4th Quarter 2010

English Quarterly Newsletter

HONG KONG CHRISTIAN COUNCIL 33 Granville Road, Tsimshatsui, Kowloon, . Tel: (852) 2368-7123 Fax: (852) 2724-2131 e-mail: [email protected] Website: http://www.hkcc.org.hk Editor:Judy Chan

Po Kam-cheong

From the end of 2010 to the start of 2011 with the release of Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, the announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize to Mr. Liu Xiaobo, and the death of Mr. Szeto Wah, my heart has experienced feelings of joy and sadness. All three of these persons have been seeking peace and democracy in society and all have paid a heavy price. But still they can persist on unfailingly. What they have done is very precious and they are like a light to humanity.

For the democracy movement of Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi sacrificed her personal freedom and was separated from her family. She was under house detention for a very long time, but still she did not have any regrets about what she did. She sought peaceful ways to transform the society and nation and has become a model and inspiration to many people.

Liu Xiaobo sought the democratization and maturity of because of love, not hatred. He was put in prison many times and remains imprisoned. But still he did not change his principles. He is also very admirable.

Szeto Wah contributed to Hong Kong’s education sector and the whole society. He was very serious about taking up responsibility. People from different political parties in Hong Kong also expressed their deep respect. His contribution to three influential bodies – the Professional Teachers’ Union, the Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, and the Democratic Party – was known by all. Even at the end of his life, he still remembered the concerns affecting the public rather than his own personal needs.

In the same way, since the road to church unity and seeking the values of the Kingdom of God is still far away, we also require effort and persistence to carry on. For example, from the beginning at the Edinburgh 1910 mission conference, the ecumenical movement has a history of more than 100 years. The establishment of the World Council of Churches also has history of more than 60 years. During this time,

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on the one hand, the unity of the church has made some progress. On the other hand, for some church traditions, the differences in theological thinking, church order, and understanding of mission that separate the churches have become bigger, not smaller. How do we overcome these kinds of obstacles? We need to have faith in the unity of the church and unfailing persistence, believing that church unity is the command and desire of our Lord.

In November - December 2010, I attended two meetings concerning church unity. One was the Global Christian Forum (Asia Region) in Seoul. The other was in Bangkok – the 5th meeting of the Asian Movement for Christian Unity. These two meetings had delegates from the Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church, mainline churches, Evangelicals and Pentecostals. Some of the participants expressed their opinions and said they only reflected a minority in their own tradition. Still they are willing to give their time, energy and talents to promote church unity. The church needs more people that are willing to do more for Christian unity.

Hong Kong churches often are most concerned about the development of their own church. This is a good thing. But if the local church is too self-centered, then the theological perspective will become very narrow. Then they will not care about things that happen outside the church. Some churches even view other churches as their competitors. Sometimes they will attack other churches, and they will not cooperate with others in their programs. So the spirit of Christian unity cannot be expressed in these churches. Different denominations or members from different churches also cannot build up the integral relationships we have as the one body of Christ. The situation or needs of churches in mainland China and the deaths of Christian worshippers in the church in Alexandria, Egypt also cannot enter into the agenda of this kind of church.

In the eyes of the Lord, Christians in different parts of the world are in reality different parts of the same body of Christ. When one Christian suffers, we also suffer. When one local church rejoices, we also rejoice. After 1997, the church in Hong Kong has closer contacts with churches in mainland China. So we should share with each other, build each other up and be more positive in the future.

It is easy to travel to Hong Kong as we are in a strategic location and one of the busiest hubs in Asia and the world. We should pick up the responsibility as a bridge so people may come together, share together and pray for each other. The church in Hong Kong has a very special role in the Asian context and world ecumenical movement. Are we willing to take up this role?

The road to unity needs our persistence. In the year 2011, I hope that we will make a firm commitment to work for the unity of the church and all the world.

Rev. Po Kam-cheong is the General Secretary of the Hong Kong Christian Council.

