Page 17 - Preservation for the Documentation of Chinese Christianity

APPENDIX II

AVEC OVERVIEW - 1963-1973

Audio Visual Evangelism Committee (AVEC) began in January 1956.
It was formed by a cooperative group of church workers and
missionaries who felt the need of sharing resources. They pooled
their films, filmstrips and slide sets which could be used in
the evangelistic and educational work of the Christian Church
in Hong Kong. They also pooled equipment such as projectors,
screens and recorders.

The first central office was located at the Evangelical Lutheran
Church headquarters on Granville Road, Kowloon. Mr. David Ling
was hired as a full-time projectionist and maintenance man. He
was assisted by students from the College Student Work Projects
and b y .part-time staff. Eventually the office was moved to a
small office and workshop in the Chinese YMCA on Waterloo Road.

In 1 959 the possibility of beoming involved in the South East
Asia Radio Voice (SEARV) project of programming for the mainland
was presented by Dr. Henry Mack of the Philippines National ：
Council radio station DYSR. The Rev. Sterling Whitener was
released, by the Church of Christ in China to give one third time
as radio secretary of AVEC while the Rev. Charles Reinbrecht
served as the AV secretary. A studio was built at Morrison
Center.
AVEC's radio involvement was furthered by a survey of interest
in Chinese short-wave programming done in 196 1 • At the request
of AVEC through its chairman the Rev. Chester Y a n g , the Rev.
Thomas W . Lung was transferred from the National Council of
Churches in t he Philippines to Hong Kong to work with the radio
involvement of AVEC. He was to assist a Chinese director.
However the negotiations for this person failed and M r . Lung
was asked to become Executive Director of the total AVEC
programme of v isual aids and broadcasting.

Beginning in 1963, AVEG became directly involved in the Religious
Advisory Committees for Broadcasting and TV set up by the Director
of Broadcasting, M r . Donald Brooks. Thus AVEC's broadcasting
concerns were both local and shortwave, over Radio Hong Kong and
over SEARV. This year of 1963 also saw the combining of the two
departments at one address - 191 Prince Edward Road. The final
move of the office came in 1967, when together with the General
Office of the Christian Council, the Hong Kong Christian Service
and the Chinese Christian Literature Council, AVEC moved to the
Metropole offices at 57 Peking Road.

The Film Library is AVEC's oldest department. In 1956 the pooling
of resources established a library of 56 sound films and 220
filmstrips. Over the years this library has increased until now
there are 700 films and 650 filmstrips. One of the important
things of the film library has been the magnastiping of the
films so as to add a completely new sound track in Chinese.