China: Chinese church leaders call for prayer, help after earthquake
May 21, 2008 Sichuan, China
Despite some congregations losing their churches
in a May 12 earthquake, many Seventh-day
Adventists in China are still planning to meet
for worship on Sabbath, church leaders said.
Adventist leaders are also calling for prayer
after the 8.0 earthquake in Central China killed
thousands, destroyed buildings and left many
people buried.
10 Adventist Church members have died and
several are buried, said David Ng, a ministries
director for the church's Chinese Union Mission.
"Please continue to pray for those families who
have suffered and those who are helping," Ng
said in a May 15 e-mail.
Chinese officials reportedly said the
8.0-magnitude earthquake has so far killed
nearly 40,000 and left 26,000 buried. An
additional 30,000 are still missing. More than
12
millions are homeless.
Ng said 11 Adventist churches were destroyed.
The Adventist church in the city of Chengdu has
gathered limited funds to purchase food, water
and other necessities to distribute, Ng said.
Chinese officials say 80 percent of the
buildings have collapsed in Beichuan county in
Sichuan province, home to 7,210 Adventists. The
church's Chinese Union Mission has arranged for
fellow workers to visit church members in the
disaster area.
The church's Chinese Union Mission and ADRA
China are accepting donations, which can be
marked "Helping Churches in Disaster."
For donations, please visit their websites.
Chinese Union Mission www.chumadventist.org
ADRA China www.adrachina.org
(source: Adventist News Network)
