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Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hong Kong
MISSION
The mission of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hong Kong (ELCHK) this church is to follow the Great Commandment of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28: 16 –
21), and to imitate His example of teaching and serving. Through the help of the
Holy Spirit, by establishing churches, schools and social service projects, we
address the physical and spiritual needs of our society and lead people to
accept the Gospel, the Good news of Jesus Christ.
HISTORY
At the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, Lutheran
missionaries came from Germany, Northern Europe and the United States to spread
the Word of God in China. In northern China, and in the provinces of Shandong,
Shanxi, Henan, Hebei, Hunan and Guangdong, they established churches, schools
and hospitals. In 1920, the Chinese Lutheran Church was formed, along with a
seminary and the Lutheran Publishing House. The Lutheran Theological
Seminary in Shekow, Hupei province, moved to Hong Kong in 1948, and was
relocated on Tao Fong Shan in Shatin. As class after class of students
graduated, the work of spreading the Gospel expanded throughout Hong Kong,
Kowloon and the New Territories. On Feb. 27, 1954, representatives from all the
Lutheran congregations in Hong Kong gathered at Tao Fong Shan to formally
establish the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hong Kong (ELCHK).
Hong Kong became a center of American Lutheran mission work following the
collapse of Christian mission activity in China in the late 1940s. Along with
approximately one million Chinese refugees, many missions moved their base of
operations to Hong Kong, including American Lutherans from ELCA predecessors. In
the beginning ELCHK leadership came from Mandarin-speaking Chinese pastors, lay
people and missionaries who prior to 1949 were part of Lutheran "mission
churches" in the Chinese provinces of Henan, Shandong, Hunan, and Guangdong.
That generation of refugee leadership has now been succeeded by pastors and lay
people of a generation born and raised in Hong Kong. Ministry is carried out
almost entirely in Hong Kong's primary language, Cantonese.
PRESENT SITUATION
Today the ELCHK is a church of 14,000 baptized members in 51 congregations. It
has 54 pastors, of whom eighteen are women, and forty four unordained
evangelistic workers. The church carries out ministry in Hong Kong on a very
holistic basis. Educational programs include 8 kindergartens, 8 primary schools,
4 secondary schools, and student centers. Forty social service centers offer
community services for all ages as well as programs for job training, emergency
relief, developmentally challenged adults, and drug addicts. Family service
centers are being developed to deal with the growing social pressures on
families.
The Lutheran Theological Seminary, now firmly based in Hong Kong, was first
established in 1913 in central China, near Wuhan. It was a central institution
of cooperative Lutheranism in China. In November 1948, ten months prior to
revolutionary changes in China's ruling government, the seminary relocated to
Hong Kong. During fifty years in Hong Kong, the seminary has moved twice and
grown from a student body of 38 in 1949 to well over two hundred. The Lutheran
Theological Seminary serves as a primary center of theological education for the
Chinese Christian world, and approximately 10% of the student body come from
other parts of Asia. An additional 150 students are enrolled each year in an
evening certificate course with a three-year curriculum, known as the "Lay
Leadership Training Extension Program."
The ELCHK's literature program, known as Taosheng ("Voice of the Word")
Publishing House, publishes Bible commentaries, theological and devotional
books, and hymnals for use within Chinese-speaking churches of Hong Kong and
around the world. There is a special program of distribution to seminaries and
church workers in China.
QUICK FACTS
Web Page http://www.elchk.org.hk/english/english.htm
http://www.elchk.org.hk/cwelcome.html
Church Leader Rev. Dr. Nicholas Thai Ho Fai, President
Location Hong Kong-SAR, China-PRC
Headquarter Hong Kong
Languages Cantonese
Member 14,000
Church Worker 54 ordained clergy (18 female), 44 evangelists (31 female)
Church Structure 51 congregations
Memberships Lutheran World Federation (LWF), since 1957
Hong Kong Lutheran Federation (HKLF)
Hong Kong Christian Council (HKCC)
ELCA Companion Synod Southwest California Synod
http://www.socalsynod.org
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