Answers to Prayer

1 The successful return of Hong Kong to China and continued religious freedom thereafter

2 The impact of Hong Kong for the Kingdom of God has been noteworthy

Challenges for Prayer

1 The 1997 return of Hong Kong to China was met with a mixture of fear and euphoria – especially among Christians

2 Will the guaranteed freedoms of Hong Kong be maintained? Many perceive a steady, incremental erosion of press freedoms, the autonomy of the judicial system, and a government less accountable and open

3 The Christian community is 10% of the population, but has long exerted a strong influence in running 505 of the schools, 60% of social organizations, and 25% of the hospitals

4 The churches grew rapidly in the 1960s, but slowed in the 1980s and '90s through emigration (19% of Christians) and a high drop-out rate among young adults

5 The challenges facing the Hong Kong Church:

a) The need for renewal and revival

b) Increasing wealth and materialism that saps spiritual commitment

c) Divisions over doctrine and the charismatic issue

6 Christian leaders of maturity are relatively few

a) The 15 Bible colleges

b) Key seminaries

c) A greater missions component in leadership training

7 The Church has a growing concern for missionary work abroad

a) About 57% of congregations now have a missions commitment

b) The HK Association of Christian Missions is a focal coordinating point

c) How best to serve and support the pressured, but growing Church in the PRC

8 The CCCOWE (Chinese Coordinating Committee on World Evangelization) has played a vital role in linking together Christians in the 70 million Chinese diaspora for fellowship and outreach to less evangelized Chinese communities

9 Hong Kong's pervasive and powerful underworld of crime majors on the narcotics trade, the sex 'industry' and gambling and protection rackets

10 Fear for the future has increased superstition and idolatry

a) The blue-collar industrial workers, and the wealthy financiers and businessmen

b) Immigrants from Mainland China

c) The South Asian population – a legacy of British rule

d) The Muslims who are largely Hui Chinese, Pakistanis, Malays, Indonesians and Middle Easterners

11 Student ministries have flourished

12 The foreign mission force has somewhat reduced during the 1990s

13 Hong Kong is a vital nerve centre for media

Geography

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Area 1,092 sq.km. A mountainous peninsula and 230 islands on the coast of Guangdong Province of the People's Republic of China (PRC).

Population (2000) 6,965,000 +2.49%AGR

Capital none.

Peoples

Chinese 97%; Other 3%.

Literacy 92%. Official languages Putonghua, English, but Cantonese widely used. All languages 7. Languages with Scriptures 4Bi.

Economy

Rapid growth through liberal economic policies to become one of the world's richest cities and the 8^th largest economy in the world. HDI 0.880; 24^th/174. Income/person $24,800 (80% of USA).

Politics

The British wrested Hong Kong from China in the infamous opium wars (1840-58).

Religion

Religious freedom in a secular state, guaranteed by the Basic Law, has been adhered to.

Churches in China, Hong Kong

Missionaries from China, Hong Kong

380 (300 overseas) with 41 agencies in 48 countries.

Missionaries to China, Hong Kong

654 in 100 agencies from 26 countries

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