Page 52 - Preservation for the Documentation of Chinese Christianity

The Chairperson’s Remarks

M r. S im o n P. K . S it

D u rin g 1 9 9 6 -9 7 , u n d e r th e g u id a n c e o f C o m m itte e , I w o u ld
G o d ’s g ra c io u s h a n d s, th e H o n g K o n g lik e to g iv e th a n k s to
C h ristia n C o u n c il e x p e rie n c e d y e t all th e s ta ff w h o h a v e
a n o th e r y e a r o f ste a d y p ro g re ss a n d w o rk e d so fe rv e n tly
d e v e lo p m e n t. W ith th e ac tiv e a n d lo y a lly fo r th e
p a rtic ip a tio n a n d s u p p o rt o f c h u rc h C o u n c il. M a y G o d
le a d e rs a n d b ro th e rs a n d siste rs in C h rist, ric h ly b le ss e a c h o f
th e C o u n c il w a s ab le to a c c o m p lish its th em .
ta sk s a n d p ro g ra m s sm o o th ly a n d fu lfil its
re s p o n sib ilitie s a c c o rd in g to th e T h e y e a r 1 9 9 6 -9 7 is a m e m o ra b le o n e,
C o u n c il’s o b je c tiv e s in se rv in g th e b e c a u se it c o v e rs th e p e rio d o f th e
c h u rc h e s an d th e c o m m u n ity . B e sid e s tra n sitio n o f th e re -u n ific a tio n . S ta rtin g
g iv in g th a n k s to o u r g ra c io u s G o d , w e fro m Ju ly 1, 1997, C h in a re s u m e d th e
w o u ld a lso lik e to e x te n d o u r d ee p e x e rc ise o f its s o v e re ig n ty in H o n g K o n g .
g ra titu d e to all th o se w h o h a v e A fte r m o re th a n 150 y e a rs o f B ritish
c o n tin u o u sly su p p o rte d a n d c o n trib u te d c o lo n ia l ru le , H o n g K o n g is n o w re le a s e d
to th e C o u n c il. W e h o p e th a t th ro u g h fro m su b je c tio n to c o lo n ia l
su c h c o o p e ra tio n , g re a te r jo in t e ffo rts w ill a d m in istra tio n a n d c h a n g e d to a S p e c ia l
b e s tim u la te d to fu rth e r th e w o rk o f th e A d m in istra tiv e R e g io n o f C h in a. T h is is
g o sp e l m in is try a n d th e e c u m e n ic a l u n d o u b te d ly a g re a t h isto ric a l m o m e n t fo r
d e v e lo p m e n t o f th e C o u n c il so th a t th e all o f u s in H o n g K o n g w h ic h a lso b rin g s
re s p o n sib ility in se rv in g th e c h u rc h a n d sp ec ia l g lo ry a n d jo y to all C h in e se
th e s o c ie ty w ill also b e stren g th en e d . p e o p le all o v e r th e w o rld . T h is is a lso th e
sp e c ia l m o m e n t fo r H o n g K o n g to
B e c a u se o f th e re -u n ific a tio n o f H o n g a d v a n c e o n to a n e w e ra in h isto ry .
K o n g w ith C h in a , th e w o rk lo a d o f th e
C o u n c il in c re a se d c o n sid e ra b ly . T h e re O n lo o k in g b a c k , w e m u s t g iv e o u r
w e re tw o m a jo r re a so n s: 1) S p ec ia l e v e n ts g ra te fu l th a n k s to G o d b e c a u s e H e h a s
a n d p ro g ra m s in re la tio n to th e re ­ d o n e w o n d e rfu l w o rk in H o n g K o n g .
u n ific a tio n w e re p ro m o te d , su c h as th e T h o u g h u n d e r c o lo n ia l a d m in istra tio n ,
G lo b a l P ra y e r C h a in a n d th e H o n g K o n g C h ristia n c h u rc h e s in H o n g K o n g h ad , in
C h ristia n s P ra y e r C o n v e n tio n ; 2 ) M a n y th e p ast, b e e n a ffo rd e d th e o p p o rtu n ity to
d e le g a tio n s a n d v isito rs fro m o v e rse as d e v e lo p th e ir w o rk ra p id ly . In th e p a st
p a id th e ir v isit to th e C o u n c il d u rin g th is o n e -a n d -a -h a lf c e n tu rie s, th e ch u rc h e s
tra n sitio n a l p e rio d . A ll th e se co n trib u te d h a v e b e e n g iv in g s ig n ific a n t
to th e e s p e c ia lly b u sy sc h e d u le o f th e
c o n trib u tio n s a n d se rv ic e to th e so c ie ty
C o u n c il. H o w e v e r, e v e ry th in g w e n t a n d th e p e o p le o f H o n g K o n g . B e sid e s
s m o o th ly w ith th e g o o d c o o p e ra tio n o f sp re a d in g th e g o sp el a n d e sta b lish in g
th e staff. O n b e h a lf o f th e E x e c u tiv e
c h u rc h e s, th e C h ristia n c o m m u n ity in

52