Page 11 - Preservation for the Documentation of Chinese Christianity

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B. Work of Standing Committees (Cont’d)

4. Industrial Committee
We are still groping in the dark in this field, but are conscious of
God’s call to service here. A series of lectures and discussions was
arranged, providing both information and stimulation while we were facing
our own problems. Rev. Wong Tsok, Minister of the Hong Kong Chinese
Methodist Church, gave a talk on ’Industrial Training Centres in England,
(Mr. S. Y. Lee, our Secretary, was able to follow this up in England,
making a special appointment to see the Rev. William Gowland of the Luton
Industrial Centre.) The second lecture was presented by the Rev. L. Stumpf,
Director of the Lutheran World Service. His topic was 'Industrial Labour
Problems in Hong Kong'. The third lecture was given by the Rev. R.
Whitehead of the Church of Christ in China. His topic was 'Difficulties of
the Foreigner in Identifying himself with the Industrial Community’.
Mr. Robert Wan, the former Chairman, who came back from Canada after a
year’s training spoke on, 'Impression of industrial evangelism work in
the west'. He expressed his personal viewpoint on this and emphasized
the need of training leaders. At the end of the year two distinguished
visitors came to deliver talks and to lead the discussions. They were
Professor Dr. Masao Takenaka, Professor in Social Ethics in the School
of Theology at Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan. His talk and the ensuing
discussion were printed in No. 9 of the Industrial News Sheet. We were
also very fortunate to have Miss E. M. Batten, Principal of the William
Temple College, who came here to lead the Seminar on ’Industry, Society
and Responsibility’. She was especially invited to talk to the Industrial
Committee and to express her viewpoint. Her talk will be reported in the
first publication of 1962. During the year it was thought advisable to
print the same material both in the Chinese and English News Sheets.

What effect these publications have is hard to measure; but interested
people write and ask questions; and there have been requests for reprinting
.... so we take courage.

On April 3rd, 1962, the Committee sponsored a study Conference held
at the Christian Service Centre in Tsun Wan, a new Industrial Area. The
aim of the Conference at this initial stage, was to get together church
workers who are concerned about the role of the Church in this area, thus
trying’ to improve relationships between the church, workers, and factory
managements through this discipline of common study, and to arouse an
awareness of the church’s responsibility in an industrial society.

Some thirty church workers attended the Conference. The theme for
the day was "The Church’s Responsibility in an Industrial Society". After
the presentation of the theme, a visit to the South Sea Textile Manu-
facturing Co. was arranged for the participants to experience the real
industrial life. There w ere enthusiastic discussions and any valuable
m
proposals were made.

From these consultations we hope to mould our plans as to what to
do and how to do it.

5. Christian Education Committee
There is nothing more evident to the discerning observer than the
fact that Christian education is a part of the Church and Christian
Institutions' total programme which has many facets. For this reason
the Hong Kong Christian Council resolved at its 6th Executive Committee
meeting to create a Standing Committee on Christian Education aiming to
help churches to meet their challenge and the need in this changing
world. The Committee is concerned with the growth of persons of all
ages towards Christian maturity and with total effort of church, school
and home to assist that growth.

During the year, the Committee has nominated Dr. Timothy Chow and
Rev. David Lew as our delegates to attend the Third World Institute on
Christian Education to be held in July 9-20, 1962 in Belfast, N. Ireland.