Page 44 - Preservation for the Documentation of Chinese Christianity
P. 44

were to be sent to all representatives of the Council.   exchange of information and ideas, etc.,  the Council
          After  the  meeting,  Mr.  Simon  Sit,  the  Rt.  Rev.   is   not   only   promoting   better   ecumenical
          Thomas  Soo,  Rev.  Dr.  Lo  Lung-kvvong  and  the   consciousness  and  implementation,  but  also
          General  Secretary  held  a  press  conference  with  a   assisting  the  ecumenical  communities  to  become
          large number of reporters.                    more aware of the context of 1997 in Hong Kong.

                                                        Invited  by  the  Council,  a  delegation  of  thirteen
          Hong      Kong      Christian     Prayer      members  of the  National  Council  of  Churches  of
          Convention                                    Christ,  USA  (NCCCUSA)  made  a  visit  to  Hong
                                                        Kong  from  November  3-8,  1995.  The  delegation
                                                        came  to  express  concern  and  support  for  the
          Initiated  by the  Council,  the Hong  Kong  Christian
                                                        churches  in  Hong  Kong  and  to  have  first-hand
          Prayer Convention will be held next year in May or
          June in the Hong Kong Stadium or the Hong Kong   knowledge  of the  situation  of  Hong  Kong.  The
                                                        delegation  made  broad  contact  with  churches,
          Coliseum  to  respond  to  the  historical  era  of  1997,
                                                        Christian  organizations  and  Legislative  Council
          to serve the Christians in Hong Kong, and to unite a
                                                        members.  The  Council  also  hosted  a  luncheon
          visible  community to witness  for God  to  the  Hong
                                                        gathering on November  7  in which members  of the
          Kong people.
                                                        delegation had an open dialogue with many church
                                                        leaders in Hong Kong, strengthening the ecumenical
          The  Convention  will  emphasize  4  important
                                                        tie.  The NCCCUSA will focus on Hong Kong and
          messages:  to  witness;  to take up  responsibility;  to
                                                        China as the theme of their mission study  program
          be with the people; and to pray for all the people in
                                                        for  96/97.  The  NCCCUSA  has  also  invited  the
          Hong  Kong and to  pray that  Christians  and  clergy
                                                        Hong  Kong  Christian  Council  to  send  a delegation
          will receive strength to serve God.
                                                        to  the  United  States  from  September  17-30,  1996.
                                                        In addition, the General Secretary was invited to be
          The  Hong  Kong  Christian  Prayer  Convention  is  a
          non-denominational gathering, not belonging to any   speaker and workshop leader of three major mission
          particular  church  or  organization.  It  will  register   conferences in the U.S.A.  in July and August  1996.
          with  the  Government,  using  the  Billy  Graham   These   were  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Global
          Convention as  a model,  and will  be  dissolved  after   Mission  Conference,  the  Presbyterian  Church
          the event.  Many clergy and lay  leaders of different   (USA)  Global  Mission  Conference  and  the
          denominations   have  already  participated  in  the   American  Baptist  World  Mission  Conference.  A
          preparatory  committee.  Twenty-one  of them  have   total  of  2,500  people  attended  these  conferences.
          been elected as executive members.  The committee   Prof.  Chen  Zemin  of  China  was  also  speaker  at
          will hire professional staff to promote the event.  It   these  conferences  which  helped  those  attending  to
          is  also  in  the  process  of  recruiting  committed   understand more about the  situation of Hong Kong
                                                        and China.
          Christian  and  church  leaders  to  serve  as  advisors
          and  of inviting  churches,  seminaries  and  Christian
          organizations  as  sponsors.  The  expenses  of  the   A  delegation  of  forty  members  from  the  United
          Convention will come from free-will offering.  Methodist  Church  in  Virginia,  USA  also  made  a
                                                        visit  to  Hong  Kong.   Mr.  Simon  Sit,  the
                                                        Chairperson,  Rev.  Judy  Chan  and  the  General
                                                        Secretary  met  with  the  delegation  on  October  9,
         Ecumenical Fellowship
                                                        1995  at  the  Kowloon  Union  Church.   Besides
                                                        introducing the work of the Council in facing  1997,
         As  1997 is coming closer, the Council’s relationship
                                                        opinions  were  exchanged  and  questions  were
         with  other  ecumenical  bodies  is  even  stronger.
                                                        answered.
         Through  mutual  visits,  conferences,  consultations,





                                                     44
   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49