Page 8 - Preservation for the Documentation of Chinese Christianity

C. The Division o f Social Service w ill take over the work of the
present Hong Kong Christian Welfare & R elie f Council.

The Christian Centre Committee and the United Christian Hospital
Committee w ill remain as 2 special committees.

Dr. S.C. Leung, Chairman o f the Council had made an effo rt to
summarize the consensus o f opinion o f members of the Council, and
presented a statement on the proposed Social Service Division o f
the Council. It stresses that as a promitional and coordinating
group, the Social Service Division should not take upon it s e lf the
direct responsibility of operating any social service projects. In
other words, the new Social Service Divsion should operate through
Christian agencies, because i t cannot at the same time both coordinate
and operate e ffe c tiv e ly .

Regarding the place of Church World Service in the new Division,
i t would bring a much closer relationship between that body and the
Hong Kong Christian Council, i t being suggested that the Director o f
the new Division and the Director o f Church World Service shall be
e x -o ffic io members of the Allocation Committee of the Social Service
Division. However, there are s t i l l some who fe e l that the Church
World Service might become an Operation Committee of the new Division,
so that the new Division may have both coordinating and operating
functions. It is believed that O fficers of both Hong Kong Christian
Council and the Hong Kong Christian Welfare & R elief Council w ill
continue to study the implications o f this proposal in order to find
a creative and harmonious resolution.

WORK OF STANDING COMMITTEES

1. Christian Citizenship Movement Committee

Owing to the over-crowded population and as a result o f in-
du strialization and urbanization, there has been a general deterioration
o f m orality among the people in Hong Kong. The old patterns o f fam ily
and community l i f e are breaking down; and new standards and Joyalties
are slow in emerging. This has caused great concern among some
Christian leaders. Christianshave a responsibility to work fo r the
betterment of society through th e ir fa ith , th eir e ffo rt and th eir
Christian influence.

For th is reason, the Hong Kong Christian Council f e lt the
necessity o f organizing a Christian Citizenship Movement Committee
in 1956 with the aim o f working fir s t among the Christians, in
order to draw the general attention of the people towards the
significance and respon sib ilities of being a citizen . Our personal
b e lie fs must lead to high ethical standards in community l i f e .

The objectives o f th is movement are:

1. To promote the study of social problems and of the
relevance o f the Christian fa ith towards th eir solution.

2. To strengthen the sense of respon sibility in the common
l i f e of the c ity .

3. To encourage join t action on the part o f churches,
Christian organizations and individuals in countering
particular social e vils .