Bustling Hong Kong Sees Expansion of Kingdom Preaching
HONG KONG, “the beautiful harbor,” is truly a beautiful sight, but also a busy and bustling one. From high, windswept Victoria Peak, which dominates Hong Kong, you can see the exclusive residential area on the slopes. Then you see multistory apartment buildings, the crowded business area and, across the harbor, the high-risers and other buildings of Kowloon. The harbor is a beehive of activity with more than 50 ships from world ports being handled each day. Any day of the year, junks and sampans can be seen side by side with modern oceangoing vessels and rapid harbor ferries.
This hubbub of activity in the harbor is repeated on dry land. It is characteristic of Hong Kong. Not only has its population exploded from 23,000 to more than 5 million during the last 140 years, but the industrial and building expansion during the past 20 years has been nothing short of phenomenal.
Expansion in housing is seen in the huge housing estates and apartment buildings springing up. Modern air-conditioned trains, supplemented by taxis, trams and double-decker buses and cross-harbor ferries, provide some of the finest and cheapest means of public transportation in the world. An air of confidence, prosperity and industriousness permeates the city and its inhabitants.
PREACHING OF THE “GOOD NEWS” MOVES AHEAD
Where there are people, the good news of Jehovah’s kingdom must be preached. (Mark 13:10) A little preaching was done by visiting witnesses of Jehovah prior to 1949. Then two missionaries from the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead’s 11th class, William Carnie and Roy Spencer, arrived. But what could two people do in the midst of this large, bustling city with its tremendous number of four-or five-story tenement houses? They simply started from house to house, climbing one dark, narrow stairway after another, looking for those interested in God’s kingdom. At first, the missionaries could witness only to those who could speak English. But gradually they learned the Cantonese language, and then were able to speak to all whom they met.
Here and there some persons showed interest and began to study. Some of these became Jehovah’s Witnesses and joined the two missionaries in the preaching work. As the number taking up the preaching work increased, it was necessary for time and attention to be devoted to building up their faith in Jehovah and appreciation for him and the workings of his organization. They benefited from the appointment of elders to build up the congregations.
By August of 1973 the number sharing in the preaching work had grown to 278. These had looked forward with great anticipation to the “Divine Victory” International Assembly scheduled in Hong Kong that year. Their appreciation for the worldwide organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses was enhanced by the presence at this assembly of five members of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses. When this assembly opened there were 462 in attendance. Here was evidence that the work would now move ahead at a quicker pace.
PRINTED PAGE HELPS THE WORK
Though being few in number compared with the population of Hong Kong, Jehovah’s Witnesses have not been discouraged. They have greatly appreciated the help of printed publications, especially the book The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life and the magazines The Watchtower and Awake!
An example of the effect of the printed publications can be seen in the experience of a Witness who met a young man at the door as he was preparing to go out. He had no time to listen to her and was quite abrupt, but the Witness presented the two magazines in a friendly manner. Turning to his elderly mother, the young man said: “Give her the contribution.” On being handed the two magazines, he said abruptly: “Just put them on the table.” He did not read them, but his two friends who came a little later looked at the magazines and asked where he had obtained them. “Take them and read them if you want to,” he said. “I don’t have the time.” Both these young men did just that and later subscribed for both magazines.
In another instance, a missionary encouraged a young student, who was too busy to discuss the Bible, to subscribe for Awake! He did and read various articles at intervals throughout the year. He became more receptive to the Kingdom message and renewed his subscription. In time he began to attend Christian meetings at the Kingdom Hall. Today this young man and two of his sisters are actively sharing in the preaching work.
MANY YOUTHS TAKE PART
It is noticeable that the majority of those sharing in the Kingdom-preaching work in Hong Kong are in their late teens or early twenties. Some are children of dedicated Chinese Witnesses, whereas many others have taken to the truth in their youth.
In general, the youth of today are less tradition-bound than their parents. Through the influence of television and the newspapers young people are more aware of the world’s troubles and the pressures of life. These are confirmed by their own experiences. Though they can enjoy a better standard of living than their parents did in their youth, young persons can often see that human efforts are doomed to failure.
