Page 53 - Preservation for the Documentation of Chinese Christianity
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H o n g K o n g h a s also b e e n d e e p ly are d e te rm in e d to m a in ta in clo se c o n ta c t
in v o lv e d in su c h area s o f w o rk as w ith th e m in a c c o rd a n c e w ith th e “ T h re e
e d u c a tio n , m e d ic a l se rv ic e a n d so cial M u tu a l P rin c ip le s” , n a m e ly , m u tu a lly
w e lfar夕 , a n d b e e n p ro v id in g a w id e n o n -su b o rd in a tin g to e a c h o th er, m u tu a lly
sp e c tru m o f se rv ic e s to th e p e o p le o f n o n -in te rfe rin g in to e a c h o th e r’s b u sin e ss
H o n g K o n g in th e se a reas. T h e re fo re , a n d m u tu a lly re sp e c tin g e a c h o th er.
a fte r th e re -u n ific a tio n , w ith th e
a v a ila b ility o f m u c h g re a te r e c o n o m ic In th e se c o n d d o c u m e n t — C h u rc h U n ity
a n d m a n p o w e r re so u rc e s * fro m th e D e c la ra tio n , w e ex p re ss o u r e a rn e st
C h in e se h in te rla n d , I am ce rta in th a t th e e x p e c ta tio n o f a p p ro a c h in g to w a rd s
C h ristia n c o m m u n ity in H o n g K o n g w ill c h u rc h u n ity in th is n e w era. W e fe e l th a t
b e a b le to d o m o re in se rv in g th e so c ie ty c h u rc h u n ity is th e m o st im p o rta n t ta s k o f
a n d p e o p le o f H o n g K o n g . S im ila rly , th e C h ristia n c o m m u n ity in H o n g K o n g
th ro u g h p ro m o tin g c lo s e r lin k s w ith th e in o rd e r to c o n so lid a te th e sp irit o f c o
c h u rc h a n d g o v e rn m e n t o rg a n iz a tio n s in o p e ra tio n a n d stre n g th e n th e c o n se n su s
th e m a in la n d , I b e lie v e it is also p o ssib le fo r u n ity a m o n g th e ch u rc h e s. T h e re fo re ,
fo r u s to ta k e a m o re a c tiv e p a rt in m a k in g th e C o u n c il w o u ld w o rk to g e th e r w ith its
jo in t e ffo rts w ith th e C h ristia n m e m b e r c h u rc h e s to a c tiv e ly p ro m o te
c o m m u n itie s in th e m a in la n d to se rv e th e c h u rc h u n ity a n d to e n d e a v o u r to a c h ie v e
s o c ie ty a n d p e o p le in th e m a in lan d . “ V isib le U n ity ” as its p rim a ry ta rg e t. B y
“ V isib le U n ity ” , it is m e a n t to a c h ie v e th e
A s re g a rd s th e re -u n ific a tio n issu e , th e b a sic g o a ls o f m u tu a l re c o g n itio n o f
E x e c u tiv e C o m m itte e p re se n te d tw o m e m b e rsh ip , c o m m u n io n , a n d d o c trin a l
d e c la ra tio n s to re fle c t th e C o u n c il’s issu e s a m o n g d iffe re n t d e n o m in a tio n s.
s ta n d in g a n d o p in io n s in re sp o n se to W e h o p e th a t th ro u g h m a k in g c o n c re te
e x p e c ta tio n s o n th e m a tte r. A c c o rd in g to e ffo rts in p o sitiv e ly p ro m o tin g c h u rc h
th e 1997 H a n d o v e r D e c la ra tio n , w e u n ity , m o m e n tu m c a n b e a c h ie v e d to
a ffirm th a t w e a re p ro u d o f re g a in in g o u r c o n so lid a te th e stre n g th o f th e C h ristia n
C h in e se id e n tity , an d w e re so lu te ly c o m m u n ity in o rd e r to w itn e ss to g e th e r
c o m m it o u rse lv e s to o v e rc o m e all fo r C h rist a n d b u ild u p th e B o d y o f C h rist
o b sta c le s in o rd e r th a t w e c a n e sta b lish a as o n e w h ile m o v in g h a n d -in -h a n d
s o c ie ty o f ju s tic e a n d p e a c e a n d o n e o f to w a rd s th e 2 1 st C e n tu ry . M a y th e L o rd
p ro s p e rity a n d sta b ility , a n d th a t w e can c o n tin u e to b le ss th e C h u rc h a n d
c o n trib u te to o u r p e o p le a n d n a tio n in C h ristia n s in H o n g K o n g th a t th e y m a y
a c c o rd a n c e w ith o u r a b ility , co n sc ie n c e re c e iv e g re a te r p o w e r a n d stre n g th to
a n d faith . W e a re d e te rm in e d to su p p o rt w itn e ss an d g lo rify th e L o rd in th is n e w
th e e sta b lish m e n t o f th e H o n g K o n g era. A lso m a y th e b le s s in g o f th e L o rd b e
S p e c ia l A d m in is tra tiv e R e g io n u n d e r th e a b u n d a n tly u p o n th e C o u n c il th a t it m a y
p rin c ip le s o f o n e c o u n try tw o sy ste m s, sta n d ste a d fa stly in to d a y ’s n e w
H o n g K o n g p e o p le g o v e rn in g H o n g e n v iro n m e n t, c a rry in g o u t its m issio n an d
K o n g , a n d th e e x istin g so cial, e c o n o m ic re sp o n sib ilitie s lo y ally .
a n d leg al sy ste m s re m a in in g u n c h a n g e d
fo r 50 y e a rs. In re g a rd to o u r re la tio n sh ip
w ith c h u rc h e s in th e C h in a m a in la n d , w e
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