Page 33 - Preservation for the Documentation of Chinese Christianity

General Secretary's Report

(September 2004 - August 2005)

R e v . E r ic S .Y . S o

I. A historical overview W e h a v e b e e n g iv e n th e m a n d a te o f p ro m o t-

in g C h ris tia n u n ity s in c e th e d a y w h e n H o n g K o n g
A t th e 2 0 0 4 A n n u a l G e n e ra l M e e tin g , w e c e l- C h ris tia n C o u n c il w a s fo u n d e d . O u r m e m b e rs h ip h a s
e b ra te d th e 5 0 th a n n iv e rs a ry o f H o n g K o n g C h ris - b e e n s lo w ly in c re a s in g in th e la s t fifty y e a rs , y e t th e
tia n C o u n c il. M e m b e rs , C h u rc h re p re s e n ta tiv e s a s re a lity is th e re a re m a n y c h a lle n g e s th a t w e s h o u ld
w e ll a s g u e s ts jo in e d u s to re jo ic e a n d g iv e th a n k s p a y m o re a tte n tio n to a s w e e x p lo re n e w m o d e ls o r
to G o d . A t th e S e r v ic e w e o ffe r e d o u r p r a y e r o f re fo rm s in th e w o rk o f e c u m e n is m .
th a n k s g iv in g to G o d , s a y in g : “ O L o rd , Y o u h a v e B e s id e s C h ris tia n u n ity , H o n g K o n g C h ris tia n
b e e n le a d in g th e H o n g K o n g C h ris tia n C o u n c il fo r C o u n c il h a s a ls o b e e n u s e d b y G o d a s a p ro p h e t to
th e p a s t fifty y e a rs . Y o u h a v e u s e d u s a s y o u r in - s t r iv e f o r s o c ia l j u s t ic e a n d a s a s e r v a n t f o r
s tru m e n t in th e m in is trie s o f C h ris tia n u n ity , s o c ia l re c o n c ilia tio n . T h ro u g h o u r m in is try , th e c ry o f th e
ju s tic e , a id a n d re lie f, m is s io n a n d e v a n g e lis m , a n d e x p lo ite d c o u ld b e h e a rd a n d th e u n d e rp riv ile g e d
in te r-fa ith d ia lo g u e . B y y o u r g ra c e a n d h e lp , w e h a v e c o u ld fin d a id .
b u ilt b rid g e s a m o n g C h u rc h e s a n d c o m m u n itie s . O A s a C h ris tia n e c u m e n ic a l b o d y in H o n g K o n g ,

G o d , w e g iv e o u r th a n k s .” w e u n d e rs ta n d w h a t C h u rc h e s a re c o n c e rn e d a b o u t.
It is n o d o u b t th a t m is s io n a n d tra in in g fo r e v a n g e -
lis m a re th e to p p r io r itie s . T h e C o u n c il h a s b e e n
d e v e lo p in g e d u c a tio n a n d p ro g ra m s fo r m is s io n a n d
tra in in g fo r e v a n g e lis m fo r C h u rc h p a s to rs a n d le a d -
e rs o f H o n g K o n g a n d m a in la n d C h in a a s w e ll.
W e a re liv in g in A s ia , a c o n tin e n t w h ic h is m u lti-
fa ith a n d w h e re e v e ry o n e s h o u ld le a rn to re s p e c t
e a c h o th e r . T h e C o u n c il b e lie v e s th a t th r o u g h
d ia lo g u e , p e o p le fro m d iffe re n t re lig io n s c a n u n d e r-
s ta n d e a c h o th e r m o re a n d m a y b u ild th e fo u n d a -
tio n o f c o o p e ra tio n . In fa c t, th e fo rm a tio n o f th e S ix
R e lig io u s L e a d e r s C o llo q u iu m (w ith H o n g K o n g
C h ris tia n C o u n c il a s o n e o f th e fo u n d in g m e m b e rs )
h a s p ro v e d th e s u c c e s s o f in te r - fa ith d ia lo g u e in
H o n g K o n g . It a ls o h a s g a in e d th e a p p re c ia tio n fro m
HKCC 50th Anniversary Celebration th e s o c ie ty fo r w h a t th e y h a v e c o n trib u te d .

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