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concerns: Evangelism among low-income people, Christian voice on public policies in conjunction
Mission to students, Concern for the Church in with other community-organizations.
China, Participation in public policy making and
Concern for public values. 3. Stronger ties with the Church in China.

An official report of the Consultation has been The Church in Hong Kong and in China are
( published and a book on the issues raised has been members of the same body. Both need to go the
published in August. way of self-reliance, taking seriously the necessity
for self-government, self-support and self-propaga­
The Consultation came to three major consensus tion.
points for mission in the 8 0 ’s .
Christians in Hong Kong in the 8 0 ，s must identify
1. Evangelism among low-income people. with Chinese culture and with its people. Only then
can we start bearing witness amongst our own.
By low-income people, we mean the 80% of the Therefore, the Consultation issues the call for close
population who live in public housing estates, ties with the Church in China on the basis of mutual
transit quarters and squatters, who work in factory respect.
assembly lines, whose lives for the most part have
nothing to do with Christian churches. C onsultation Follow up

Participants are emphatic in their conviction that in After the mission emphasis on the poor had
the 80，s，the churches in Hong Kong must focus emerged from the Consultation, several denomina­
their mission and evangelism resources on the poor, tions began its own internal process on the subject.
or we run the risk of duplicating the failure of the It has become a live and serious issue on church
churches in the west because of their indifference to agenda. The role of the Council is to facilitate this
the poor masses. discussion, and in practical ways, provide useful
tools for its implementation. The cumulative
The Consultation understands that a pre-condition experience of the Christian Industrial Committee
of evangelism among the poor is to hear and under­ has proved invaluable.
stand the cries of the poor, be willing to work with
them towards a just, responsive and humane Since the low-income sectors are gradually being
community. housed in outlying new towns such as Tsuen Wan,
Shatin, Tuen Mun and Taipo, the founding of bases
2. Christian participation in public policy making. for mission and evangelism in these areas is urgent.

The Consultation sees quite clearly that decision­ After several meetings with the Chief Secretary and
making in public policy is in the hands of a small the Secretary for Environment, we secure on behalf
group of top bureaucrats and business elites. of all the churches the right to hold religious
Regardless of their decision, they do not hold activities in school premises and community centres,
themselves accountable to the public. Hong Kong reduced land premium for that part of the land used
people have no constitutional and legal means to for worship purposes and for a parsonage space of
play any significant supervisory role. not more than 2,000 sq ft. These new provisions
It was agreed that the churches should provide create more favourable circumstances for the
education and counselling so that people and preaching of the gospel among low-income people.
, government will be more aware of their obligations,
\ and that through the participation of Christians and As for participation in public policy making,
\congregations, the Council should become a strong towards the end of the Consultation, delegates