wfn.org | Hong Kong Christians

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"UNITED METHODIST DAILY NEWS 97" by SUSAN PEEK on April 15, 1997 at 14:24
Eastern, about DAILY NEWS RELEASES FROM UNITED METHODIST NEWS SERVICE (224
notes).

Note 224 by UMNS on July 17, 1997 at 15:52 Eastern (3231 characters).

Produced by United Methodist News Service, official news agency of
the United Methodist Church, with offices in Nashville, Tenn., New
York, and Washington.

CONTACT:  Linda Bloom                          412(10-33-71B){224}
          New York (212) 870-3803                    July 17, 1997

Methodist finds Christians in Hong Kong
have hopeful but cautious attitude

                    by United Methodist News Service

     Christians in Hong Kong seem hopeful but cautious about that
nation's return to Chinese control, according to a United
Methodist who met recently with church leaders there.
     Frances Alguire of New Buffalo, Mich., who serves as
chairwoman of the World Methodist Council, was in Hong Kong July
8-14 as an ecumenical guest at the Lutheran World Federation
assembly.
     She also spoke at a Methodist church there and met with the
retiring president and new president of the Methodist Church, Hong
Kong.
     Tung Chee-hwa, who has been appointed chief executive of Hong
Kong, spoke to the 402 delegates and hundreds of other
participants at the Lutheran World Federation Assembly.
     "The encouraging word from his greeting is he said there
would be freedom of religion (and) freedom of the press," Alguire
said.
     Tung told the assembly the rights and property of religious
groups in Hong Kong will be protected under the Basic Law now in
effect. He pledged that the Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region would continue to preserve freedom of speech, assembly, the
press and other freedoms the people there have enjoyed in the
past. 
     Alguire said Methodist leaders there are "waiting and
watching, but hopeful and rejoicing."
     They shared with her the draft of a "Pastoral Letter for a
New Era," written by the ministerial section of the Methodist
Church.
     The letter affirms the new "one country, two systems" plan
for Hong Kong, recognizes the government of the People's Republic
of China, and affirms the importance of the church's participation
and role in society.
     It continues the commitment to evangelization, education and
social service and action, including the support of democratic
reforms. "We are concerned with the gap between the rich and the
poor, the insufficiency of social security, the ambiguity of moral
values, the lack of a long term plan for the society," the draft
letter said. "We urge the government to speed up improvement in
those areas."
     With the formation of the Special Administrative Region, a
new relationship between the church and government must be
established, according to the Methodists. They support the
separation of church and state and declare "when the demands of
government policy conflict with the will of God, we should act
according to the highest principle of obedience to God."
     The Methodists are continuing their relationship with the
churches in China, chiefly through the Council of Churches in
China and Council of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement there. "We
shall support the reconstruction, expansion or building of
churches and seminaries in the mainland," the letter said, as well
as supporting other church-related needs and projects.
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