Page 55 - Preservation for the Documentation of Chinese Christianity

historic m om ent. H ong K ong has becom e T he C ouncil also prom oted the “ G lobal
the focal point for the m ass m edia. O ne o f P rayer C hain’’， appealing to churches all
the top concerns has to do w ith religious over the w orld to pray for H ong K ong and
freedom after 1997. D uring the past year, C hina w ith a list o f ten prayer requests.
m ore than 100 journalists, diplom ats, T he response w as sim ply overw helm ing
senators and congressm en from m any from m ore than 700 churches,
countries m et w ith m em bers o f the C ouncil denom inations, national councils,
during their visits in H ong K ong. T hese fellow ship groups and individual C hristians,
international contacts and dialogues representing 43 countries around the w orld.
facilitated these visitors a better T hese genuine expressions o f love and
understanding o f the H ong K ong reality. concerns in prayer have touched C hristians
in H ong K ong and helped us to experience
T he 1997 events also encouraged the that w e are one fam ily in C hrist!
C ouncil to have m ore m utual exchange
activities and fellow ship w ith churches and T he G eneral S ecretary w as invited to
organizations o f m any parts o f the w orld, participate as speaker, B ible study and
including the C hurch in m ainland C hina. w orkshop leader in three G lobal M ission
T hrough these events, the C ouncil has C onferences July 17 to A ugust 10，1996,
played a m ore im portant role in the including the A m erican E vangelical
ecum enical m ovem ent, w ith a thankful L utheran C hurch G lobal M ission
heart. I w ould like to share w ith m y C onference in A ugustana C ollege, S outh
brothers and sisters the program s and D akota; the P resbyterian C hurch (U SA )
activities o f the C ouncil for the past year. G lobal M ission C onference in M ontreat,
N orth C arolina; and the A m erican B aptist
THE 42nd ANNUAL GENERAL C hurch W orld M ission C onference in
MEETING G reen L ake, W isconsin. A ll these three
conferences w ere related to the M ission
T he 42nd A G M w as held on O ctober 25, study program on The Enduring Church -
1996 at the C hinese Y M C A . A reception Christians in China and Hong Kong
w as provided b y the host p rior to the coordinated by the N ational C ouncil o f
m eeting. Rt. R ev. T hom as Soo, H onorary C hurches o f C hrist, U S A . A total o f
S ecretary o f the C ouncil, w as the preacher. 2,500 participated in these three
A nnual reports w ere given by M r. Sim on conferences.
Sit, the C hairperson and the G eneral
Secretary. T he 95/96 financial report and R ev. Lee C hing-chee, R ev. L incoln L eung
the budget for 97/98 w ere presented by M r. and the G eneral S ecretary accepted the
M ak H ing-cheung, the H onorary T reasurer, N C C C U S A ^ invitation to visit the U nited
and adopted. T he F innish M issionary States on b e h a lf o f H K C C , S eptem ber 1 7 -
S ociety w as accepted as m em ber o f the 30, 1996. T he visit included Seattle,
C ouncil w ith w arm w elcom e. W ashington; D es M oines, Iow a; N ew Y ork;
W ashington D .C ., and H arrisburg,
P ennsylvania, m eeting w ith church leaders
ECUMENICAL FELLOWSHIP and laity, discussing issues related to 1997,
church unity, future o f the church, church
T he C ouncil has alw ays considered m ission, etc. T he U .S. visit has
ecum enical relationship w ith other strengthened ecum enical cooperation and
churches and C hristian organizations as one m utual understanding and concerns
o f its priorities. D ue to the 597 issue, betw een H ong K ong and the U nited States.
churches around the w orld have expressed D uring the visit, m any A m erican C hristians
sincere concerns w hich have even and churches expressed strong support for
strengthened the ecum enical tie. T hrough our C o u n cil’s “G lobal P rayer S h a in ” .
m utual visits and com m unication, churches
from oth er parts o f the w orld cam e to a “T he B iblical Prints o f Sadao W atanabe”
b etter understanding o f H ong K ong facing A rt E xhibition w as held on S eptem ber 20-
the 1997 reality. 26, 1996 at the Y M C A o f H ong K ong.

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