Jefferts Schori traveled to Asia to lead an Episcopal Church delegation to the international Anglican peace conference, Towards Peace in Korea (TOPIK). Joining the Presiding Bishop were the Rev. Canon Brian Grieves, the Episcopal Church's director of Peace and Justice ministries; Peter Ng, partnership officer for Asia and the Pacific; and the Rev. Dr. Charles Robertson, Canon to the Presiding Bishop.

Before arriving in Seoul, the delegation spent November 12-13 in Shanghai and Nanjing -- a time highlighted by a visit with the legendary Bishop K. H. Ting.

Arrival on November 12
After plane flights from the other side of the world -- some as long as 20 hours -- the Presiding Bishop and colleagues arrived in Shanghai, China's second largest city and one that continues to become increasingly one of the world's most modern. With futuristic skyscrapers continuing to rise in an ongoing construction boom, Shanghai is a city of 17 million people and just about as many neon lights.

The Presiding Bishop was greeted with smiles and warmth at Pudong airport by officers of the China Christian Council (CCC), Chen Meilin, executive associate general secretary and director of overseas relations, and Maggie Shi (Shi Meiying).

Shi spoke enthusiastically of the vitality of the churches in China, noting that Sunday worship services are filled to capacity, requiring worshippers to arrive early for seating before the congregation overflows into hallways or outside the building.

Chen and Shi were hosts for Jefferts Schori's visit in Shanghai and Nanjing, where the Presiding Bishop and her delegation met with leaders and seminarians in the church's "post-denominational" era -- an ecumenical period that opened after China's cultural revolution of 1949.

Travel from from the airport was via Shanghai's Magdev train, built to be the fastest in the world. Speeds topped at 301 km/h (187 mph) as the visitors trekked toward the city center. Large banners proclaimed the 2008 Olympic Games set for Beijing. Meilin said plans were well underway for CCC participation in welcoming the millions expected for the Olympics.

Mopeds and bikes darted in and out of traffic, heavy with automobiles and trucks. Crowds of pedestrians reflected the magnitude of China's 1.3 billion population, the largest of any nation in the world.

The visit to mainland China was a first for the Presiding Bishop and two members of her delegation.

Ng, a frequent visitor to China, shared how he evaluates the economy of the city. When he is in Shanghai, he likes to go to supermarkets. This time, he said, "There were 15 different kinds of sausage," he remarked. "That tells a lot. It's good."

Tuesday, November 13 in Shanghai, 8:30 a.m.
The first stop in this busy day was Holy Trinity Cathedral in downtown Shanghai. CCC officials provided hardhats and a site visit to this historic cathedral, built as an Anglican church in 1869, and the renovation of which is scheduled for completion next year.

The brick edifice was closed in 1965 and served at one point as a theater after the cultural revolution. It's a landmark in Shanghai "so we want to repair as original," said the Rev. Cao Shengjie, CCC president. "We want to resume all things."

Old photos are being used in the restoration to insure authenticity, Chen explained. Some photos and documents were relayed to the project in 2006 after the U.S.-based Episcopal News Service asked its readers to help in providing historical information. "We have asked the Church of England for archives to help repairs," Cao added.

Stepping over wood and bricks and crouching under scaffolding, the visitors agreed that Holy Trinity will be restored to the jewel it once was.

9 a.m.
Next was a formal meeting with CCC representatives at their nearby national headquarters.

Among the many activities at CCC, officials are busy preparing for the National Christian Conference, held every five years and similar to the Episcopal Church's General Convention. "That is keeping us busy," Cao said. The Episcopal Church members nodded with understanding.

Cao, the first woman CCC president, expressed her joy at meeting Jefferts Schori, the first female Presiding Bishop.

10:30 a.m.
A welcoming lunch was a feast for 16 people representing CCC, the Three-Self Patriotic Movement, local officials and the Episcopal Church. Prayers were offered and toasts were given in honor of the visitors. A rotating table-top was laden with Chinese delicacies of seafood, vegetables, dumplings, meat, rice, fruit, soup, and more. "This is Chinese style," Cao smiled.

The U.S. visitors expressed their gratitude for the hospitality and warmth of CCC and TSPM members.

Tuesday, November 13 in Nanjing, Noon
A two-hour train ride allowed the group to see outlying areas while traveling north from Shanghai to Nanjing, a major industrial city. Pagodas dotted the landscape as the train passed through cities of various sizes as well as rural areas featuring well-kept private gardens.

Massive buildings dominate the skyline of Nanjing, where different architectural styles are evidence of the city's growth over the years. City traffic was a challenge, with cars battling for space and honking their horns in the narrow streets.

The first stop was a visit to the new Nanjing seminary, still under construction. The new seminary will be seven times the size of the previous one.

Winding her way through the construction site of the new campus' white buildings, Jefferts Schori remarked to a lead engineer on the project's size and progress.

3:30 p.m.
The delegation then arrived at a private home for a much-anticipated visit with Bishop K. H. Ting, whose contributions to the lives of Christians in China are innumerable.

Now 92 years of age, Ting has been on the forefront of the religion and theological teaching in China for decades. Today he is TSPM chairperson emeritus and CCC president emeritus. Educated in China and the United States, Ting was consecrated an Anglican bishop in 1955 and has seen many facets of religious life in his homeland.

Talking was difficult for Ting, who is in frail health and requires a wheelchair. But his eyes were bright, and his deep spirituality shines through his smile.

Jefferts Schori recalled his visit to General Convention 1988 in Detroit. "Many people remember your spiritual theology at the Convention," she said. His smile showed that he, too, remembered the gathering.

The visit was short in respect for Ting's health, but it was time that will long be remembered.

5:30 p.m.
Colorful chrysanthemums decorated the steps into the Nanjing seminary, a complex located behind high walls providing a quiet haven from the hustle and bustle of downtown Nanjing. Opened in 1952 -- with Ting among the founders -- the seminary is the largest in China, featuring, among other resources, a library of 60,000 books, half in Chinese and half in English.

Students and area pastors filled the chapel to hear the Presiding Bishop preach at evensong.

While exiting the chapel, the students sang a familiar hymn -- the words in Chinese and the tune from the Anglican hymnal -- another sign of the faith, history and ministries shared by Christians worldwide.