2 4th Quarter 2010 HKCC News

An alternative Christian Halloween celebration was sponsored by the Women’s Ministry Working Group of HKCC. The event was titled “Jesus Win” and took place at The Salvation Army Tin Ka Ping School on October 30, 2010. The program included dance, hymn singing, magic performance, drama, African drums and ‘angel’ catwalk. Rev. Dr. Li Ping-kwong was Angel catwalk the guest speaker. Over 300 students and parents attended the Saturday event, which was designed to give children a proper understanding and attitude about Halloween. Sharing by Rev Dr Li Ping Kwong In order to support the international campaign against the death penalty launched by a Catholic group called The Community of Sant’Egidio, HKCC joined the campaign ‘Cities for Life • Cities without Death Penalty’ on November 30, 2010. That night from 6:00pm to midnight, all participating churches and organizations switched on the light to urge people to reflect on the precious value of life and the cruelty of the death penalty.

Over the past four years HKCC along with other Christian NGOs organized an annual Ecumenical Summer Institute in June and July. The purpose is to bridge the gap between Christian social movements and Christian churches and to develop a new generation of leadership who can benefit from the rich tradition and experience of the ecumenical movement. With God’s blessing, the first four Ecumenical Summer Schools were successfully conducted. In order to let others know more about this program, the sponsoring bodies published a book “Sowing the seeds - Reviewing the Experience of the Ecumenical Summer Institute from 2007-2010” to share the experience with churches. The book is written in Chinese and available from HKCC.

The 2011 World Day of Prayer will be held on March 5 (Saturday) at 3 p.m. at HKSKH All Saints’ Cathedral, No. 11, Pak Po Street, Mongkok. The speaker will be Rev. Chan Tak-Cheong, Wilson of Kowloon Methodist Church. The liturgy is prepared by the World Day of Prayer Committee of Chile. The service will be conducted in with simultaneous interpretation into English. All are welcome!

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www.hkcs.org Hong Kong Christian Service

A New Counselling Centre for Substance Abusers

Due to the complication of drug problems in Hong Kong in the recent decade, different types of drug addicts are emerging. They are confronted by various kinds of temptations, challenges and needs and characterised by distinctive drug-taking patterns and beliefs. In response to this phenomenon, a new counselling centre for substance abusers operating in a novel service delivery model was set up in Shamshuipo by Hong Kong Christian Service on 1 October 2010. This new model is named ‘Anti-drug Stratified Intervention Model’ (SIM).

The Spirit of Hong Kong people — Help Each Other, Support One Another

In order to lessen negative sentiments in the community and encourage families to do good together, HKCS under the sponsorship of Hong Kong Life Insurance Limited organised a “HKL - HK Heart” scheme. The programme ran from July till December. The aim is to promote a spirit of “Help Each Other, Support One Another” so that Hong Kong people may become “People with Kind Hearts”. Events included a “Hugging Marathon”, a lecture titled “Kind Heart Does Kind Deeds” for students and a “Walkathon for Righteous People”. Five most touching stories were awarded prizes for promoting kind hearts and kind deeds.

Make our Children the Angels of Hope

To help build children’s character and develop a caring heart for the needy, HKCS has launched the “Angel of Hope Programme”. Any children aged 13 or below are welcome to participate via their schools or organisations that joined the programme. The contents include: volunteer work and a small monthly donation (HK$20 per child), media education workshop, money management workshop and sharing opportunities. On top of the Kid Plan, a Family Plan is also available for children joining together with their parents. The programme is fully supported by the Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited.

New Development of Mainland China Social Service Project

HKCS Mainland China Social Service Project has launched a training package to meet the high demand for professional social work training. The package consists of three areas: social service agency management; social work professional supervision; and theory and practice in various service fields. The Project is also going to launch a website – “chinasocialwork.net” to promote exchange and professional development within China. You are welcome to visit the website, either to contribute your ideas and thoughts in the interactive zone or to make use of the resources column.

