For Chinese Christians 2007 was the year when we celebrated the 200th anniversary of the arrival of the Rev. Robert Morrison in China,” writes the Rev. Eric S. Y. So, general secretary of the Hong Kong Council of the Church of Christ in China (HKCCCC). “As the first Protestant missionary who came to China, Robert Morrison committed his whole life to the Chinese people and found solid ground for the establishment of Chinese Christianity. HKCCCC gives thanks to God for the achievement of Morrison and other missionaries and shares their vision in God’s mission.”

The 2007 theme for the HKCCCC was “With grateful hearts, we commit to mission.” Consequently, the Hong Kong Council mobilized the whole church to focus on mission and evangelism, youth training, stewardship, and Christian commitment.

Many people who live in Hong Kong don’t have much opportunity to see the poorest parts of China—the mountainous regions far from the cities of Shanghai and Beijing. To bring the reality of poverty closer to home, the HKCCCC recreated a village schoolhouse in the middle of a shopping mall. Thousands of Hong Kong shoppers who visited the exhibition were shocked by the sad reality of school facilities for many children just over the border—schools with broken roofs, no electricity, rickety benches, and tattered books. The contrast to even the poorest of Hong Kong schools was startling.

Mission co-worker Judy Chan writes, “We believe that other projects like this will continue to touch the hearts of people to get involved in our Rebuilding Collapsing Schools Project. So far we have rebuilt five hundred schools on the mainland and brought a much better study environment and renewed hope for many children in the mountains.”

PC(USA) People in Mission
Korea Vocational School: Rev. Ho Ban, computer science teacher, Min Young Ban, team ministry • Amity Foundation: Rev. Debbie Blane, English teacher, Church World Service (CWS), Kyle Fryling, English teacher, CWS, Juno Lee, mission volunteer, dental lab technician, Donald Lindsay, English teacher, CWS, Kathryn Lindsay, English teacher, CWS, Lucretia Meece, English teacher, CWS, Rachel Sterrett, English teacher, CWS, John Strong, public relations, Kimberly Strong, English lecturer/teacher-training specialist • World Mission (WM): Dr. Donald Snow, regional liaison and faculty, Nanjing University, Wei Hong Snow, librarian, Nanjing Theological Seminary • Rev. Judy Chan, communications specialist, Hong Kong Christian Council

PC(USA) General Assembly Staff
Rev. Mark Frey, BOP
Judith Freyer, BOP
Elder James Futrell, FDN