NANJING, China, December 15, 2005 — "My hope is that one day every person in China will hold a Bible of their own in their hands," declared Bishop KH Ting, former President of the China Christian Council, at a ceremony which will help to bring this vision closer to becoming a reality. Since the Amity Printing Company, a joint venture between Amity Foundation and the United Bible Societies, began operating in 1987, it has produced some 46 million Bibles and New Testaments. This figure is set to rise significantly as it begins a new chapter in its history.
At the beginning of November, Bishop Ting and around 180 other guests attended the groundbreaking ceremony for a new, purpose-built factory. The move to the new location in Nanjing's Jiangling industrial zone, which coincides with the 20th anniversary of the creation of the Amity Foundation by Chinese Christians, has been prompted by the decision of the local government to re-zone the current Amity site as a residential area. With the compensation offered, it has been possible to acquire new land and construct a new facility containing the latest printing equipment.
When it is completed, the new factory will allow the Amity Printing Company to increase its output of Bibles to 10 million copies a year.
|