4 4th Quarter 2010 Donors’ Night for Rebuilding Collapsing Schools Project WONG Fook Yee Rebuilding Collapsing Schools Project (the project) is one of the most successful programmes of the Hong Kong Christian Council. In the past years, some 600 schools have been rebuilt in more than 15 provinces in China. Most of these schools are located in remote rural areas. Their school premises were either in a dereliction or have become unsafe to be used.

More than a thousand donors have been involved in supporting the school rebuilding project. In order to express our gratitude Mr Leung Kee Cheong, HKCC Chairperson Bishop Dr Nicholas Tai, Dr Rebecca Lee, to these donors, a special thanks-giving dinner was organized Mr Lam Chiu Ying by the Project Committee of the Hong Kong Christian Council on 12 November, 2010. Over 200 donors and their friends attended the dinner, which was held in the Crystal Ballroom of The Cityview, Chinese YMCA at Waterloo Road, Kowloon.

It was a remarkable event. Apart from expressing thanks to the donors, it also provided them with an opportunity to know each other and to share their experience and joyfulness in helping the students. A photo display was arranged at the venue. Guests could see the impact and changes their donations have brought forth at various locations and the benefits they have made to the students.

At the dinner, progress of the Project was reported with the aid of videos which were specially taken at school sites in Guangxi. The videos highlighted both the need of rural schools as well as the outcome of donors support. Donors could understand how effectively their money had been utilized and the results it had produced amongst the students.

Two school-masters from Guangxi Province were invited to share their views on the project. Mr. Poon Cho Yiu (潘祖優) and Mr. Wong Man Wai (黃文衛) being beneficiaries of the Project expressed their thanks to donors. They also briefed participants of the needs of their region. This kind of direct communication enables

Schoolmaster donors to have better understanding on the value of the Project. Particular attention Poon Cho Yiu had been raised on the need to rebuild school dormitories. As schools are often quite far away from place of residence, some students have to board in the school in order to save traveling time. Nonetheless, school Schoolmaster dormitories were often dilapidated and poorly equipped. This being the Wong Man Wai case, apart from school premises, urgent need for the provision of better school dormitories had been raised. A list of such schools was provided at the dinner for donors’ information. I hope more people would become interested in and participate in this special area of the Project. continued on p. 6 Elder Wong Fook Yee 5 4th Quarter 2010

Apart from the two school-masters, three guests of honour, namely Mr. Lam Chiu Ying (林超英), Dr. Rebecca Li (李樂詩) and Mr. Leung Kee Cheong (梁紀昌) also shared their experience in helping students in China. They encouraged donors to continue their good work.

Some donors also gave performance at the dinner, making the dinner full of delight and entertainment. The choir of Kau Yan School sang some lovely songs. The school had participated in rebuilding two schools in China. Members of the Tsing Ma Lions Club, who had been involved in the re-construction of collapsing schools in China, sang two songs bringing the dinner to a highlight. The final performance was given by the Learners Chorus who have been involved in rebuilding more than 3 schools in various parts in China and they are going to do more. Sincere thanks to all of them, they not only offer money but also their labour and talent.

A donor who was in prison was unable to attend the dinner. He was represented by the prison chaplain. Though this donor had temporarily lost his freedom, he has wisely used his money in setting others free from ignorance. This is a rather moving story of the evening.

The dinner ended with a request for response in supporting the project. Many positive returns have been received. I am sure, with the zeal and generous assistance of the donors, more and more dangerous schools would eventually be replaced by stable, safe and new schools.

Elder Wong Fook Yee is the Chairperson of the Rebuilding Collapsing Schools Project of HKCC. For more information about this Project, email: [email protected] or phone 21363131.

Tsing Ma Lions Club Learners Chorus

Kau Yan School Choir 6 4th Quarter 2010

Extending the Legacy of a Classic: The Revised Chinese Union Version Bible “To enable readers to understand God’s Word”

Since its first publication in 1919 the Chinese Union Version (CUV) Bible, read by well over 90% of the 70 million Chinese Protestants around the globe, has been a blessing to countless believers and churches. This blessing has been furthered with the release of the Revised Chinese Union Version (RCUV) Bible: Old and New Testaments, on 27th September 2010 by the Hong Kong Bible Society. Pre-orders for the RCUV have Revised Chinese Union Version Bible already exceeded 30,000 copies in Hong Kong alone, and the print quantity has been over 100,000 copies. The first print of the “Shangti” edition was out of stock shortly after it had been released at the end of September, and the “Shen” edition is under printing now. Many of these are to be used as pew bibles in the local churches of several Protestant denominations.

