Chairperson's Remarks

Twenty years ago, at the time of the founding of Hong Kong Christian Institute (HKCI), I invited a sister from my church who had tremendous artistic talent to design a logo for the new organization. The logo thus created features a boat symbolizing HKCI with the cross being its mast with a flag: it was hoped that HKCI would bravely sail against the tide in its Christian witness. However, I onder if we had so much faith at that time as to believe that this little boat would have sailed for as long as twenty years. In your company, HKCI witnessed the student democratic movement in 1989 and Hong Kong’s reunification with China in 1997, as well as the SARS outbreak and the Article 23 fiasco in 2003. We have also actively participated in local democratic movement and the building of civil society in Hong Kong over those years. And now, the recent global financial crisis has started to exert its great impact on different levels of our society. As we celebrate HKCI’s twentieth anniversary, we should look back with praising and thankful hearts, willing to humble ourselves before God and keep going forward with churches and society of Hong Kong.

In the previous year, with the help of our colleagues, members and friends, HKCI devoted considerable efforts in supporting Hong Kong’s democratic movement, civic education for young people, human rights, livelihood of the people, marginal groups, development of urban culture and alternative economy, racial harmony, inter-religious dialogues, ecumenical movement, and theological reflections.

The most important “asset” of HKCI is its passionate staff members with a deep sense of mission. Regarding their hard work, I would like on behalf of the management committee to express our heartfelt appreciation to them. Bidding farewell to Ms. Connie Leung and Mr. Fan Lap Hin who left this year, we extend a warm welcome to Mr. Samuel Iu and Mr. Lee Ling Hon who joined the staff in early September. Mr Jason Too Kin Wai, who assumed acting directorship since last year, will resign in the coming January to start a new career. We would like to thank him for his contributions to HKCI in the past ten years. The management committee of the coming year will start to find a suitable person to assume the post of director who will steer this little boat and keep it sailing forward, hopefully reinvigorating us and opening up new horizons in respect of our work in church renewal and social reform.

I would like to share with you all verses from Psalm 146, as a reminder of our mission in the world.

Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul……
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
Whose hope is in the LORD his God,
The Maker of heaven and earth, the sea,
And everything in them— the LORD,
Who remains faithful for ever.
He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets prisoners free, the LORD gives sight to the blind,
The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down,
The LORD loves the righteous.
The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
But he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
The LORD reigns forever……
Praise the LORD.

Helena WONG Pik-wan