A Time Apart

Once or twice a month the Mission staff members meet for fellowship and occasional business. Once a year we go to some special place for a longer time together. On October 16 and 17, the Castle Peak Hotel sheltered us, as it has twice before. Typhoon Kate roared outside, but we were snug inside.

This year's conference was more of a spiritual retreat and less of a business session than is sometimes true. We were blessed by three Bible study sessions led by Marion Hackett who used I Corinthians. Marion is not only ordained - - by the church in Burma but she has done Bible translation. She has delved deeply into the meanings of words, and ably expresses her thoughts to others. Marion also led the communion service which, despite its rather odd setting, was a beautiful experience.

Father T. M. Diederich of the Studium Biblicum, spoke to us one afternoon on recent developments within the Roman Catholic Church. He spoke of the new Chinese translation of the Bible done by the Roman Catholics, and of the use of Chinese in the mass. More challenging were his comments on the' new attitudes toward Protestants, and emerging attitudes toward other religions. Father Diederich pointed out that Christ came to save all men. It is for Us to help people realize the gift of God's grace to them, and to live accordingly.

Another guest speaker was the Rev. William Tung, a young Methodist who is the assistant director of Hong Kong Christian Service. He spoke on "The Role of Western Missionaries in the 70s". A Chinese Church led and supported by Chinese has been a goal common to Chinese and western Christian leaders for many years. Because of the breadth of the Christian enterprise in Hong Kong, leadership has sometimes been placed, hopefully on a temporary basis, in the hands of western missionaries. No matter who sits in the chief seat, decisions must be those of the majority group the Chinese. Missionaries are still needed as co -workers extra hands for there are many things to be done.

That this is true within our own program was very evident, as we reviewed briefly the various tasks undertaken by each one. This review gave us a perspective for the months ahead.

Consultation on World Mission

Baptists of the world met in Japan in the summer of 1970. Following the congress, representatives from the mission fields in which the A.B.F.M.S. has work, stayed on for consultation. In all, there were over 60 persons present, including" 40 or more national leaders, 12 missionaries, and 9 from the A.B.F.M.S. staff. Only Burma was not represented officially.

Hugh Smith reports: We were together for 5 days of listening and sharing with one another. The first two days were devoted to a study of "The World in Which We Witness." U Kyaw Than led off with an address on the subject. Then Dr. Culbert Rutenber spoke on "The Approach to Non -Christian Faiths." Both addresses were followed by lively group discussion.

Reports were brought in from each area represented. Pastor Lee led the report on Hong Kong and it was well received. John Chen gave a good report on the work of the Joint Committee in English! It was interesting to note the similarity of the problems raised from all the areas.

The final sessions were devoted to a study of priorities for the 70s. Attention focused on leadership training, stewardship, ministry to youth, urban industrial witness, community development, communication, the role of women in the church, and theological education. We need to develop a staff of Asian and African missionaries; programs of leadership exchange and Joint Action for Mission were also listed as priorities. The Swatow - speaking Chinese expressed their desire for more communication between established groups, not only in Hong Kong, Thailand, and Singapore, but elsewhere in South East Asia.

The delegates to the consultation were the Rev. C. T. Lee of the Kowloon City Church, the Rev. John Cben of the Hong Kong Church, Mr. Lam Min, a layman, Mrs. Estelle Schock, and the Rev. Hugh Smith. The Rev. John Wong of the Shumshuipo Church, attended as an observer.

Churches and Chapels

Active laymen have been responsible for the opening of many preaching centers and chapels. The chapel continues as a "child" of the "mother" church until financially and leadership-wise it can carry on alone. Independence is coupled with new responsibilities in the Joint Committee of Swatow Baptist Churches and in other relationships.

The Shaukiwan Chapel had been started by members of the Kowloon City Church. It has outgrown two premises, and in 1966 occupied its present site. In May of this year, in an impressive service, the chapel became a church. The Rev. and Mrs. Choi Yuk-Man minister to a membership of 414 persons.

The Castle Peak Road Chapel became a church on June 28, ending its status as a chapel of the Homantin Church. Through the thirteen years of its existence it also has outgrown two locations, and is now in a third. It is no longer situated on Castle Peak Road, but still carries the name. Mrs. P. B. Tang, with her son-in-law, Mr. Wang Siao-Bo, ministers to the church.

