KUC Centenary

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KUC@100: Grounded in God, Growing in Faith, Giving in Community

Concept note on the commemoration of the 100th year of the Kowloon Union Church in 2024

“Just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, 
and to give his life a ransom for many.”
Matthew 20:28

2024 marks the 100th year of the Kowloon Union Church.

Since the beginning of their first morning services in January 1924, the Kowloon Union Church, or KUC, has been celebrating and spreading God’s word of love, justice and hope to residents of Hong Kong, continuously rooting itself in a growing community both in the territory and overseas, and fulfilling its prophetic role as a church of God.

Its 100 years is exemplified by its motto, Where All Are One, in which KUC heartwarmingly embraces and welcomes members and churchgoers of various racial and ethnic, age and social, gender and sexual backgrounds. It has engaged in God’s mission of advancing God’s kindom of justice and peace on earth and commit to live out the Gospel of loving one another in church and in the wider society. 

Its 100 years is celebrated through the many churches, peoples and organizations who have entered or gone through, resided or remained, renewed or have grown, in the humble halls of the red-bricked building along Jordan Road. It has been and continues to be a home to many new churches. It has been and remains to be a friend or refuge to migrants, refugees and marginalized peoples. It has been a faithful servant of God working in commune with churches here and overseas. 

Its 100 years is committing to be faithful vassals of God’s spirit and grace. The KUC is an embodiment of its history of service and sacrifices, hardships and joys, of the multitudes of people who have become and continue to be its members, the community it has become a part of and has built, and its continued fulfilment of its mission.

With these in our hearts and minds, we celebrate KUC’s 100th year with: Grounded in God. Growing in Faith. Giving in Community. 

Position Statement on Harassment

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Belief

As Christians we believe that every human being is created in the image of God, and as a Christian community, members of our congregation must endeavor to create an environment of safety and trust, in which the dignity and worth of all human beings is affirmed.

This is consistent with the KUC Constitution, which says that:

In obedience to the Holy Spirit, the purpose of KUC shall be to gather people of different traditions and cultures in the worship of the triune God, to proclaim the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, to nurture believers in the Christian faith, to engage in mission, to respond to human need and to work for justice and peace for all.

Harassment is a violation of human dignity. No one should be subjected to any form of harassment. Anyone can say no to it and take action to stop harassment. Anyone has the right to make a complaint.

The church will take all possible actions to prevent it from happening and to address the problem once identified.

The church is committed to promote the consciousness of justice, fairness, sincerity and openness in respect of gender equality and mutual respect. It is also committed to raising the awareness of the need to eliminate and prevent harassment through education and public awareness.

The church is committed to provide a safe environment for all people to worship, grow in faith and serve in God. When harassment occurs, the church will do its best to provide the complainant, the accused and their respective families with appropriate referral services or corresponding counseling and pastoral support.

Definitions

In general, the following are definitions of harassment:

Harassment is any form of unwelcome, unsolicited or unreciprocated behaviour that denigrates someone, offends them, or humiliates them on the grounds of their race, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, religion, disability or other background or identity. Harassment creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment that causes people to suffer or negatively affects them.

The Hong Kong legislature has passed three ordinances that may be relevant to the issue of harassment, namely: Cap. 480 Sex Discrimination Ordinance; Cap. 487 Disability Discrimination Ordinance; and Cap. 620 Race Discrimination Ordinance.

The Ordinances are applicable to areas such as employment and the provision of service. A person shall be liable for one’s unlawful action, and through civil proceedings, the KUC Council is liable for the unlawful action of its employees and any of its authorized agents. Furthermore, each Ordinance has provisions detailing examples or cases in which a person may experience harassment.

Our responsibility as a church

Elements of oppression/harassment based on gender, race, and other social categories exist; but as a Christian community, we must strive to overcome these within our midst, and also to be the salt and light of the earth—being a part of struggles in the wider community to eliminate these, wherever we find them.

Staff, church leaders and members are encouraged to attend workshops and training with a gender-based understanding on harassment, especially sexual harassment, and its prevention.   

To further the church-wide effort, KUC offers the following documents to guide our aim to end and prevent harassment:

1. Guidelines to Respond to Harassment

2. Educational materials to raise awareness and understanding on various forms of harassment (see the appendix)

For anyone wishing to make a complaint, they should contact the minister-in-charge and/or the council chairperson as outlined in the KUC Guidelines to Respond to Harassment.

Mission Statement

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The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free. Luke 4:18

Kowloon Union Church is a Community of Believers. The church unites in fellowship Christians of differing traditions and nationalities to be renewed and empowered by the Spirit through our worship and service in the name of God and Jesus Christ.

Kowloon Union Church is a Prophetic Church. The church undertakes our responsibilities as members of society who take seriously the realities around us. As a community of faith grounded on Christ’s ministry of love, justice and respect for human and natural life, we speak and act to promote the justice and life of God’s Kingdom, which contravenes injustice and degradation of life.

Kowloon Union Church is a Servant Church. The church understands our mission to be both toward our members and toward the larger community of Hong Kong and Asia. We view this dual mission, not as a static role, but as a living role that grows and is transformed according to the changing needs of our community and the region.

Kowloon Union Church seeks to empower and enrich our faith community by planting and nurturing the seeds of the Holy Spirit for Christians of all ages, as we witness to the redeeming power of God’s love and grace.

We will strive to provide a hospitable worship environment for members and visitors by being conscious of the various gifts and needs of different cultural groups.

We will also seek to strengthen the bonds of fellowship in Hong Kong by expanding our relationship with other churches in the community, as well as by engaging in dialogue with people of other faiths and building relationships with them.

Kowloon Union Church endeavors to stand with those who are vulnerable in society and to care for all Creation. The church seeks to empower and serve the marginalized people of Hong Kong—our primary arena of mission—as well as others in Asia. We complement our empowerment of others by also sending our members out into today’s world to do the work of Christ in our homes and workplaces to the best of our ability.

As a faith community, we are committed to transforming our prayers into acts of compassion and acts for justice for all.

(Revised & adopted in November 2014)