Chinese Theological Review 16
Biographical Sketch of Rev. Cao Shengjie and Elder Ji Jianhong
Rev.Cao Shengjie, President, China Christian Council
Elected at the 7th National Chinese Christian Conference, May 2002.
Born in 1931 into a third-generation Christian family, Rev. Cao graduated from Nanjing Union Theological Seminary in 1953, after which she served as an evangelist in St. Peter’s Church and Grace Church, both in Shanghai. In 1962, she became Secretary of the Chinese Christian three-Self Patriotic Movement Committee. During the Cultural Revolution era (1966-1976), she was sent to work in a factory. In 1979, she joined the Religious Studies institute of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences (SASS) as an assistant researcher, a post she kept until 1986 in 1980, with the formation of the China Christian Council, she began serving as its Associate General Secretary, as well as Chief Editor of the New Hymnal. Ordained n 1988, Rev Cao then began serving as a Vice-President of the CCC She has been active in women's work, in drafting the Chinese Christian Church Order and in the study of self-propagation
In addition to the Presidency of the CCC, she is also Vice President of the National YWCA of China and Vice-Head of the Society of Religious Studies in Shanghai.
She is married to Rev. Xu Minghan, an Associate General Secretary of the TSPM, and Vice-Principal of China Eastern Seminary. Rev. Cao has a son and a grandson.
Elder Ji Jianhong, Chairperson, National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement of Protestant Churches in China
Elected at the Seventh National Chinese Christian Conference, May 2002.
Elder Ji was born into a Christian family in 1932 and attended church-run primary and secondary schools. In 1951 he became Executive Secretary of the Nanjing Three-Self Committee. He entered Nanjing Union Theological Seminary in 1952, assisting at Christian Assembly (Little Flock)gatherings whilestudying. On graduation in 1956, he began to serve these gatherings formally. In 1959 he was in charge of ministry at St. Paul's Church ( Taiping Road) in Nanjing. During the Cultural Revolution era, he was sent down to do manual labor in the countryside from October 1969 to 1979. In October 1979, he was brought back to Nanjing to prepare for the re-opening of the church and the resumption of church ministries.
Since 1980, he has served the Church in Jiangsu, first as a staff member, then as Associate General Secretary and later as Vice-Chairperson of the Jiangsu TSM. Going on to serve concurrently as Associate General Secretary and Vice-Chairperson, he was then elected Chairperson of the organization.
Since 1996, he has also served as Vice-Chairperson of the national TSPM, Head of the Commission on Church Administration, Managing Director of the Board of Nanjing Union Theological Seminary and Vice-Chairperson of the Board of Jiangsu Bible School.
Elder Ji is married to Wu Chaoxing, a graduate of Hujiang University in Shanghai who pursued graduate studies at Nanjing Union Theological Seminary. Now retired, she has worked in the offices of the church magazine Tian Feng, and at Nanjing Union Theological Seminary, first as a lecturer and later as secretary and deputy director in the President's office. Elder Ji has two sons.
Information provided by Amity News Service.
