As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, internationally, another milestone should be recognized. July 1, 1997, marks the anniversary of when the British government handed over control of Hong Kong to the People’s Republic of China. A 50-year transitional period was established under a principle known as “one country, two systems,” in which Hong Kong serves as a capitalist center in an otherwise Communist nation. It also serves as the hub for religious freedom, with 1.4 million Protestants and Catholics living there who have ministry proximity to mainland China.

But on this 29th anniversary of the handover, the future of the Church and of religious liberties there is far from clear. While many Hong Kongers hope to hold onto these freedoms and retain the degree of independence until 2047, others are apprehensive, believing that Hong Kong will more likely be assimilated into the mainland politically, legally, and ideologically.

After all, in 2014, the Chinese Communist Party interfered with the Hong Kong elections by screening out any candidates they deemed disloyal to China, contradicting the spirit of “1 country, 2 systems.” This led to over 1.2 million people who took to the streets in peaceful protest, using yellow umbrellas to deflect tear gas.

In 2019, protests were renewed over a proposed extradition bill, which gave carte blanche for the CCP to persecute anyone they deem a threat to the motherland, including ministry workers. In a city of 7.5 million people, an estimated 2 million protested what became the National Security Law, many pushing children in strollers or elderly people in wheelchairs. Protestors were backed and, in many cases, led by Hong Kong’s Christian population. At one point, the praise chorus “Sing Hallelujah to the Lord” became an unofficial anthem of the protests.

In fact, it is impossible for the power of the Chinese state to grow in Hong Kong without Christians appearing as an increasing threat. First, Christianity is incompatible in a moral sense. As former Cardinal Joseph Zen put it, Christianity is a rejection of “the whole culture, which is now reigning in China, a culture of falsity, of dishonesty, a lack of spiritual values.”

Second, and more importantly, Christianity is incompatible with Communism in its view of reality itself and, especially, Who is in charge over it. To call this a conflict of interest for Christians in Hong Kong is an understatement.

Already, in response to the security law, Hong Kong has seen a mass exodus of young professionals and ministry workers. Most churches no longer have enough volunteers or giving to sustain themselves. Smaller churches have merged to avoid closing, while other larger multi-site churches have closed campuses after losing over 1,000 congregants. The church workers who stay in Hong Kong find themselves carrying more responsibilities to an aging congregation, with few prospects of finding someone to carry on their work.

Of course, what has always been true about the Church’s existence and flourishing remains true for Christians in Hong Kong. Our hope has never been dependent on who is sitting on an earthly throne. Certainly, whether Hong Kong is ruled by a Communist regime or a democratic party matters greatly in terms of freedom, safety, and the future. Still, either way, the risen Christ is Lord over all Creation and has called His people to that specific time and place in history, to that specific moment within God’s grand story of redemption.

God has called some Christians to remain in Hong Kong. They must count the cost of what it will take to be the Church there, to minister to the physical and spiritual needs of people, and to live as counter-cultural ambassadors in an otherwise frenetic metropolis. With 2047 looming, Christians will be forced to recommit, over and over again, to Christ in an increasingly authoritarian city, while also accepting the weight of the task to which God has called them.

At the same time, as He has throughout history in times of increasing cultural pressures, God has sovereignly used the situation in Hong Kong to send His people out from there to other places around the world. In addition to reminding us of the plight of Christians in Hong Kong, they will take the Church forward and to other places, serving as businessmen, attorneys, fathers and mothers, computer engineers, and leaders who hold fast to Christ and live under His Lordship in a new time and place.

For the American church, this is a cautionary tale of what happens when religious freedoms are lost. Even more so, it is a wonderful affirmation that God is at work, and the Gospel is lived out by His people in His strength. We have a shared Lord and a shared calling to be faithful and committed where He has placed us, regardless of how difficult it may be.

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