THREE-SELF REFORM MOVEMENT AMONG SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST IN CHINA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000700060442-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: R
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 5, 2011
• Sequence Number: 442
• Publication Date: May 24, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

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CLASSIFICATION RESTRICTED
CENTRAL INTELLLIIG INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REP
ORT
INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS CD NO.
COUNTRY China
DATE OF
SUBJECT Sociological - Religion INFORMATION
HOW
PUBLISHED Weekly periodical
WHERE
PUBLISHED Shanghai
DATE
PUBLISHED 10 Nov 1951
LANGUAGE
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Tien-fana~Vol XII, No 19, 1951.
DATE DIST. 2-!f. May 1952
N0. OF PAGES 4
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
THRF~~F REFORM MOVEMENT AMONG
SEVII'7lH-llAY ADVEmutTS IN CHINA
The following articles from the Shanghai weekly T'ien-fang describe
the three-self (self-government, self-support, re-
form movement among the Seventh-Day Adventists inChina.pr Recentgac-
tivities include the sanctioning of the establishment of the Three-Self
Reform Preparatory Committee, messages to Chairman Mao and the Chinese
People's Volunteers, the reform plan of the China Headquarters
of the Seventh-Day Adventist Churches, and the speech by Nan Hsiang-
ch'ien, Chairman of the Sevent','?Day Adventist Three-Self Reform Pre-
paratory Committee.
SANCTIONS ESTABLISHMENT OF
THREE-SELF REFORM PREPARATORY COtfMIT
The Reform Representatives Conference Preparatory Office of the China Head -
ters and the Shangha Church Group, Seventh-Day Adventist churches: quar
The
form MovemePrepa nt Cratory ~tbe ChinatProteResist AmericaAid Korea, stant Churches has been notified Three-Self
your organization has mobilized your church members to hold accusation meetings
against the American imperialist agents and their henchmen and that you have
convened a representatives conference at which reform resolutions were passed
a and 24 officials, including Nan Hsi-ng-ch'ien, were democratically elected to
form a Three-Self Reform Preparatory Committee for your organization. The
committee has received and approved your report at its 27th meeting. Accord-
ingly, the committee approves your organization. It is hoped that your organ-
ization will unite all the patriotic Seventh-Day Adventists to launch success-
fully the accusation and reform movements and to create a church organization
that really belongs to our own Chinese people.
(Signed) Preparatory Committee of the Resist
America,
Aid Korea, Movement Council of the China'Pro Three-Self l Churches
6 November 1951
STAT
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MESSAGES TO CHA':RMAN MAO AND CHINESE PEOPLE'S VOLUNTEERS
BY SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST REPRESENTA"IVES CONFERENCE
Having conducted thoroughly a series of accusation meetings, we, the patri-
otic and religious Seventh-Day Adventists, have convened our representatives
conference and, at that conference, formed an organization responsible to carry
out the three-self reform in our churches. This action is a heavy blow to
American imperialism.
We salute you with the highest honor. Under your enlightened leadership,
we wish to create a Seventh-Day Adventist church of self-government, self-support,
and self-preaching for the Chinese people.
(Signed) Reform Representatives Conference of the
China Headquarters and the Shanghai Church
Group of the Seventh-D'y Adventist Churches
29 October 1951
Dearest Commanders and Fighters of the Ch_nese People's Volunteers:
We wish to salute you with the highest honor. We hope also that you achieve
continuous glorious victories.
While you are fighting American imperialism on the Korean front, we, the
Seventh-Day Adventists, have thoroughly conducted accusation meetings within
our organization, which had been exploited by American imperialism for 50 years,
against the American imperialist agents and their criminal acts; we have wiped
them out from our organization. Now we have convened our representatives con-
ference and have set up an organization to carry out the three-self reforms.
We wish to assure you that we :hall create by all means a church on the basis of
self-government, self-support, and self-preaching and wipe out any American im-
perialist influence in our churches.
(Signed) Reform Representatives Conference of the
China Headquarters and the Shanghai Church
Group of the Seventh-Day Advent:-.;t Churches
29 October 1951
REFORM PLAN or CHINA HEADQUARTERS,
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCHES
For the past 50 years the China Headquarters of the Seventh-Day Adventist
Church,4 has been utilized by American imperialism in their persistent conduct
of anti-Soviet, and anti-Communist, and anti-people's movements by means of
church, school, hospital, newspaper, radio, and other activities. We have felt
deeply the need for reforming our churches ever since liberation under the in-
spiration of the people's greatest victory, particularly since the accusation
movement of the last few months in which we revealed how America imperialism
and its henchmen exploited the Adventist churches to invade China.
