Hong Kong

Jerry Pillay (General Secretary of UPCSA) joined us on this portion of our trip. Our official visit with Hong Kong Council of the Churches of Christ in China (HKCCCC) started with a meeting with the General Secretary Rev Eric So and his Associate Rev Bettsy Ng. We were introduced to the history life and work of the HKCCCC and taken on a tour of their General Assembly Office.

At 12 we proceeded to the Council of Churches in Hong Kong (Ecumenical Body). After this we went to the Council of Churches offices and were given an overview of their work. The Council of Churches raises funds from the public in Hong Kong and then do social work in mainland China.

On Wednesday evening Jerry and I addressed the youth of the HKCCCC. We shared a meal with them consisting of a variety of dishes from mini pork dum sum, steamed vegetables to pasta and mince.

I presented a talk about Apartheid and Jerry spoke about the work of the World Communion of Reformed Churches. The Youth Leaders gave a report on some of the activities they host for the young people in their churches. Our youth and theirs face so many of the same challenges.

The next day we went out to visit the Nethersole hospital. The Nethersole hospital was built in the late 1800′s by the London Missionary Society. When the hospital moved in the 1970′s it sold its building and prime property on Hong Kong Island for 100 million pounds!! 22.5% of the profit forms a mission fund which the HKCCCC can use and the rest went into the accounts of the London Missionary Society (now CWM).

The General Manager took us throughout the hospital and showed us their facilities. They are very careful about infection and we had to wear masks when going into a hospital ward. The hospital employs several chaplains to minister to the spiritual needs of the recovering patients. It was an inspiration when compared to some of our private hospitals where spiritual care is very rarely welcomed.

From the hospital we went on to the divinity school of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. There we met with members of the faculty and with the Director Professor Lo.  We spoke about possible partnerships between their faculty and the universities where our students train.

After lunch Jerry and I presented a lecture to the ministers of the HKCCCC. Jerry spoke on the mission strategy of the UPCSA and George spoke about reformed theology and polity today. About 20 ministers were in attendance. That meeting ended at 5.00pm. We were then taken by Mr Soo (a retired inspector of schools) for supper at the Jade Garden Restaurant. Mr Soo studied in the USA for several years as a young man and when he speaks English it is with a Michigan accent.

In the evening we attended the annual ordination service of ministers. In Hong Kong ministers are ordained on this one occasion in the year. The HKCCCC ordained 5 new ministers and set apart 12 probationer preachers of the gospel. It was a beautiful service conducted entirely in the local Chinese dialect. The three South Africans received headphones with a mobile transmitter and the entire service, including prayers was translated for us. We were given an English programme and we were able to sing the hymns in English while the congregation sang in Cantonese.

Sanctuary for Ordination

Laying on of hands

Our week concluded with a service at held at a local church in the New Territories. Rev So was the preacher and once again the "foreigners" were provided with headphones and a member of the congregation translated for us. The Church houses a nursery school and we were given a tour of this state of the art facility, complete with a small computer section.

Rev Eric So and minister and members of the Church