HONG KONG: Primate notes church's growth on visit to New York
Episcopal News Service. May 23, 2007 [052307-05]
Julia Fleming, Journalism major at the University of Florida, summer intern for Episcopal Life
Archbishop Paul Kwong of Hong Kong visited the Episcopal Church Center in New York City on May 22 to discuss the current state of the church in Hong Kong and meet with Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori.
During a general briefing with Church Center staff, Kwong discussed different topics, from his interest in seeing the church continue to expand, to his concerns for the people of Hong Kong. He said there has been much growth in the church in the nine years since the inauguration of Hong Kong as a province.
"The clergy are working very, very hard to serve the people," he said, outlining plans for several new churches. "I really want to see more young people come forward for the ministry."
He described the government's attempts to promote a good economy and community harmony, but Kwong said he has two main concerns for the people -- the economy, hurt badly after the handover of the island by the British to China, but now stabilizing, and the family unit, which has suffered from an increase in occurrences of domestic violence.
"Family is the basic unit of society…it affects everything," Kwong said.
The Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui (HKSKH) was inaugurated as an Anglican province in 1997, making it the newest of the 38 provinces in the Anglican Communion.
Kwong, former provincial secretary of HKSKH, was elected as Primate on February 3 and succeeded the Most Rev. Peter Kwong who served as Primate since 1998.