Page 36 - Preservation for the Documentation of Chinese Christianity

To promote concerted action in social 2. C om m ission on M ission and
concern, last year the Unity Committee Theology
responded to the 1986 International Year of
The Commission has been exchanging
Peace by initating the Friends of Peace Move­ views regarding topical issues of the Church.
ment. By the publication of newsletters,
educational courses and a little concert called This year, the Commission has assisted the re­
‘‘Gather to Sing for Peace", Christians were organization of the "Message" Editorial
Committee and set the editorial policy.
encouraged to be concerned for the peace of
the world by various channels.A prayer meeting
was also arranged to pray for the situation in
South Africa.
3. Commission on Public Policy
All members of the 1986-87 Unity Commit­ The Commission was set up in 1981 to
tee, except one, are new. Two members have respond to one of the needs identified by the
also withdrawn at different times because of Church Mission Consulation of the 80's, viz. to
personal reasons. The Committee has concer­ participate in the formulation of public policy.
trated on promoting some conventional work, For the past six years, the Commission has
such as the "Week of Prayer for Christian been active in promoting social concern within
Unity", and the Clergy and Ministers' Chinese the Hong Kong Church. The meritorious
New Year's Gathering. The former includes the services it has rendered are generally recogniz­
provision of the Ecumenical Communion ed and admired by society. Their pioneering
Service and Breadfast Fellowship, and English- experience and wisdom accumulated in the
speaking service, and an 8-day series of past will certainly be an invaluatble asset to the
devotional material. Further, a united statement Hong Kong Church in the years to come.
has been issued with the Diocesan Ecumenical
Commission of the Catholic church. The preceding session of the Commission
has allied with other bodies to form the "Joint
Coalition for the Shelving of the Daya Bay
The Council has been maintaining a good Nuclear Power Plant” and also the ‘'Action
and co-operative relationship with the Catholic Group of Christians Concerned with the Daya
Church. Besides the setting up of the
Bay Nuclear Power Plant". In early September,
Ecumenical Joint Committee on Development,
the Group organized an Overnight Vigil and
two representatives were sent by the Catholic submitted its views to the Omelco to urge the
Church to participate in the Unity Committee in Government to sheve the Project in accordance
the past. However, since the Executive
with the wishes of the Puolic.
Committee resolved that members of commit­
tees must be Council members' representatives, In early October, the Commission met the
the Catholic Church can no longer send their Omelco's Committee on Constitutional Affairs
representatives to serve on the Committee. This to submit its opinions on the future political
proved to be a loss to the Council. I therefore system of Hong Kong and made an appeal to
take this opportunity to express my deepest churches to be concerned about the develop­
gratitude and appreciation to the Catholic ment of Hong Kong's political structure. In
Church for the support and participation they addition, the Commission sponsored a seminar
rendered to the unity concern and work of the on Christians and the Development of the
Council. Political System to inquire into the future
direction for Hong Kong's Political System and
Christians' response. In early November, the

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