Presiding Bishop, Michael Curry, of the US based Episcopal Church has met leaders of the Protestant Christian Church in China and government officials, during his first official visit as presiding bishop and primate to Asia and Southeast Asia.

 “At its root, the Christian way is a way of relationship in Christ. Jesus said wherever two or three gather together in my name, there I am,” said Bishop Curry, in an interview with Episcopal News Service in Shanghai, when asked why it’s important for the Episcopal Church to maintain close ties with China.

“The New Testament talks about the body of Christ, not the individuals of Christ. When we talk about being one holy catholic and apostolic church [we talk about] a worldwide network of people who are committed to and in relationship with Jesus Christ and therefore, through him, with each other.”

Bishop Curry visited China at the invitation of the China Christian Council (CCC) and the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM). Bishop Curry attended meetings in Beijing and Shanghai, where he met with the minister of the State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA), the Chinese government agency that oversees religious practice, and CCC/TSPM leaders, including Elder Fu Xianwei.

Peter Ng, the Episcopal Church’s officer for Asia and the Pacific, now retired, the Rev. Charles Robertson, canon to the presiding bishop for ministry beyond The Episcopal Church, the Rev. David Copley, director of global partnerships and mission personnel, Neva Rae Fox, the church’s public affairs officer and Sharon Jones, executive assistant to the presiding bishop, accompanied Curry on the trip that also included stops in the Philippines, Hong Kong and Taiwan.