the school’s board.  He is also President of the China Christian Council (CCC), an umbrella organization for Protestant churches in the People’s Republic of China.

In addition, Rev. Dr. Chen Yilu was appointed standing vice president where he will assist the president and focus on academic affairs and overseas relations.  Rev. Dr. Wang Aiming, appointed as vice president, will be responsible for the research department and the school library.  Both are affiliated with CCC.

“It gives me great pleasure to congratulate Revs. Gao, Chen and Wang on their new positions at the NJUTS,” said Rev. Dr. Reid Trulson, IM Executive Director.  “They assume their respective leadership roles at a time when Chinese Christians most need their wisdom, power of purpose and serenity amidst a rapidly changing world.”

Speaking to that, IM’s Area Director for East Asia, China and India, Rev. Benjamin Chan said, “To a rapidly changing Chinese society and the changing situation in the Chinese Christian community, there is a greater need today for well trained leaders who can discern and address the needs of people with compassionate pastoral care and sensitivity.”  He congratulated the three for taking up that challenge in a letter from the Foundation for Theological Education in South East Asia where Chan serves as chair.

IM personnel, Judy Sutterlin, teaches General, Biblical and Theological English at the NJUTS.  In a recent journal, she described the opening worship service to the school’s second semester where Rev. Chen gave the message.  In it, he encouraged students to be like the dove in its many Biblical references: to bring good news, to embody peace and to build fellowship.

The NJUTS, or Jinling UTS reflecting the school’s Chinese name, was established in 1952 as a union of 12 seminaries in eastern China.  They are a nondenominational institution of education and train pastoral workers, teachers and researchers offering both a four-year Bachelor’s Degree of Theology (BTh) and a three-year post graduate Master’s Degree of Theology (MTh).  The Seminary also offers a Post Graduate Studies Program for Pastors.