ENG-1977 — Page 240

RELIGION AND CUSTOM

179

under its own direction and is now related to the Hong Kong Christian Council. The Chinese Christian Literature Council is the successor to the Christian Literature Society of Shanghai, the oldest full-scale publishing house in China. One of the events marking the council's 90th anniversary was the publication of the revised Hymns of Universal Praise, first published in 1936 and the first union hymnal used across de- nominational lines.

The Protestant community is made up of almost 50 denominations and sects. There are the familiar major denominations, such as Adventists, Anglican (Episcopal), Alliance, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, Salvation Army and Pentecostal. The Church of Christ in China represents the Presbyterian and Congregational traditions. In addition, there are many independent groups.

These churches are responsible for more than 250 primary schools and about 130 middle schools, and two post-secondary colleges. The training of ministers and leaders for the churches is carried out by several seminaries and Bible schools. The year 1977 saw the inauguration of the united Lutheran Theological Seminary, which succeeded the former seminaries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hong Kong and the Tsung Tsin Mission.

The Christian churches sponsor a wide variety of service programmes. These include clinics, homes for the aged, vocational training centres, family service centres, aid for the handicapped, hospitals and community health programmes.

The Hong Kong Chinese Christian Churches Union is one of the two major co- operative Christian organisations. Organised on lines of congregational membership, it has a total of 200 members. Its departments are evangelism, charity, cemeteries, christian education, publicity and information. A campaign for the building of a second home for the elderly raised $3 million.

The Hong Kong Christian Council is the other inter-denominational association. The major denominations, together with such organisations as the YWCA, the YMCA, the Bible Society and the Chinese Christian Literature Council, work together in the council. It promotes ecumenical concerns in Christian service, industrial mission, Christian education and communications. The year marked the third year of a systematic campaign among the churches to spotlight world hunger. As a result, the churches and community have contributed more than $500,000 to freedom from hunger groups.

There is a good spirit of ecumenism in Hong Kong. Almost every major committee of the Christian Council has official voting representatives from the Roman Catholic Diocese. Similarly, members of the council are invited to serve as voting members on various Roman Catholic diocesan committees. Throughout the year, Protestants and Roman Catholics carry out joint programmes, such as the religious broadcasts aired by Radio Television Hong Kong.

Roman Catholic

Pope Gregory XVI established the Apostolic Prefecture of Hong Kong in April, 1841. The first Prefect, Monsignor Theodore Joset, built a matshed church at what is now the intersection of Wellington and Pottinger Streets. He established a seminary for training Chinese priests and persuaded religious sisters to come to Hong Kong to start schools, hospitals, creches and other welfare work.

Page 240Page 241