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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,
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