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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