WASHINGTON - A month-long exhibition of China' s Bible ministry kicked off Wednesday in Washington DC to tell a China Bible story rarely truthfully described to the outside world.

The Bible Ministry Exhibition of the Protestant Church in China made its debut at Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church in the US capital. It will be on display there through October 2 before traveling to other US cities including Chicago, Dallas and Charlotte.

Through the Bible's various Chinese versions, ancient or modern, as well as pictures, paintings, calligraphy, art works and historical documents, the exhibition, entitled "The word is the Truth," aimed to give an overall understanding of how Bible was brought into China, how it was translated, published, distributed there, and loved by Chinese brothers and sisters.

Elder Fu Xianwei, chairperson of the National Committee of Three-Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Churches in China, called the exhibition a historic event in the communication and exchange between Chinese and American churches.

Building on the success of China's Bible ministry's first visit in the US in 2006, this exhibition brings new information about the development of Chinese churches, Fu said at the opening ceremony of the exhibition.

It will help Americans better understand the development of Chinese churches and society, promoting mutual understanding and nurturing friendship between the two peoples, he added.

Approximately 300 international Christian leaders and American church leaders attended the ceremony.

Rev Dr Geoff Tunnicliffe, secretary general of the World Evangelical Alliance, said at the ceremony that the exhibition will help people gain insight into the "richness of Christian faith in China."

The exhibition is "indeed a blessing to the churches" in the US, Rev Dr Michael Kinnamon, general secretary of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, told the audiences. It helps deepen the relationship between Chinese and American Christians, he said.

In a recorded message, former US President Jimmy Carter said the exhibition "not only helps us better understand the evolution of Christianity in China but also the development of Chinese society."

"The exhibit will promote fellowship between American and Chinese churches, and will promote understanding and friendship between our citizens," he added.

Incomplete statistics show that to date, there are more than 23 million Protestant Christians in China, with 56,000 churches and meeting points, as well as about 38,000 pastoral personnel.