HONG KONG 2005

The Christian community — largely Protestant and Roman Catholic — is estimated to number about 660 000 (including 105 000 Filipino Catholics). The Protestant, Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches maintain a spirit of fellowship with the Hong Kong Christian Council, the Orthodox Metropolitanate of Hong Kong and Southeast Asia (based in Hong Kong) and the Roman Catholic Diocese and join together on special occasions.

The Protestant movement in Hong Kong began in 1841 and has a current membership of 320 000 believers. The Protestant community is composed of more than 50 denominations with 1 400 congregations. Most of the major international denominations and former mission agencies have ecclesial establishments in Hong Kong, such as the Adventist, Anglican, Baptist, Christian and Missionary Alliance, Evangelical Free, Lutheran, Methodist, Pentecostal, and Salvation Army. There are many indigenous denominations such as The Church of Christ in China (representing Presbyterian and Congregational traditions), the True Jesus Church and the Local Church (commonly known as the Little Flock). With the emphasis on youth work, many congregations have a high proportion of young people.

The Protestant community operates three post-secondary institutions: the Chung Chi College of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University and Lingnan University. It runs more than 630 schools (273 kindergarten, 206 primary schools and 160 secondary schools) and 116 nurseries. It also operates more than 30 theological seminaries/Bible schools, 30 Christian publishing houses and 70 Christian bookstores. There are two Christian weekly newspapers, the Christian Times and Christian Weekly, which present news and comment from a Christian perspective, half a dozen Christian media agencies which broadcast regular Christian TV programmes and four weekly Christian radio programmes on Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK).

More than 200 para-church agencies and various Christian action groups minister to the Protestant community, respond to current issues and concerns within Hong Kong society and support emergency relief and development projects both in Mainland China and developing countries.

The Protestant community runs seven hospitals and 18 clinics. Sixty social service organisations provide a wide range of services including more than 250 community (family/youth) service centres, 75 day care centres, 17 children's homes, 35 homes for the elderly, more than 100 centres for the elderly, 47 training centres for the mentally handicapped and disabled, 25 drug rehabilitation centres, and chaplaincy services for prisons, hospitals and the airport. There are also 15 campsites. The YMCA and YWCA manage five international hotel-style guesthouses.

Two ecumenical bodies, the Hong Kong Christian Council and the Hong Kong Chinese Christian Church Union, facilitate cooperative work among the Protestant churches in Hong Kong. The Chinese Christian Church Union was established in 1915 and has a current membership of more than 300 congregations. The Christian Council was formed in 1954 and its core membership — major denominations, ecumenical service agencies and the Orthodox Metropolitanate of Hong Kong and Southeast Asia — is committed to building a closer relationship among all churches in Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas. The Council also encourages local Christians to play an active part in the development of Hong Kong society. It seeks to serve the wider community through its affiliated organisations such as the Hong Kong Christian Service, Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee, United Christian Medical Service, Christian Family Service Centre, and Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital.

The Roman Catholic Church in Hong Kong was established as a mission prefecture in 1841, as a vicariate apostolic in 1874 and as a diocese in 1946. There are about 240 000 Catholics in Hong Kong served by 297 priests, 66 brothers and 516 sisters. There are 52 parishes, comprising 40 churches, 33 chapels and 28 halls for religious services conducted in Cantonese; three-fifths of the parishes also provide services in English and, in some cases, Tagalog. The diocese has its own administrative structure while maintaining close links with the Pope and other Catholic communities around the world with which it shares the same creed, scripture, liturgy and organisation.

Along with its apostolic work, one of the prime concerns of the diocese has been the well-being of the community as a whole. In education, there are 313 Catholic schools and kindergartens with about 264 000 pupils. The schools are assisted by the Catholic Board of Education. Medical and social services include six hospitals, 15 clinics, 37 social and family service centres, 18 hostels, 13 homes for the aged, 19 rehabilitation service centres and many self-help clubs and associations. Caritas is the official social welfare arm of the Church in Hong Kong. These services are open to all, and, indeed, 95 per cent of those who have benefited from the wide range of services provided by the diocese are not Catholics.

To reach people through the media, the diocese publishes two weekly newspapers — Kung Kao Po and the Sunday Examiner. The Diocesan Audio-Visual Centre produces films and videos for use in schools and parishes, while the Hong Kong Catholic Social Communications Office acts as an information and public relations channel for the diocese.