02.01.2024

Further Together

During the gathering, Dyah Krismawati (4th from right) und Volker Dally (3rd from right) met with CRC Chairman, Elder Chun-man Lo (2nd from right), Synod Pastor Rev. Josephine Liu (4th from left) and General Secretary Leon Chau (left). Photo by: CRC

"I am impressed by the innovative ideas of the CRC in Hong Kong, such as the establishment of a congregation with church premises in a shopping mall," says Volker Martin Dally, General Secretary of the United Evangelical Mission.

Together with Dyah Ayu Krismawati, Executive Secretary of the Asia and Germany Department of the UEM, he visited the CRC-HS* in Hong Kong at the end of November 2023. In view of the political situation and the pandemic, the visit was long overdue and was celebrated accordingly.

The challenges facing the CRC at the moment are the exodus in particular of young people from Hong Kong. This is accompanied by the fact that the CRC is currently 30% short of pastors, a situation that is also affecting other UEM member churches. After the pandemic, the number of people attending church services has not yet risen to its original level.

On the other hand, the CRC's main fields of work are still very active: evangelism, education and social work form the core of the church's work, which is part of Hong Kong society with 14 schools and kindergartens as well as seven family and elderly care centres. Its 18 congregations are spread not only across Hong Kong, but also in Taiwan, Canada, England, Cambodia and Italy.

The CRC and the UEM offer pastoral care and small training programmes for foreign domestic workers, mainly from Java, Indonesia. The programme takes place in the Wan Chai church with Rev. Yessi Kapitan from the GKJW. During the visit, the UEM pledged to further strengthen and support these services in the spirit of sustainable cooperation with the CRC.

For Volker Martin Dally, the CRC is an innovative church with great advantages: "For example, providing services for senior citizens in high-rise complexes where far more than 50% of people are over retirement age are really good ideas," says the General Secretary.

*CRC-HS = Chinese Rhenish Church – Hong Kong Synod