Page 28 - Preservation for the Documentation of Chinese Christianity

Chairperson’s Remarks

Rt. Rev. Dr. Thomas Soo

7 therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been
called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to
maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the
one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through
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all and in all. But each of us was given grace according to the measure of C hrist’gift.，（phesians 4:1-7)
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As I see it from a broad perspective, the view of the traditional church reaffirms the church being ‘ne, holy,
catholic and apostolic’We believers are united in the Lord, sharing the same faith, identity, hope and mission. We

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believe that Jesus is our Saviour, disseminate the gospel of peace, testify to the love of the Lord, serve the community,
transform lives and re-energize the world. Christians of every denomination are brothers and sisters. It is our
obligation to be open to one another, engage in dialogue, challenge, cherish and learn from one another. Brushing
aside our differences but emphasizing our commonalities, we shall be partners sharing goodwill, confidence, care
and respect in our mission to make known His glory, joining together to bring blessings to society and reaping the
same spiritual fruit.

The Ecumenical Movement is a spiritual expedition full of hope. In mutual appreciation and prayers, we have
discovered the grace of the Lord and His good intent among believers and faith groups. Christians, united in the
same spirit of Christ, are instrumental in the L ord's peace and healing in constructing a platform for justice and
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compassion among those who suffer to bear witness to the consolation of the L ord’presence. I was H K CC’

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delegate to the Ninth Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Brazil, whose theme this year was 'God, in
Your Grace, Transform the W orld’ Experiencing first-hand the power of ecumenism and marvelling at brothers

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and sisters living in harmony, we shared issues of mutual concern through discussion and prayer, which was truly
inspiring. The close fellowship and exchanges in our life experience prompted us to examine the situation of
humankind and call upon the world to convert and revive, in the hope that people would raise their quality of life

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by returning to the original plan of G od’creation and salvation.

In the past year, HKCC reviewed our role, mission and commitment. We continued our witness as prophet
and servant with hope to bring the Lord's grace and blessings to believers, the church and society at large. Commit­
tee members under the leadership of respective chairpersons worked diligently in our various ministries. I truly
appreciate their efforts. Details of HKCC programs will be found in the General S ecretary’report, so I will not

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duplicate them here. However, I would like to highlight a few programs in particular by pointing out that the
Airport Chaplaincy under the Church Unity and Relations Ministry has been highly acclaimed; Five Loaves and
Two Fish under the Sharing and Church Witness Ministry received the most donations ever in its history; Mission

and M inisterial Formation Ministry delivered many excellent training programmes; and the Justice and Social

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