Page 24 - Preservation for the Documentation of Chinese Christianity

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3. Committee_on Missionary Orientation and Language Study

In general, the orientation of new missionaries has traditionally
been handled by the senior missionary of the denomination involved.
However, increasingly it has been felt that this job should be
undertaken by the "receiving” churches. Further, it has been agreed
that the venture should be shared by the local churches jointly
through the Hong Kong Christian Council. These factors led to
the appointment of the Committee on Missionary Orientation and
language Study.

The Committee hopes to help new missionaries to have a better
understanding of the people of Hong Kong and their society.
Further, it hopes to offer some guidance in language study, toward
the aim of joint coordination and uniformity, and to assist in
the study of Chinese culture as a whole. Finally, the Committee
wants to help new arrivals from mission bodies to have a closer
relationship with the local churches.

However, the traditional way of doing things, i.e, having
senior mission personnel handle the problem and allowing them
to do so on the part of local churches, has created a situation
in which very little interest in the purposes of the Committee
can be generated. We did not seem to got much response and
cooperation from the different missionary groups here, and
certainly very little "link " with the sending churches. Therefore,
thus far it has been almost impossible to start planning any
oritntation programme.

Nevertheless, we have sent a questionnaire together with
request to all member churches and missions offices in Hong Kong
suggesting that a list of names of missionaries and their special
jobs here be given in, and also the names of the senior missionaries
responsible for their own groups.

We have gathered some useful information and ideas from the
questionnaires returned and wo are in the process of arranging a
Missionary night for the first term missionaries for the purpose
of sharing ideas and expectations so as to help clarify what is
desirable and what is practicable. This will be held on 29th
May, 1968 at 8:00 p.m . at the Christian Centre.

4 . Committe e for a United Christian Hospital

The development of the United Christian Hospital project has
not progressed as rapidly as was hoped because of capital funds
problems. Further design development has occurred, but the primary
thrust of effort has been toward working out the capital funds
requirements.

The United Nations High Commissioner has been informed about
this hospital and has responded that this project is obviously
a most valuable one and will serve an extremely important need in
Hong Kong, and he is prepared to endorse the need of the hospital
project to potential donors.

We are grateful to oversea's mission groups in North America
and United Kingdom for committing very substantial funds for this
project during this past year. We are pleased to report that we
have succeeded in becoming listed by the German Central Agency
for US$1.5 million; the grant of this amount is now pending final
approval by the German Government. With the growing feeling
overseas that Hong Kong must carry an increasingly larger financial
responsibility for provision of its community services, we have
come to realise that we must look to Hong Kong Sources for a
large portion of capital funds. One aspect will be a local fund-
raising drive to be started very soon now at which time we hope
to be able to raise approximately HK$1 million, hopefully with
the churches taking the lead.