Hong Kong and Macau (7)
Macau: Attending Church
Part 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8
March 1996
Bishop Ray Seilhamer, Lance Clark, and Brent Kuster had already gone to Hoi Fu Garden on Sunday morning. We'll attend a church service there with missionaries from other groups working in Macau. I stayed behind to finish paying the bill and to reserve a room for Wedneday night, when we would return to Macau. Then I went outside and hailed a cab.
"Hoi Fu Garden," I told the woman driver.
She said, "Hoi Fu i'mnotsurewhat?"
I repeated, a little more distinctly, "Hoi Fu Garden."
She said, a little more distinctly, "Hoi Fu somethingorother?"
This went back and forth several more times, both of us saying words the other person didn't understand and thinking that if we just enunciated a little better, the other person would catch on.
Finally, when she said, "Hoi Fu whatevershesaid?", she pointed up the hill, like, "We go that way, right?"
Actually, we go up that way and circle clear around. I drew a big semi-circle, starting up the hill and ending behind me. She nodded. "Go," I told her, and she took me right to the apartments. As we approached, she pointed at the building and said, shaking her head, "Hoi Fu istilldon'tunderstand."
"Good, good," I told her.
* * * * * *
We hear a lot about the megachurches in South Korea which have tens of thousands of people. But that phenomenon doesn't reach into Hong Kong and Macau. The biggest church in Hong Kong, according to K. K. Chen, has around 2000 people. In Macau, the biggest church has around 200.
Luke says there are basically four groups of Protestant churches in Macau.
1. The Church Union churches. This is a group of 15-20 churches which belong to a cooperative group called the Church Union. "They're are mostly indigenous churches, non-missionary churches," Luke explains. "They are pretty tightly tied in to Macau Bible Institute, which is the only seminary in Macau. The seminary is very influential with the Church Union churches."
2. The Campus Crusade churches. There are about ten of them, with attendances from 30 to 200. They basically make up their own denomination, and are headed by a very strong leader named Pastor Lam.
3. Charismatic churches. This includes several different groups, including the Assemblies of God, will lucked into a huge facility. Luke guesses they have about 150 people, and conduct Filipino, Portuguese, English, and Chinese ministries.
4. The missionary churches. The Southern Baptists have been here for many decades, and have three self-standing churches plus four or five other preaching sites. The largest, Luke says, has about 150 people. The Conservative Baptists have two churches which parallel the two United Brethren churches; one Conservative Baptist church started the same time as living Water, the other the same time as Living Word, and they're growth has been similar. TEAM takes a low-key approach, and does a lot of work with contract workers who come from China for two years, then go back. The Evangelical Free church arrived in town about a year ago.
"The missionaries have done a pretty good job of not lining themselves up with any of these other groups, so it's possible for us to play with everybody pretty happily," Luke says.
Of course, there are various non-Protestant groups. At the top of the list is the Catholic Church. In some places in the world, the Catholic church has let itself be heavily influenced by the local culture. It's called syncretism. That's what happened in Macau. Many Buddhist and pagan elements have crept in. Just look at St. Paul's ruins. There is a dragon, a skeleton, and other symbols which have no Christian meaning.
Luke says Protestant Christians don't align themselves as even of the same faith as Catholics. They use two different names. The word "Christians" means "Christ religion." The word used for the Catholics means "heavenly word religion." Macau people see them as two totally different religions.
Then there are the cults--the Bahai, Mormons, Children of God, Jehovah's Witnesses. "We don't have much contact with them," Luke says.
What will happen in the future, when China takes over? Instead of taking a heavy-handed approach and demanding that all churches register with the government, Luke suspect that they'll establish a relationship with a group that already has members--perhaps the Church Union. To be officially recognized, all churches will have to register with that group.
When that happens, the churches in Macau, as well as in Hong Kong, will have to weigh the pros of cons of registering, or not registering--if, of course, they have a choice.
"I really believe Macau should follow Hong Kong's lead," Luke says. "That's why we haven't picked a group, because Hong Kong hasn't given us a strong lead one way or the other, so we're holding off to see which way they go.
"I think the best option is to follow Hong Kong. If Hong Kong says, ÔWe're going to register and end up being part of the Three-Self Movement,' we should go that way. And if Hong Kong says, ÔNo, we're going to take a lower profile and not register, and take whatever risks go along with that,' then I think we ought to follow them."
* * * * * *
Every Sunday morning at 8:30, missionaries from various organizations meet in someone's home to hold an English-speaking worship service. It traces back to 1987.
The Fetters and Burkett families met on Sunday nights during their nine months of language study in Hong Kong. Their first week in Macau, they met two Conservative Baptist couples who had been meeting on Sunday mornings. They decided to join forces.
Other missionaries joined. Luke figures that as a group, they haven't missed more than a couple Sundays since 1987. They'll have anywhere from 15 to 45 people, and they focus on worship, education, and support.
"It's been my favorite church expression ever," Luke told us.
Lance and I went with Piers. He took us down to level 2, then walked us across the parking lot/courtyard to the elevators for a different tower. The door opened to reveal a man, two women, and a teenage boy, all Caucasians. Seeing Piers, the man said, "You must be going to the same place we are, if you're with that guy."
We were. About 40 people gathered in the apartment of Paul and Diana Mayhugh, one of the original Conservative Baptist couples. The place was thoroughly crowded.
"How many are United Brethren?" Diana asked as the service got underway.
Many hands went up. Definitely the majority today. We were scattered throughout the room. Bishop Seilhamer sat on one of the two sofas facing each other in the center of the room, while Alaine Caster and Linda Burns sat across from him with another couple.
Paul Mayhugh asked Luke to introduce his guests, "starting with the bishop."
"You don't have to tell me to start with the bishop," Luke joked.
He introduced Bishop Seilhamer. Then, motioning toward Alaine, who was seated opposite the bishop, "Perhaps even more important, from my perspective--Alaine Caster." He introduced her as the newest member of their team.
Using a Maranatha Praise chorus book, we sang several familiar selections--"All Hail King Jesus," "Shine Jesus Shine," "Give thanks," "Lord I Lift Your Name on High." Those choruses never sounded so good as they did that morning coming from all of those missionaries in that small apartment.
Jana played the piano. Piers and his brother, Bridger, sat on either side of Brent, looking at his songbook. Little Bronwen played with a stuffed toy and glasses at Audrey's feet.
We did a responsive reading from the back of a hymnal. There was a prayer time. Then they divided into Sunday schools. A junior high class headed into a bedroom beside me and closed the door. Jana took a class of primary age kids somewhere else.
Bishop Seilhamer spoke to the rest of us, an interactive message from Habakkuk. After speaking for a bit, he asked, "When, in Macau, does it appear that God isn't hearing your prayers?"
Stacey mentioned a student she has befriended. They have lunch occasionally. On Saturday, she went to her office for lunch, but she wasn't there. Looking around, Stacey could see how she kept adding more Buddhist idols and images. It was frustrating to her. Other missionaries gave examples from their own lives.
Alas, some of us needed to leave early. Luke stood, and Lance, Brent, and I followed him out the door. Had to get to Living Water Church to set up the camera equipment before the service started.
* * * * * *
Next: Part 8
|