The RCUV - has been in print since 2006 and promoted in Chinese churches in Europe and North America as well as Asia. Diglot editions with parallel Thai, German, Portuguese, English and Spanish versions have also been published since 2007. From the beginning, Bible scholars in mainland China have taken part in this revision project. Leaders of the Three Self Patriotic Movement / (TSPM/CCC) are planning to publish by the end of 2010 a parallel edition of RCUV/ CUV of the New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs in simplified script, to be distributed in mainland China. Hong Kong Bible Society hopes that the Revised Chinese Union Version will help Chinese all over the world to better understand God’s Word.

On 27th September 2010, Hong Kong Bible Society held a thanksgiving and dedication ceremony at St. John’s Cathedral in Hong Kong. The Chief Executive of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government Mr. Donald Tsang, Patriarchate Archbishop of Hong Kong Anglican Church the Most Rev. Paul Kwong, and the chief editor of the Revised Chinese Union Version Rev. Dr. Chow Lien-hwa were invited to officiate at this historical event. In attendance were Ms. Ma Yu-hong, Director-General of the Second Department of State Administration for Religious Affairs, and Rev. Xu Xiao-hong, General Secretary of National TSPM, together with representatives from sister Bible Societies around the world, including , Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Germany, France, Canada and Brazil. British and Foreign Bible Society, American Bible Society and National Bible Society of Scotland – the three Bible Societies that joined efforts in supporting missionaries to complete the original Chinese Union Version – also sent representatives to witness the dedication ceremony.

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The RCUV incorporates current usages of the to replace archaic terms and outdated expressions. According to the wishes of church leaders, the following principles of revision are adhered to: minimal changes, preservation of the original style of the Chinese Union Version, conformity to current language usages. The revision has benefited from the latest findings and researches in biblical texts, new insights gained from the discovery of ancient manuscripts, and from tools such as translation handbooks and software technologies developed by United Bible Societies. The project took 27 years to complete, with the participation of over 30 scholars who hail from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Australia, USA and France. Among them are the editor-in-chief Dr. Chow Lien- hwa and Dr. I-Jin Loh (editor for the New Testament), Dr. Joseph Hong (translation consultant for the project), and all of the Chinese translation consultants in the UBS.

One of the challenges faced by these scholars is the regional variants of the Chinese language. For example, Hong Kong people customarily use terms and expressions that are not easily understood or accepted by Chinese speakers in Taiwan and mainland China. The wide variety of Chinese dialects makes the situation even more complex because many Chinese readers pronounce the Bible text in their dialects. For example, the term for animal fat used in the original Chinese Union Version sounds exactly the same as “pork fat” in Shanghainese dialect; the term has now been changed in RCUV to avoid confusion.

Some of the well-known passages, though known by heart by many readers, have also been revised in order to convey as accurately as possible the meaning of the original text. For example, in the Chinese Union Version the expression “his only begotten son” in John 3:16 is now changed to “his unique son”, so as to convey the meaning of “uniqueness / one of his kind” instead of “being born”. Another example is the expression “love people as oneself” in both Leviticus 19:18 and Mark 12:33 which is now changed to “love neighbour as oneself”. This is because the word “neighbour”, not “people”, is used in the original text. From an exegetical point of view, “neighbour” has a deeper meaning because it refers to people in need around us. Dr. Mary Leung, general secretary of Hong Kong Bible Society, said that it is the Society’s hope that the revision will enable Chinese believers and non-believers around the world to better understand and accept God’s Word, and that readers of the young generation today and of future generations will continually be blessed through the RCUV.

Article and photos published courtesy of the Hong Kong Bible Society.

8 Launching Ceremony