A colorful glass at the Nanjing Union Theological Seminary portrays Jesus and his disciples with Chinese characteristics.(Photo: chinadaily) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, Jan. 28 -- Chen Yixian is like any other 23-year-old university student and enjoys South Korean and Japanese TV dramas, fashion and stuffed toys. She was raised as an atheist but later became the first Christian in her family. Today, she wants to be a pastor.

    Although they do not believe in God, Chen's parents respect their only daughter's faith. They think the church environment is a good influence on her. They worry about the competitiveness of life today and see church as a haven.

    Christianity is on the rise in China, and the number of Christians has rocketed to more than 16 million from 700,000 in 1949, statistics show.

    "Although I haven't experienced any hardships, faith has made me happier and more grateful for what I have," says Chen, clad in a trendy pink dress.

    The Sichuan native began nurturing an interest in Christianity after visiting a local church, where she not only met friendly elderly citizens but also many young people. Since then, she has attended the church regularly and has studied the Bible with them.

    Chen was baptized two years ago.

    Now, she is studying at Nanjing Union Theological Seminary (NJUTS) in Jiangsu province.

    As a mid-course student transferred from Sichuan Theological Seminary, Chen appreciates the opportunity to study at NJUTS.

    "With a better academic atmosphere and learning facilities, the seminary has broadened my views; my faith, therefore, has grown stronger ever since," she says.

    NJUTS is the national Protestant seminary in China, established in 1952 by the Three-Self Patriotic Movement Committee of Protestant Churches in the country.

    The country's premier seminary focuses on training pastoral workers, teachers and researchers, and provides boarding facilities and two regular programs: a four-year bachelor's degree and a three-year master's degree of divinity. Continued education is also possible at the seminary.

    There are currently 169 students at the school, most of whom consider their faith to be nondenominational. However, there is a small portion of students that belongs to particular, and often small, denominations.

    There are 18 seminaries and Bible schools in China, attended by more than 1,800 students in total. On average, up to 300 graduates leave the campuses to begin careers at churches every year.

    But winning admission to the seminary is far from easy. On average, NJUTS receives up to 300 applicants recommended by churches across the country every year, but only about 50 among those who pass both the written and oral examinations are accepted.

    "The main reason we have an oral entrance exam is that the student will shoulder such a great responsibility to influence a great many people, rather than just one, in the future and will help build a harmonious society," deputy-director of the administrative office Zhang Jing explains. "Moreover, the funds we spend on training a student are precious, so we want to make sure that we get the right candidates."

    About 80 percent of the students come from impoverished rural areas in provinces such as Henan, Guizhou and Shanxi.

    The number of female students has grown over the past five years. Also on the rise are applicants from well-developed coastal provinces, such as Guangdong and Zhejiang, director of the editorial department Wang Penny says.

    "Some people seek higher spiritual needs after they get rich," Wang says. "They send young people from their families to appreciate God.

    "So, pastors with better educational backgrounds are in demand there."

    With a tuition fee of 2,000 yuan ($267) per person, the seminary offers religious courses that make up 70 percent of the curriculum, including Biblical studies, systematic theology, church history and the history of Christian thoughts.

    "Our students have to study Greek and Hebrew," Wang says. "When a third language is involved, more problems of accuracy arise. The studies can better their understanding of the original meaning of the texts."

    Lu Shengyi comes from the countryside in Baise, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. He became a Christian in 2002, and was the last person to be baptized in his Christian family. Two years later, the 31-year-old was sent by the village church to study at NJUTS.

    He is thankful to live in a comfortable dormitory where the grade-4 student shares a 20-sq-m room with three other classmates.

    "I want to learn a lot, but my time here will be so short," he says.

    "In addition to deepening my knowledge, the biggest benefit I have received here is learning tolerance. Although students hail from various regions and have different lifestyles, the seminary provides a chance for us to bond as a community, and we have made lasting friendships."

    Wang Yarong comes from the fourth generation of Christians in her family. The Zhejiang native started attending church regularly in her childhood and says faith is an important part of her life.

    She has studied at NJUTS since 2001, and will complete her master's degree next year. Without any income, the 24-year-old has been fully financed by her parents for years, even after she got married last February. Her husband is also a pastor.

    "To raise a pastor in the family, my parents have invested a great deal of their energy on me. So, I must study hard to live up with their expectations," she says.

    The post-graduate believes that thanks to her studies of Biblical philosophy, she is more mature and thoughtful.

    She says Western philosophy is the most difficult subject for her, because of its complicated content.

    "It is easier to learn when you are interested," she says.

(Source: chinadaily.com.cn)