Celebrate Life Baptist Church Peace Mission

Benjamin Chan, Ivy and Emerson Wu

February 15, 2021

The Celebrate Life Baptist Church (CLBC) in Hong Kong has developed a Peace Plan 2020 to help their members to learn the biblical principles of peace and practical skills of conflict management. The goal is to equip the church members as peace ambassadors of Christ when Hong Kong experienced divisions and tension. Rev. Lawance Chan, senior pastor of the church shared, “Our pastoral team developed four stages of the training and printed promotional flyers and teaching materials. We started the program, but everything changed when the COVID-19 hit the city. From February, our attention has shifted to protecting each other by wearing masks and observing social distancing. All church gatherings were conducted virtually.”

International Ministries (IM) has provided a grant to support the Peace Plan of CLBC. When CLBC requested to use part of the grant towards COVID relief, IM gave immediate approval. CLBC has become one of the major partners of IM to distribute more than 40,000 protective masks to the most needed individuals and families. Rev. Chan has worked closely with Ivy and Emerson Wu and Ben Chan to assess the COVID situation, and implement further COVID relief. Rev. Chan shared, “As a church, we have tried our very best to bring about hope and peace to our neighbors through various services. I am touched by the pro-active involvement of my fellow pastors and church members even taking risk in providing our service. We thank God that in 2020, we are able to provide 16,000 pieces of surgical masks and sanitizers to 500 underprivileged people; and sanitary packs and free food packs to 300 families with whom we continue our pastoral care. Our team of more than 30 peace ambassadors maintain tangible service and emotional support to these families and other neighbors. Despite the COVID restrictions, we are able to finish 4 workshops helping church members to understand their own emotion and learn how to communicate with people who have different political and social opinions, and how to handle interpersonal conflict. We also conducted 2 seminars on how to live in conflict and crisis situations from the Bible and role models.

Emerson and Ivy who coordinate the COVID relief in Hong Kong shared, “It is hard to believe that there are close to 1.5 million poor Hong Kongers in such an affluent city of 7.5 million (according to a report in December 2020: https://www.tellerreport.com/life/2020-12-24—-hong-kong-poor-population-nearly-1-5-million-poverty-alleviation-committee-member–losw-wages-are-the-root-cause–.rk7jfrtZaD.html). Unfortunately, Hong Kong is facing a resurgent COVID situation. CLBC has extended Jesus’ love in words and in actions in the most difficult time of the city. IM will continue to work with Rev. Chan and his team, and other partner Baptist churches and NGOs in Hong Kong to bring comfort and peace via prayers and relief assistance.”

                                                  CLBC Peace Plan Leadership Team.