Church Planting Development and Current Situation
in Hong Kong
Alison Hui
ICT Research Director
In the recent decades, global church planting models have undergone significant updates due to rapid social changes and developments. In Western countries, church planting models have taken very diverse forms, including community churches, house churches, micro-churches, and Fresh Expressions, which aim to engage more deeply with community groups and non-believers in their living environments, allowing them to encounter the gospel and walk alongside them1.
Western church planting strategies have also seen multidirectional updates. Many church planters are now "slash pastors," simultaneously working in secular jobs and planting churches. Secular work helps pastors maintain financial stability while allowing them to connect with communities and non-believers outside traditional church settings1, responding to the mission and needs of the gospel. Due to rapid technological advancements, many church planting initiatives are also launching on online platforms.
In terms of church planting development, church growth has been relatively slow. U.S. statistics from 2019 show that there are approximately 350,000 to 400,000 churches nationwide2 , with about 4,000 new churches added annually, while 3,700 closed. In the UK, 2020 statistics indicate a total of about 50,000 churches; which between 2015 and 2020, 880 new congregations were established, while 1,900 closed, with the overall church population declining3. These figures may not include all new forms of churches, house churches, or micro-churches. For example, Fresh Expressions communities now account for 15% of the Church of England's congregation4.
Many organizations and denominations continue to conduct large-scale church planting movements worldwide. The Bread of Life Christian Church has planted over 700 churches in Taiwan and overseas regions, while City to City, originating from Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York, has planted over 2,100 churches globally since its establishment in 2000.
Church Planting Development in Hong Kong
The history of church planting in Hong Kong can be traced back to the year 1949. Following political changes in mainland China, many believers and missionaries were forced to leave the mainland and move south to Hong Kong, establishing numerous churches in the 1950s and 1960s. After the 1980s, with changes in Hong Kong's population and policies, churches and denominations actively engaged in church planting.
The church planting movements of three major denominations significantly increased the number of churches in Hong Kong and greatly expanded the number of believers:
The Baptist Church established the Hong Kong Baptist Church in 1901, which drove subsequent Baptist church planting5. Branch churches include Tsim Sha Tsui Baptist Church, Aberdeen Baptist Church, and Kowloon City Baptist Church. The Baptist Church also conducted swatow dialect evangelism and church planting in the 50s and 60s. The total number of Baptist churches in various districts of Hong Kong now exceeds 150.
The Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) had about 40 churches in the early 80s. Rev. Philip Teng, then chairman of C&MA Church Union established the "Hong Kong C&MA Ten-Year Church Planting Plan" to plant churches in various districts of Hong Kong in response to community development and needs. Among them, the C&MA North Point Alliance Church now has 25 branch churches. By 2021, the total number of C&MA Union Churches reached 1206, with nearly 100 more outside the union.
The Evangelical Free Church of China (EFCC) currently has about 60 church locations across Hong Kong. In the past, EFCC also had large-scale church planting, including more than ten Waterloo Hill branch churches such as Kong Fok Church and Yan Fook Church7. Between 2009 and 2019, EFCC invested more resources in church planting, establishing 14 new churches. Branch churches of larger congregations include: Tung Fook Chai Wan Church, Tung Fook Tuen Mun Church, Tung Fook Kowloon East Church, Tung Fook Tung Chung Church; as well as Yan Fook East Kowloon Church, Yan Fook Ma On Shan Church, Yan Fook Yuen Long Church, etc.
Other denominations including the Church of Christ in China, Lutheran Church, Anglican Church, Methodist Church, Rhenish Church, etc., also planted churches in various districts of Hong Kong in the 80s and 90s, with more church planting in the New Territories.
Stagnation and Turning Point in Hong Kong's Church Planting Development
Due to recent social, economic, and political changes in Hong Kong, the aforementioned church planting development has become a thing of the past, and church planting development has stagnated. According to data from the Hong Kong Church Renewal Movement, there were 1,287 Chinese-speaking congregations in 2014, an increase of 37 from 2009. In 2019, there were 1,305 Chinese-speaking congregations, an increase of 18 from 20148. These figures may not include all newly established micro-churches or Fresh Expressions of Church in Hong Kong. Church worship attendance remains to be approximately 3-4% of the population. Denominations and congregations are currently more focused on issues such as church renewal, challenges with youth groups, and declining numbers of pastors and members.
A comprehensive analysis conducted by the Bethel Ray Bakke Centre for Urban Transformation in 2018 showed that over 20% of Hong Kong residents identify as Christians9, which is significantly different from the 3-4% church worship attendance among the Hong Kong population. This data suggests that many believers may be experiencing faith outside of churches, while about 80% of Hong Kong's population follows other faiths or has no religious affiliation, indicating a great need for evangelism.
In recent years, some Christian leaders in Hong Kong have slowly been attempting to establish new forms of churches, including independent congregations, micro-churches, and missional communities, serving believers or non-believers from different backgrounds and those who have left traditional churches based on mission and vision. In response to the increasing needs of new immigrants from mainland China, many churches are also considering to expand their Mandarin ministries.
Church planting can motivate churches to rethink their evangelical mission and actively respond to the city's evangelistic needs. Church planting networks play a significant role in promoting the vision of church planting and building momentum. In light of this, ICT is promoting networking and establishing a Hong Kong Church Planting Network. Additionally, HKCNP and the Northern District Church Union are continuously sharing the vision of the Northern Metropolis, calling on Hong Kong churches to respond to this enormous evangelistic opportunity. It is hoped that more congregations will once again focus on church planting, regain the momentum for planting churches, spread the gospel, and experience renewal in the process.
Reference:
-
The Christian and Missionary Alliance. The New Faces of Church Planting https://cmalliance.org/the-new-faces-of-church-planting/
-
Churches of God General Conference. What will Church Planting Look like in 2033 https://cggc.org/cggc-enews/what-will-church-planting-look-like-in-2033/
-
Lausanne Movement. Christianity in the UK
https://lausanne.org/global-analysis/christianity-in-the-uk -
Church of England. Fresh expressions in the Church of England
https://www.churchofengland.org/about/fresh-expressions-church-england -
區伯平. 浸信會的佈道植堂. 基督教週報
https://www.christianweekly.net/2024/ta2043486.htm -
宣道會北角堂. 教會與「公司」有何相干
https://www.npac.org.hk/mobile/20221204.html -
中國基督教播道會總會. 窩福堂：生養眾多……
https://www.efcc.org.hk/Articles/view/3005 -
香港教會更新運動. 2019香港教會普查
https://www.hkchurch.org/2019-research -
許家欣. 究竟香港有多少基督徒？時代論壇https://christiantimes.org.hk/Common/Reader/News/ShowNews.jsp?Nid=155319&Pid=104&Version=0&Cid=2053&Charset=big5_hkscs
-
伯特利神學院柏祺城市轉化中心. 動盪中重思教會的本質──教會新型態質性研究. 時代論壇
https://christiantimes.org.hk/Common/Reader/News/ShowNews.jsp?Nid=165850&Pid=104&Version=0&Cid=2053&Charset=big5_hkscs