AN INTERVIEW ON THE CHURCH IN HONG KONG

Hong Kong faces a time of unprecedented change. On top of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese government has placed a firm foothold into the administrative region, enacting laws that yield mixed responses within the region’s communities. Waves of pro-democracy protests are contrasted with crackdowns and airs of reservation from other residents. Amid this political instability, the church in Hong Kong also wrestles with divisions that stand in the way of Paul’s vision of a unified church in Christ.

With that in mind, we are delighted to have John speak to us. Herein, he shares about his experiences with the church in Hong Kong and its response to the political and societal turmoil. Read on to learn more about the unique challenge of navigating contrasting opinions and maintaining unity within the body of Christ. Use this interview to pray for church unity in a world that actively pursues its destruction.

1. Tell us about yourself. What did you do while you were in Hong Kong?

When I lived in Hong Kong, my wife and I were attending a Baptist church. Although Baptist churches in Hong Kong were established more than a century ago by missionaries, they are no longer connected with the American Baptist churches.

Now, my parents are also Christians, and I attended that church with them when I was young. Then my wife and I attended an Alliance seminary in Hong Kong before we returned to serve in our church in a pastoral capacity. To be clear, in Hong Kong, ordained pastors usually called a different title, a Reverend. I still work as a pastor, unordained. It’s just how my church works in terms of policy.

That said, I was a youth pastor in Hong Kong. I, along with several other pastors, ministered to people between the ages of 12 and 34. We served in various ways, from preparing biblical study materials to personal growth for our church’s youth.

2. How have events in Hong Kong impacted the church’s unity?

The situation in Hong Kong has been changing a lot over the past decade. As a background information, I’m now talking about the situation during the protests, rather than the present-day situation. The city has been divided on whether the government, both Hong Kong and Chinese, or the protestors were responsible for the social unrest in the region. Such divisions have been taking place between churches or between members of the same church in that period. For instance, some of the churches believed in taking in the protestors, providing them with food, water, and rest. Other churches disagreed with their actions and pointed to Romans 13. They used the passage as justification for churches having to obey the governments in power, no matter the political situation.

Congregations within churches have also faced similar divisions in response to the instability. People like to say that the split is an age-based one, where the younger ones are more likely to protest while the elderly are more reserved. That’s generally true but not always the case here. More importantly, a lot of people find themselves unsure of what to do with this kind of situation. On the one hand, people want a society with harmony, without disruptions to stability. Some churches want to stay out of politics because it’s not their job given the separation of church and state. On the other hand, other churches may want to get more involved, and those participating in the protests will attend those churches instead.

3. That sounds like a really difficult situation. How has it affected people’s choices on whether to live in Hong Kong or leave?

Like other people in Hong Kong, many Hong Kong Christians have left Hong Kong in the past few years. That’s despite the fact we still have freedom to spread the gospel to people who need it in Hong Kong. Much of it is because of the ongoing social unrest in the region. Young families are concerned about the political atmosphere of their children, unsure of what will happen to them as the situation continues to unravel. Other people just don’t want to live in a situation where they’re constantly scared of what will happen next.

Even so, most of Hong Kong Christians continue to stay even with the instability. Those Christians who stay continue to evangelize across the region, at the same time adapting to the new situation in their sharing of the gospel.

4. It sounds like a complex situation in Hong Kong right now. How can we pray for you and the church?

We may pray for both of the Christians who left Hong Kong and stay there. For those who fled Hong Kong, many of them were deeply disappointed of what happened in the last few years. They must start over and have to find new church communities in a foreign land and have to acclimatize to the new realities they live in. I pray that all those Christians will find not only new churches to fit into but their mission in their new situation too. Finally, we may pray that the Christians in Hong Kong to have the wisdom to serve the city in its new situation, the love to demonstrate kindness in repairing broken relationships, and the hope for those who are hurt and discouraged.