Dr. Wei Ping Chen was born in Peking in 1876. He received his education from the Peking Methodist University where he entered in 1887 and graduated in 1895 with the degree of B. A. After graduation he immediately went into the Ministry and remained in it for 14 years, serving first in a hsien (district) city, Yenching (North Chihli), Tientsin and Peking for three, four and seven years respectively. In June 1910 Dr. Chen went to America to receive higher education with private support. He immediately entered the Ohio Wesleyan University taking the course in Liberal Arts. There he graduated in 1911 with the degree of M. A. Between 1911 and 1913 he studied in the University of Michigan. In 1913 he entered the Boston University where he graduated in 1915 with the degree of Ph. D. the subject of his Director's dissertation being "development of the Customs House under the Ching Dynasty." Dr. Chen returned to China in January 1916. Shortly afterwards he was elected to be the editor of the Chinese Christian Advocate. In 1920 he was chosen as one of the delegates representing the Chinese Christians of the Methodist Church to the General Conference of that denomination held in Des Monies, Iowa, in May that year. In the winter of 1920 he was elected secretary of the department of Evangelism of the Centenary Movement of the Methodist Episcopal Mission, and during this time Dr. Chen has devoted his time to evangelistic work, visiting important centers of the Methodist Mission.
