Religion and Custom | 415
Protestant Community
Protestantism started in 1841 and has a current membership of 320 000 believers. The Protestant community has more than 50 denominations with many independent churches and 1 350 congregations. Most of the international mainline denominations and former mission agencies have counterpart ecclesial establishments in Hong Kong, including Adventist, Anglican, Baptist, Christian and Missionary Alliance, Evangelical Free, Lutheran, Methodist, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, and Salvation Army. There are also 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 their emphasis on youth work, many congregations have a high proportion of young people.
Protestant organisations operate three post-secondary institutions: Chung Chi College at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University and Lingnan University. They run more than 600 schools (including 273 kindergartens, 206 primary schools and 158 secondary schools) and 116 nurseries. They also operate more than 30 theological seminaries/Bible schools, 30 Christian publishing houses and 70 Christian bookstores. Two Chinese weekly newspapers the Christian Times and the Christian Weekly present news and commentaries from a Christian perspective. Half a dozen media agencies broadcast regular Christian TV programmes and there are also four weekly Christian radio programmes broadcast on Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK).
More than 150 para-church agencies and various Christian action groups minister to the Protestant community and respond to current issues and concerns. Support is also given to emergency relief and development projects in the Mainland and developing countries.
The Protestant community runs seven hospitals with about 3 750 beds, 18 clinics and 59 social service organisations, providing a wide range of social services, including more than 250 community service centres, 75 day care centres, 17 children's homes, 35 homes for the elderly (plus more than 100 centres for the elderly), and 47 training centres for the mentally handicapped and disabled, on top of chaplainry services for prisons and hospitals and at the airport. The YMCA and YWCA manage five international hotel-type guesthouses, and there are 15 campsites.
Two ecumenical bodies facilitate cooperative work among the Protestant churches: the Hong Kong Chinese Christian Churches Union, established in 1915 and with a membership exceeding 300 congregations; and the Hong Kong Christian Council, established in 1954. The core membership of the Council mainline denominations, ecumenical services and the Orthodox Metropolitanate of Hong Kong and South East Asia is committed to building a closer relationship among all churches in Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas. It also 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.
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