When they learn that God’s kingdom is mankind’s only hope they devote themselves wholeheartedly to the truth. They are very serious about personal study, attendance at congregation meetings, sharing in the preaching work and also their prayers. This helps them to make rapid spiritual progress. They are thus strengthened to resist the materialistic pressures of the present world and to maintain a commendable degree of zeal in Jehovah’s service.—1 John 2:15-17.
INDUSTRIOUSNESS GETS RESULTS
The industriousness that characterizes the people of Hong Kong also characterizes Jehovah’s Witnesses here. They are getting fine results and are moving ahead. Literature placements are high. For example, during June 1981, a record high of 895 Kingdom publishers placed more than 34,000 magazines and conducted 1,391 Bible studies.
These results are not achieved because the residents of Hong Kong are more receptive to the message than people are in other places. In part, the results must be said to reflect the zeal of the publishers. Though many Witnesses work long hours in factories, yet the more than 800 of them devote an average of over 15 hours a month in helping others to learn the truths of the Bible. About 10 percent of these spend their full time throughout the year in the preaching work, and more than half of the remainder share in the auxiliary pioneer service one or more times a year. It is this zeal, plus their alertness to make use of every opportunity to preach to others, that gets results.
For example, in the very exclusive area called “The Peak” it is difficult to meet people when going from house to house. Two of Jehovah’s Witnesses noticed that people went for early morning walks along the tree-lined roads and paths; so they also decided to take a walk in this area at seven o’clock Sunday mornings. They would walk along and talk with people. Many of these would listen and accept magazines. During one month two publishers placed 300 magazines in this way. Thus people in this exclusive area are now being reached.
Another example is a congregation of 60 Kingdom publishers who planned to take a ferry to an outlying settlement in order to preach to the people there. On previous occasions the Witnesses had all sat together in one section of the ferry and had enjoyed Christian fellowship. On this occasion, however, they decided that they would speak to every ferry passenger about the good news of the Kingdom and would offer magazines. So, on boarding the ferry at the pier, more than 50 publishers spread out among the passengers, each reading his magazine. It was not long before conversations were started and magazines were being placed. As one Witness explained: “The kingdom of Jehovah was the most talked about thing on the ferry that morning and many people took Bible literature home with them.”
More than one home Bible study is conducted in Hong Kong for every person preaching the Kingdom message. This fine number of Bible studies has not been reached because studies are so easy to start. Actually, it is quite difficult to get one started and it is more difficult to keep it going on a regular basis. But the Witnesses in Hong Kong accept this as a challenge. One of the reasons why many show interest in the auxiliary pioneer service is so that they can get a Bible study.
One housewife and mother of four children had only learned to read and write since getting a knowledge of the truth. She was disappointed that she was not conducting a Bible study. But she was encouraged to share in the auxiliary pioneer service and spend 60 hours a month in the ministry, because in this way she would distribute more literature to people, would get more opportunities for return visits and would have greater prospects of starting a study. She enthusiastically shared in this service and since that time has been conducting two home Bible studies.
During the 1980 service year alone, there was an average of 90 sharing in the auxiliary pioneer work each month. For the first six months of the 1981 service year, each month 92, on an average, have been sharing in this feature of service. So it can be appreciated that the high figure for Bible studies in Hong Kong is the direct result of the zeal and industriousness displayed by the Witnesses.
The Witnesses in Hong Kong are very spiritually minded and appreciate fully that though they may show zeal in their work of planting and watering, it is Jehovah “who makes it grow.” (1 Cor. 3:6, 7) This growth is also seen in the fact that the greater part of the work being done here is now being carried on by local Chinese Witnesses. They have a fine spirit and appreciate deeply the privilege of serving Jehovah in the field. Moreover, they are very serious and genuinely want to do what is right. It is worthy of note that in the 30-year history of the Kingdom-preaching work in Hong Kong only 15 have been disfellowshiped.
As in all parts of the world, Jehovah’s Witnesses in Hong Kong are also facing increasing anxieties and pressures. But they are positive and optimistic in their work of proclaiming the “good news,” confident that, with Jehovah’s blessing, the work will continue to move ahead.—1 Cor. 15:58; 16:13, 14.