We rejoice also in the dedication of the new chapel at Tsz Wan Shan. Any giver to the World Mission Campaign would be excited to see the new chapel. It occupies the ground floor of a new building. It is tiny, but its interior beauty evokes a sense of worship. A long red velvet curtain hangs from a teak headboard behind the pulpit, and stretches the width of the room. One hundred and eighty seats fill the main floor and the balcony.

For the dedication service in the afternoon of May 31, every sent was taken and a number of people were standing. In the evening of the same day an evangelistic service was held, and five persons indicated their decision to follow Christ. In the weeks since, a full program has been developed under the leadership of Mr. Chan Hop-Sang who also serves the Homantin Church.

The Lingnan Institute of Business Administration

The Lingnan Institute was established in 1966 as a division of the graduate school of The Chinese University of Hong Kong. It has been largely supported by the Board of Trustees of Lingnan University, a Christian college formerly in Canton, China.

The Lingnan Institute is the only institution in Hong Kong providing graduate-level programs in business administration. Its purpose is to train young Chinese men and women for middle- and upper-level management positions in the business and industrial firms of Hong Kong. Since Hong Kong has no significant natural resources, its economic survival depends on the continued competitiveness of its industries, in the production and marketing of clothing, toys, radios, wigs, cameras, shoes, clocks, watches, and many other items. The graduates of the Lingnan Institute are expected to play an increasingly important role in the management of these industries.

John Espy, having recently completed the doctoral program at the Harvard Business School, is now on the faculty of the Institute.

Ling Ling Say Say which, broadly interpreted, means Miscellaneous

. . . . The Joint Committee of Swatow Baptist Churches has for the first time adopted a unified budget, and plans to write a constitution. They look forward to becoming incorporated as a property-holding body.

. . . . The Women's Association of the Swatow Baptist Churches held a fall retreat in Fanling on October 24, with an attendance of 251. They plan to visit and take gifts to 81 old people in a home for the aged located in Kowloon City.

Comings and Goings

Any Mission gets used to the coming and going of members of the staff, for furlough or retirement. Seldom is there such a turn-over, however, as the Hong Kong Mission experienced in 1970.

Helen Wigginton came to Hong Kong on a two-year Special Service assignment. Her work was mainly with the Hong Kong Baptist College, but she also gave of her wisdom and time to the American Baptist Mission office. Her two years were up, and she left on September 16. She will be living in Philippi, West Virginia.

June Sutton left Hong Kong on July 20, taking ship to Australia, which is home for her. This is a regular furlough, and we fully expect June to be back in the summer of 1971. During the year she will go to the United States for some advanced study.

Loren and Ruth Noren left on July 13, and are living in Tenafly, New Jersey. Loren is on an exchange assignment for one year; he is filling the office of the China Program of the East Asia Department, Division of Overseas Ministries, of the National Council of Churches of the U. S. A. With Loren and Ruth is Debbie, now 15.

John and Kathie Reed after three years given to the Student Christian Centre and to sociological research, left on June 17. The family, which includes Monise Rene who was born in Hong Kong, is living in Ithaca, New York; John is pursuing a graduate program.

The Easter sunrise service was held this year at the new building of Servicemen's Guides where Frank Knight served as Protestant Chaplain for four years. Two days later Frank and Joyce left Hong Kong to re-enter the Baptist ministry in the United States. Krista and Marla had left a few days earlier, travelling with Frank's mother.

On June 12 Judy Schock was graduated from the Hong Kong International School. She had been voted by her schoolmates as one of the three most popular girls, and the faculty chose her to receive the Leadership Award presented at the graduation service. Judy left Hong Kong on July 24, and has entered Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California, as a pre-nursing student.

Fortunately there were some "comings" also.

John and Ruth Espy returned to Hong Kong on September 15. The family had been here between 1962 and 1967. John then entered a graduate program in business administration at Harvard. Having received his doctorate, he and Ruth are now back, living on the Chung Chi campus. Ruth is an assistant librarian in the central library of The Chinese University; John's work is reported elsewhere in this PEAK. Their boys, Lincoln and John Mark, stayed in the United States.

Larry Moss both came and went during the summer, on special assignment with the A.B.F.M.S. As a participant-observer, he attended the Fourth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, in Tokyo. In the weeks preceding the conference be did extensive research into Hong Kong methods of dealing with criminals, and produced a thorough paper on his findings. Larry has returned to Union Seminary in New York, to complete his studies for a B. D.