1. What is your reason for establishing an
independent Church?
Jennifer Leung: "I am chairman as well as the founder of
the Community Church Hong Kong. The motivation for establishing the
Community Church was very basic. I was very touched by a great man's
vision to spread the Gospel. This great man shall remain nameless but
I prayed with him over a few months about this vision. At the end of
the few months, he was unable to realize this vision for various
reasons and the HOly Spirit touched my heart to carry out this
vision. The vision is to spread the gospel to all races, all
background which is why the church must be English Speaking and not
Chinese."
2. Style of Sermons?
Our liturgy is based most Sundays on the ABC lectionary. The
congregation enjoys well researched and challenging teaching. In
theology and doctrine we can be described as "evangelical and
progressive." We expect sound contextual interpretation of the
scriptures and their relevant application to the modern world and
our lives. Sermons are in the 20-25 minute range.
3. Position on female members and gay members of the
Congregation?
What do we mean by "inclusiveness" in our vision and mission
statement? We welcome in our worship, in full participation in the
program of the church, and in our elected leadership, all persons who
seek God and who are open to the good news of Jesus Christ. To be a
Serving Member baptism is a pre-condition. We choose to emphasize the
embrace of God's love for all persons regardless of their sex, age,
race, physical and mental abilities, education and economic status,
sexual orientation and marital status. Our pastoral ministry
specifically addresses our conviction based on the Good News that
neither marital status, including divorce, nor sexual orientation,
preclude anyone from full participation in the life of our
congregation and in the working for the Kingdom of God.
4. There is mention of conservative segments and charismatic
segments. Is there a liberal segment welcomed in the church?
We are truly a community church and represent many of the diverse
doctrinal, denominational and ethnic inclinations commonly found in a
world city like Hong Kong. In theology and doctrine we can be
described as "evangelical and progressive". While there are about
l00 Englilsh-language congregations in Hong Kong, CCHK would be among
the few that are liberal. That identification says as much about the
overwhelming orthodoxy and conservatism of local Protestant
Christianity as it does about our own open-minded inclination.
5, Would the group be open to having a pastor who is open to
all views, but is essentially liberal theologically as far as
personal beliefs?
As above.
6. How far away from the place of worship is the
manse?
The manse is located in Pokfulam on the West side of Hong Kong
Island. The place of worship is in Central Plaza in Wanchai,
approximately in the middle on the North side of Hong Kong Island.
The distance is about 8 miles. There are many buses from Pokfulam to
Central and Wanchai. It is also possible to use the MTR (Mass Transit
Rail) part of the journey. The journey takes about 35 to 40 minutes.
7. How far away from the manse is the office?
The church office is also in Wanchai, about 10 minutes walking
distance from the place of worship. The office is about 10 minutes
from the Wanchai MTR station.
8. In the web page with the Congregation Profile mention is
made of Home-Group; 'DISCIPLES'. Does this use the United Methodist
material "DISCIPLE I, II and II Bible Study" or is that just a
similar name?
The DISCIPLE course is based on the United Methodist DISCIPLE I
course. It lasted 34 weeks. In this course the participants gathered
in the home of one of the Church members, they studied the bible,
shared a meal together, and prayed together. The course resulted in
awakening the understanding of the bible. It made the bible much more
alive.
9. Would a pastor need to purchase a car to function in Hong
Kong?
No, firstly, public transport (MTR, railway, buses, taxis) is very
well developed. Secondly, the size of Hong Kong is pretty small.
Thirdly, car parking is exorbitantly expensive. Only a small
percentage of the population has cars.
10. If friends or relatives visited, would public
transportation be adequate to and from the airport or would we need
to have a car?
The new airport is about 25 miles away from Central on Hong Kong
island. There is a very fast, ultra modern Airport Express linking
the airport to Hong Kong Island. The journey takes 25 minutes.
Furthermore there are numerous buses from the airport to various
places in the Hong Kong territory. Hong Kong is a very easy city to
circulate in whether visitor or resident.
11. Does the full-time administrator do newsletters and
bulletins? Is this person responsible for fundraising?
The administrator is responsible for the Church administration,
preparing the worship bulletins, assisting the editor with the
NEWSLETTER, helping the treasurer with bills and payments, and
supporting the minister and officers in various tasks., many of them
once only events. She works 5 days per week from 9am to 3pm. Fund
raising is the responsibility of the Stewardship Committee,
comprising volunteers.
12. Is there a view of the city from the 75th floor atrium
where worship is held?
The worship is held on the top floor in the atrium of Central
Plaza in Wanchai, on Hong Kong Island. It is the tallest tower in the
whole of Hong Kong, and rises way above the surrounding tower blocks.
The views are magnificent. The atrium has got very good acoustics and
both singing and instrumental music there are wonderful requiring no
amplication. The speaking voice is usually miked.
