Page 10 - Preservation for the Documentation of Chinese Christianity

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The Hong Kong Christian Council was established in 1954. Its
membership is by Denomination, Association or Mission. It now has
a membership of 22 major church bodies and Christian organizations
(12 Churches, 6 Christian Organizations and 4 Missions). Hong Kong
Christian Council members represent 75% of the total Protestant
Church membership in Hong Kong.

As a member of the Commission of World Mission and Evangelism -
World Council of Churches, the World Council on Christian Education
and the East Asia Christian Conference, the purposes of the Council
are:
1. To develop closer fellowship among the various Christian bodies
in Hong Kong.
2. To bring about better understanding and more effective
co-operation in their work.
3. To promote the welfare of the Christian community.
A. To take such common action as may be necessary on matters
affecting the religious, moral and social life of the community.
3. To maintain contacts with ecumenical bodies abroad.

The activities of the Council have generally developed satisfactorily
during the year under review. Work of the Council is at present being
carried on by four Divisions, four Auxiliary Organizations, eight
standing Committees and five Special Committees.

The Church itself faces the task of discovering its new role in
the highly industrialized, rapidly changing and booming society of
Hong Kong.

The Executive Committee of the Council at its February 1969 meeting
examined and agreed that the following were selected as the most
important tasks of the Council:
1. Joint Planning and joint action.

2. Closer relations to local churches.
3 . Youth and students.

4. Leadership in social issues.
5 . Information source and public relations.
6. Lay training.
7. Industrial mission.

8. Evangelism.
9. Church union.
10. Consultation.

11. Relationships to mainland churches.
12. Theological task.
A significant development in the churches in Hong Kong concerns
the increasing relationships with Roman Catholics. Roman Catholics
now sit on a number of Protestant committees. There is increasing
cooperation and consultation about issues of mutual interest. It
appears, however, that there have not been many Protestants invited
to serve on Catholic committees, although there has been significant
Protestant representation at recent Roman Catholic Conferences. It is
noteworthy that upon the retirement of Bishop Bianchi, Bishop Hsu, a
Chinese churchman, was named to be the new Bishop of the Roman Catholic
Church in Hong Kong.

There is a growing conviction among leaders of the Churches that
some definite move towards church union must be made. Informal
conversations are being held between the Sheng Kung Hui (Anglican Church),
the Chinese Methodist Church and the Church of Christ in China. There
are plans within the Council for broader conversations on the issue.
This will be covered in later reports.