This is my story - Hong Kong/Taiwan 79

79 - English speaking Corps (church)

The language used in all the Corps (churches) in Hong Kong has always been Cantonese. However at the Kowloon Central Corps, there is simultaneous interpretation into English for the benefit of tourists and those who do not understand Cantonese. Headsets are provided for them during the meetings for them to listen in English.

A bi-monthly Sunday English meeting was held in the evening at the Kowloon Central Corps and different reinforcement officers took turns to be responsible. Requests were put to me to hold weekly meetings and soon this was put into operation.

One Salvationist couple from Scotland, Dr. Albert Clark and lecturer at the University of Hong Kong and his wife Jeanette chose to worship at Wanchai Corps. There he even built up a good band and was their bandmaster for many years. The meetings were all in Cantonese, but this couple did not mind at all. They were there to worship God and there was always some comrade who would sit beside them to interpret the message into English.

The Clarks were very good Salvationists and contributed much to the church at Wanchai. Quite often the Wanchai band would be on duty at our regular weekly Thursday night Holiness meeting. I did the preaching most weeks with participation by folk from various Corps (churches.) The meeting was bi-lingual – Cantonese and English.

The Property Secretary Major Joe Wilcox and his wife chose to worship at the Tai Hung Tung Corps where he built up a very good band. Language was no barrier for there were always those who would interpret for them. They became part of the fellowship supporting and encouraging each other in the name of Christ and witnessing to His glory.

To cater for the growing number of foreign workers, particularly those who worked as domestic workers, most of them came from the Philippines; we started an English speaking Corps at the Command Headquarters on Sunday evenings. The reinforcement officers would join them in worship and one of the reinforcement officers was appointed as the Corps Officer (pastor)

The English speaking Corps later was relocated to Wanchai and an officer from the Philippines now takes charge of this church.

John Oxenham expresses beautifully the universal character of the church to which we belong.

In Christ there is no East or West,
In Him no South or North;
But one great fellowship of love
Throughout the whole wide earth.