CCCC China Connection
by Tom Bridgman, Area Rep for Western Massachusetts and Eastern New York
As an area representative, I typically have someone else in our regional fellowship compose an article for The FORESEE; but I decided to write it myself this time, as I had the opportunity to travel to China for two weeks in October. My brother and I flew over together and met up with two of our uncles in Beijing. The trip gave us the opportunity to see where my father and uncles had been born and raised and where my grandparents had served with the Presbyterian Church for almost 30 years. But the primary impetus for the trip was the invitation extended to members of my family to celebrate the 150th anniversary of a school which was founded by the widow of one of my ancestors, Elijah Coleman Bridgman, whom, if you will allow me to brag, was the first American Protestant to serve in China. Elijah, a New England Congregationalist, who was sent to China by the American Board of Commissioners in 1829, and his wife, Eliza, founded two schools, the first in Shanghai, and then after his death the school in Peking (Beijing). Both schools continue to this day.
left to right: Jeremy Jackson (wife Lucinda in wheelchair), Tom Bridgman, the Jacksons’ son, new daughter-in-law and daughter
Imagine my surprise, when, on the morning after our arrival, as I rounded a corner while touring the Forbidden City, I spied one of our own CCCC pastors, Jeremy Jackson of Trinity Fellowship, Syracuse New York, with his wife, Lucinda, and their family. I had known they were planning to be in Shanghai for their son’s wedding, but had all but given up hope that we might see each other even briefly, given the distance between the two cities and busyness of our schedules. What a sweet, albeit brief, moment of fellowship in a crowd of some 40,000. One of God’s providential blessings! Come to find out that Lucinda also has a family history in China as well.
Near the end of our trip, my brother and I had the privilege of worshipping with Mark and Dayna Blair, another of our CCCC pastors who has been serving the Beijing International Christian Fellowship for the past five years. My wife and I attended our first annual conference with the Blairs in 1983 but hadn’t seen each other since. What a vital ministry they have with international students and young professionals from all over the world there in a city of over 21 million. (Our former Conference Minister, Cliff Christensen and his wife Carol recently spent two years in Beijing ministering with them.) You can get a taste of their ministry by visiting their website, www.BICF.org.
Mark Blair and Tom Bridgman
As you might well imagine, the trip was a real touchstone for me personally. I also came away with a new appreciation of the beauty of Chinese culture and the richness of its history: Chinese history dates back to before the days of Abraham. We in the US can boast only ten percent of that! But the most moving thing for me was to see how God has been working in China today — in spite of, and perhaps even because of the years of hardship and suffering. I found it beyond description even to the point of tears. A case in point is a church that was planted by my grandfather and was only a handful in number when they left China in 1948 now boasts over 2000 in attendance and has birthed over 64 new congregations. The Chinese church is indeed growing and is having an important and positive impact on the most populous country and fastest growing economy in the world. What will this mean for us in the West? And what can we as the CCCC learn?
Jesus promised, …upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. It is not hard to see the connection between Jesus’ “rock” and the “rock” of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.
