ENG-2014 — Page 404

20

Religion and Custom

From 2014 onwards, the third Sunday of every September will be recognised as Confucian Day to celebrate the birthday of Confucius.

Christianity

The Christian community comprising mainly Protestants and Roman Catholics - numbers about 870,000. In addition to Protestants and Roman Catholics, the Greek, Russian and Coptic Orthodox Church all have their presence in Hong Kong.

Protestant Community

The Protestant movement in Hong Kong began in 1841 and has a current registered membership of about 500,000 followers. The Protestant community is composed of more than 70 denominations with at least 1,500 congregations. Most of the major international denominations and former mission agencies have ecclesial branches in Hong Kong, including the Adventist, Anglican, Baptist, Christian and Missionary Alliance, Evangelical Free, Holiness, Lutheran, Methodist, Pentecostal 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), as well as many independent congregations.

The Protestant community runs three post-secondary institutions: the Chung Chi College of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University and Lingnan University. It also runs more than 630 schools (260 kindergartens, 199 primary schools and 180 secondary schools) and 127 nurseries. In addition, it operates more than 35 theological schools, 80 Christian publishing houses and 114 Christian bookstores. There are 53 media, audio-visual production and art groups, including two Christian weekly newspapers, the Christian Times and Christian Weekly, which present news and comments from a Christian perspective, Christian media agencies which broadcast Christian TV programmes regularly and four weekly Christian radio programmes on Radio Television Hong Kong.

More than 730 para-church agencies and different Christian action groups attend to the needs of the Protestant community, respond to issues that affect Hong Kong society and support emergency relief and development projects in the Mainland and other countries. There are currently more than 450 missionaries from Hong Kong serving abroad.

The Protestant community runs seven hospitals and 17 clinics. Its 107 multi-social centres. provide a wide range of services at more than 100 community (family/youth) service centres, 11 children's homes, 169 elderly services centres and nursing homes, and 59 rehabilitation centres for mentally handicapped, disabled and drug addicts. There are more than 50 hospital chaplaincies, one airport chaplaincy and three prison chaplaincies. There are also 23 campsites.

Two ecumenical bodies, the Hong Kong Christian Council and the Hong Kong Chinese Christian Churches Union, help co-operation among the Protestant churches in Hong Kong. The Chinese Christian Churches Union, established in 1915, has a current membership of 365 congregations. Formed in 1954 and a member of the World Council of Churches, the Hong Kong Christian Council's members major denominations, ecumenical service agencies,

―

336