April 1971.....the Hong Kong Peak is issued by missionaries of the ABFMS.

Dr. Johnson’s Visit

Dr. Robert G. Johnson, the Area Secretary of the A.B.F.M.S., for Thailand and Hong Kong, visited us from February 26 to March 10. Having been a missionary in Burma for twenty years Dr. Johnson has a background of understanding which gets him off to a good start in this new position. This was his first official visit to Hong Kong.

The projects and places and people he had read about, he now saw in those twelve days. The Joint Committee of Swatow Baptist Churches became a reality through meetings with the whole Committee, and with its executive committee. Chung Chi College of the Chinese University of Hong Kong came alive as be stayed on the campus for two or three days. The Hong Kong Christian Council, Hong Kong Christian Service, the Student Christian Centre, the Haven of Hope, Chu Lap Kok, the Audio Visual Evangelism Committee - - each name represents a complex of activities and people to meet. Then, of course, there were the churches and chapels, each one vital and important. The special service of dedication for the Kwun Tong Chapel is mentioned elsewhere. It was the privilege of Mission staff members to accompany him here and there, pointing out various aspects of the work and answering his questions. Some of these questions came out in the Missionary Fellowship meeting, at which he was present.

No startling decisions were -reached during Dr. Johnson's stay. That was not the purpose of his visit. He came to learn, and everyone had the privilege of talking over plans, and of presenting ideas. His stay benefited us all; the correspondence which flows between Valley Forge and Hong Kong will be more worthwhile because he was here.

Consultation on the Mission of the Church in Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Christian Council sponsored a consultation on the mission of the Church in Hong Kong, on January 19 and 20. This was the second consultation of this kind, the first one being in January 1970.

The purpose of the consultation was to consider the needs and opportunities facing the churches and Christian organizations in Hong Kong, and to develop guidelines for individual Christian congregations and agencies in the fulfilment of their mission. It was a "working consultation" conducted in Chinese; participants numbered seventy-five. There were five basic areas of concern-

1. The relation of evangelism and education and service in Mission.

2. The Mission of the local congregation in its neighborhood.

3. The Church in relation to economic development.

4. The role of pastors and the role of members.

5. Joint action for Mission.

Burma Revisited

In January both Bill Hackett and Harold Schock visited Burma. For Harold Schock it was the first time since he and his family left in 1966. Bill Hackett had made an earlier visit, and he gives the following report.

"I strongly support the opinion expressed by Gill (reported in the Ecumenical Press Service, Nov. 1969) when he said, 'These days we are rather critical about some of the things missionaries have done, but after seeing the vigor of the Christian community in Burma, I can only conclude they must have done something right. My judgment is based on two visits to Burma, totalling thirteen days, in the last nine months.

"I spoke with scores of leaders, both Catholic and Protestant, in four districts: Rangoon, Mandalay, Taunggyi, and Loikaw. In spite of poor economic conditions, giving to evangelistic work is up, new church buildings are being built, church membership is expanding, and young people are being trained for Christian service. In conferences with church leaders the emphasis they made was on opportunities and planned outreach, with almost no mention of problems and hardships. Almost one million Christians of all branches of the Church - - approximately 3% of the population - - are witnessing to the power of the Holy Spirit. We remember the words of the pioneer, Adoniram Judson: 'The future is bright as the promises of God."'

A Valuable Stopover

Thirteen tourists of a special kind dropped in on Hong Kong, on January 30, for a four-day study of our mission work. Dr. Clayton Smith, head of the Public Relations Department of the Foreign Mission Society, led the group. There were other Valley Forge personnel and a few selected pastors. The group was called "The Thailand Mission Involvement Tour", which indicated their main thrust: an extended and detailed study of operations, opportunities, and problems in our work in Thailand. Our Hong Kong Mission saw to it that they got involved here as well.

The usual tourist attractions of tailoring, eating at a floating restaurant, and a trip to the China border were sandwiched in between visits to churches and church people. Most of the team members had studied up on our Hong Kong situation enough to ask meaningful questions, and to probe into some of our problems. In order to gain a wide view of our work, the group was parcelled out to several churches and chapels for Sunday worship, and lunch with the church people.

At several points the Mission staff met with the group. The most significant of these sessions came on their third night in Hong Kong, as we discussed the relevance of the mission enterprise in the churches at home. Although this was geared to inform us missionaries, the discussion proved to be stimulating for all as ideas and opinions were thrown in from all sides. No ordinary tour group, they provided no ordinary experience for us in Hong Kong.