Henceforth, we should unite all patriotic and religious Adventists, under
the leadership of the Resist America, Aid Korea, Three-Self Reform Preparation
Committee, to take an active part in the patriotic movement to resist America
and aid Korea, sever any connection with American imperialism, purge any American
imperialist influence in the Christian religion, and create a church for the
Chinese people on the basis of self-government, self-support, and self-preaching.
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A. Organization
1. The name of this reform organization shall be The Three-Self Reform Pre-
paration Committee, of the China Headquarters of the Seventh-Day Adventist
Churches (which hereinunder will be called the Reform Preparation Committee).
It shall be organized by 20 to 30 delegates elected at the Reform Representatives
Conference of Shanghai Church Group of the Seventh-Day Adventist Churches.
2. The Reform Preparation Committee shall elect from among its members
seven to nine persons to organize an executive committee. The executive com-
mittee shall be responsible for the direction of all reform activities.
3. In due time, a nationwide organization shall be set up when a national
representatives conference is convened. The Reform Preparation Committee shall
exercise the authority of the China Headquarters until the national representa-
tives conference is convened. The previous executive committee of the China
Headquarters of the Seventh-Day Adventist Churches shall cease to function, and
its duties shall be taken over as soon as possible by the Reform Preparation
Committee.
4. Various divisions of the China Headquarters shall be reorganized on
the basis of expediency. The function of the China Headquarters shall'be limited
to the extension of guidance to church activities in general. Its former affil-
iated business organizations, such as hospitals, schools, and newspapers shall
become independent enterprises or be referred to appropriate government depart-
ments for further action.
B. Activities
1. The China Headquarters shall rally its followers to the sincere support
of the Common Program, take an active part in the movement to resist America and
aid Korea, continue to carry on thoroughly the accusation movement within the
churches, and eliminate American imperialist influence in churches.
2. The gospel should be preached and any poisonous elements injected by
American imperialism should be purged.
3. All followers should be guided with planning and organization for con-
ductior the accusation movement; Por carrying out reform on the basis of self-
government, sslf-support, and self-preaching; for strengthening patriotic edu-
cation; and fox establishing various study classes to heighten the political
awareness of the headquarters' personnel.
1. The China Headquarters shall be financially independent and reject sub-
sidies of any kind from American imperialism.
2. The former financial administration system shall be reformed. Financial
records shall be kept open for inspection.
3. The Reform Preparation Committee shall request the former accountants to
clear up all the financial obligations of the China Headquarters incurred in the
past.
4. After accusation meetings have been conducted, and reform has-been car-
ried out in the affiliated churches and organizations of the"China Headquarters
of the Seventh-Day Adventist Churches, the Reform Preparation Committee shall
assist them toward financial self-sufficiency.
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D. Personnel
1. The previous poorly organized personnel administration shall be reformed
on the basis of actual needs.
2. The China Headquarters shall promote or discharge its personnel on the
basis of their patriotic enthusiam, religious faithfulness, and participation in
the accusation movement.
This plan shall be effective upon preliminary approval by the Representa-
tives Conference of the China Headquarters and the Shanghai Church Group of the
Seventh-Day Adventist Churches and final approval by the Preparatory Committee
of the Resist America, Aid Korea, Three-Self Reform Council of the China Protes-
tant Churches,
SPEECH BY NAN HSIANG-CH']HN.
CHAIRMAN OF THREE-SELF REFORM PREPARATION c%sT i
In the Past, the Seventh-Day Adventist Church has been used by American im-
perialism as an instrument for paralyzing and poisoning the Chinese people. It
was used as a base on which American imperialism built its military, cultural,
and economic plans of aggression to reduce China to a land of slavery. Owing
to the enlightened leadership of Chairman Mao and the Chinese Communist Party,
the workers in the Shi-chao Pao, the churches'paper, have raised their class con-
sciousness and thus successfully carried out a series of struggles against Amer-
ican imperialism ever since the liberation. Inspired by the workers' collective
genius and strength throughout the course of the struggles in the past 2 years,
I have chosen to stand firmly on the side of the people and respect the will of
the people. I know from experience that we can win the struggle only by relying
on the masses of the people. The accusation movement during the past 3 months
shows particularly that appeal to the masses is the only correct strategy. In
fact, the masses have liberated themselves and transformed the old, corrupt, and
American-backed Adventist Churches into a new and promising organization belong-
ing to the Chinese people.
Henceforth, I feel that we must mobilize the broad masses of the Adventists,
.rely on them, launch self-criticizm among them, carry out the reform program
thoroughly and rally them to participate in the patriotic movement to resist Amer-
ica and aid Korea. If this is done, the Adventist Churches will have a very
bright future and receive support from the masses of the people. I shall be more
willing to accept criticism, and with a spirit of patriotism and religious en-
thusiam I shall devote myself wholeheartedly to strive for a new people's Seventh-
Day Adventist Church.
STAT
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