visibility, into a much more decentralised, localised, and lay led structure, which would be much more difficult for the Communists to identify and
suppress.
Some churches which until recently have not had any high commitment to institutional work are now beginning to accept government subventions because the institutions create a space which is accessible to, and, to some extent, under the control of the church. I was taken to one school in which it was said that 50% of the students had made a christian commitment. In addition to that opportunity, owning a school means that the local christian congregation can use school facilities for worship services, and this represents a considerable saving when the school is in a new housing area.
In all of this, I think the church is being seen as a fortress. The church will define its boundaries, defend them as far as it can, and then get on with its work within the space it has created for itself.
The alternative approach which is being urged is one which sees the church as much more dispersed in the community, and the biblical metaphors of light and salt are recruited to support this approach. Here the emphasis is on the church becoming deinstitutionalised, and is particularly attractive to some people in churches which have a very heavy involvement in institutional work, mainly Catholic, Anglican, and the Church of Christ in China. For example, whereas the Baptist Convention has between 30,000 to 40,000 members in 70 congregations, but has under the Convention only 5 schools, 1 college, 1 hospital and 1 retreat centre, the Church of Christ in China has 24,000 members in 30 congregations, but it runs 55 schools, and a higher number if the schools which operate two shifts are taken into account. The Methodist Church with 12,000 members has 18 congregations, but a higher number of schools, if kindergartens are included in the total.
There is clearly a conflict of interest. Schools will have the responsibility of preparing children for life as part of the Chinese nation. To do so, they will have to give greater attention to such things as modern Chinese history, which has been a subject notoriously difficult to teach, because of the practical impossibility of teaching the subject impartially. Teaching modern Chinese history could well involve raising issues which would challenge the very control which some churches want to exercise over educational institutions.
Some people are placing reliance on "the Agreement's assurances that Beijing will not interfere in the educational system, and that the churches will be able to continue to make their contribution to that system. By contrast and out of their christian convictions, others want to modify the present educational and examination system, which they think are not in the best interests of the children or the people of Hong Kong.
From some the answer
I tried asking what is the role of religion in society. was in biblical language giving to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's, seeking first the Kingdom of God - though I could not detect very much awareness that these answers themselves required considerable interpretation. The answers justified the theological positions of the people giving them and defended their unwillingness yet to engage seriously with the future of Hong Kong.
FURTHER CONVERSATIONS
Most of the points referred to in my conversations with church leaders were confirmed the following day in discussions with the Rev. Dr. Peter Lee at Tao Fong Shan, Dr. K. L. Ding, Chairman of the Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee and with the staff of the Hong Kong Christian Council.
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