Those Who Pass Through

One aspect of Hong Kong life which is continually full of interest is known as "people passing through." We have had a number of visitors in recent weeks. Dr. Bob Johnson came for twelve days, as is reported elsewhere in this PEAK.

The Thailand Mission Involvement Tour brought thirteen people all at once. - Dr. and Mrs. Maurice Jackson of the seminary in Berkeley were here for several days, on their way to the Philippines and then Australia. - - - The Rev. and Mrs. Ivan Bell were here with the "floating university" which Mr. Bell served as chaplain for their: three-month tour. - - - Miss Charity Carman, retired after long years in Burma, returned to Burma for a short visit, and stopped in Hong Kong. - - - With her was Mrs. Lillian Gleason, whose late husband, Dr. Paul

Gleason had served in Burma in earlier years. - - - Dr. and David Voss passed through. Mrs. Voss was Katherine Groesbeck, daughter of a South China Mission family. - - - Gilbert Thetgyi spent a few days here enroute to the United States for work in biochemistry. He is the son of the Rev. John Tbetgyi, secretary of the Burma Christian Council. - -- - Michael Schock, nineteen-yeat-old nephew of Harold Schock, came for a six-week visit. - - - Mrs. Jean Abbe and her doctor husband were here briefly. Jean is the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. John Skoglund; her husband is serving with the Navy in Vietnam. - - - The Rev. Stanley Manierre passed through, from Japan. - - - Dr. and Mrs. Paul Braisted were here two days. And there were more!

One Came to Stay

Martha Jane Hackett, the daughter -of Bill and Marion Hackett, arrived in Hong Kong just before Christmas - - to stay! And what a welcome Christmas gift! Marty is a trained nurse and midwife, and soon found work in Our Lady of Maryknoll Hospital. Born in Burma and able to speak Burmese, she is now studying Cantonese, in addition to carrying a full schedule in the delivery -room.

Women’s Activities

On February 24, one hundred and twenty officers from the Swatow Baptist Women's Association representing the various women's societies travelled to the Y.M.C.A. camp across the bay from Chung Chi College for an all-day retreat. There in quiet and beautiful surroundings we enjoyed a day of worship, prayer, fellowship, and training. An offering which was received during the session was sent to Burma, to help Christian center work there.

Women of the Swatow Baptist churches gathered in the Kowloon City Church for the annual World Day of Prayer service on March 5. We were fortunate to have Mrs. Ivan Bell of Redlands, California, to be the speaker. The offering given by the women was taken by a group of twenty and presented in person to the officers of the leprosarium on Hay Ling Chau island.

In addition to the service for the Swatow-speaking women, an interdenominational service was held in the Chinese Methodist Church, Seven hundred women gathered, representing many church groups. The offering which amounted to one thousand Hong Kong dollars, was given to the Community Chest of Hong Kong.

Kwun Tong Chapel Dedication

Many who sat in the beautiful sanctuary of the Kwun Tong Chapel for the dedication service, thought back to Tiger Tail Village. Ten years ago Tiger Tail Village was due to be destroyed in the cause of progress, and the people resettled. The staunch Christians of that crowded village asked the authorities to let them be resettled as a group, because of their church relationships. They found themselves in the Kwun Tong Resettlement Estate, and before long they were gathering for worship on the roof-top of Block #22. On communion Sundays three hundred participated in the service; it was obvious that the roof-top would not suffice for very long. A piece of land was obtained, and the building went up, at a total cost of almost eight hundred thousand Hong Kong dollars. A little over three hundred thousand came from the Foreign Mission Society; the rest came from the Kowloon City Church and through special gifts.

Now on Sunday, February 28, the final debts having been paid, in a special service of thanksgiving and praise, the building was dedicated. Dr. Robert Johnson was the speaker for this occasion.

Missionaries....
Mr. and Mrs. John Espy (Ruth)
Dr. and Mrs. William D. Hackett (Marion)
Rev. and Mrs. Loren E. Noren (Ruth)
Rev. and Mrs. John Olley (Elaine)
Miss Mildred Proctor
Rev. and Mrs. Harold Schock (Estelle)
Rev. and Mrs. Hugh W. Smith (Ann)
Miss June M. Sutton