News Update

Appointment

• CGST Board of Directors announced that Rev. Dr. Bernard Wong (MDiv 05), Associate Dean and Associate Professor (Theological Studies), has been appointed the fifth President on July 17, 2021. Rev Dr Wong will begin his first term of service on September 1, 2021.
• We welcome Ms Grace Au (MCS 13, ThM 17) joining CGST as Assistant Professor (Biblical Studies) on August 1.

Presidential Inauguration and Commencement Service

• The Presidential Inauguration and Commencement Service was held at CGST with live-streamed broadcast on August 30. Rev Dr Bernard Wong delivered the Inaugural Address entitled “Bearing Witness, Bearing the Cross.”

Graduate School

• The Forty-fourth Graduation Exercises was held on June 26 at CGST campus with live-streamed broadcast. Dr Lau Ching Ching, Director of the US Board, addressed the convocation.
• The two-week Theological Training Programs (Putonghua) were held online in July. The Graduation Exercises for the programs was cancelled as a result of the pandemic. May the Lord bless the ministry of the graduating class.
• We pray for the new students who are going to be admitted in the new school year. May God keep them and bless them as they prepare for their divinity study.

Library

• Because of the limited space and ongoing development of e-Learning curriculum, more eBooks will be purchased. About 250 titles of hard copies and 360 titles of eBooks including some collections of Oxford Handbooks Online (Religion) were purchased between July and September.

Theological Education by Extension (TEE)

• There were 1,437 enrolments in the Jul-Sep term of our TEE courses. All face-to-face classes have been resumed, while one class was conducted via video conferencing in which students participate in real-time.
• Beginning July, students can earn all credits for the four certificates in the Lay Christians Theology Programs through online study. Chinese Christians worldwide are welcome to enroll.

Word of Life Bible Study Ministry (WOL)

• The First Epistle of Peter: Part One, the new 6-week online course in Putonghua, was broadcasted worldwide between July 12 and August 17.
• The Book of Job, the new 8-week Bible study course in Cantonese, was offered online from July 27 to September 18.

Alumni Gatherings

• A survey had been conducted by Alumni Association to find out the intention of alumni to emigrate overseas. A two-session gathering was held at CGST with live streamed broadcast on July 26 and August 2 respectively in response to this survey.
• “The Future of Diaspora – Impact on the Churches” was the topic of the first gathering, during which the results of survey was presented. Speakers included Rev Ng Sze Wai, Senior Pastor of the Remembrance of Grace Church, Pastor Nelson Leung, General Secretary of the Hong Kong Church Renewal Movement (HKCRM), and Rev Dr Kin Yip Louie, Heavenly Blessings Professor (Theological Studies).
• “The Future of Diaspora – Challenges and Opportunities for Migration of Christian Overseas” was the topic of the second gathering. Speakers included Rev Jonathan Chan (MDiv 89, Senior Pastor of Toronto Christian Community Church), Rev Chiu Wai Chor (MDiv 00, Senior Pastor of Manchester Alliance Church), Ms May Yip, Adjunct Professor, and Rev Dr Michael Chu, Vice President and Assistant Professor (Practical Studies).

Faculty Engagements

• Dr Suanne So, Assistant Professor (Practical Studies), was invited by Tao Fong Shan Christian Centre to give a public lecture on Comparison of Religious Classics together with Imam Uthman Yang Xing Ben, Chief Imam of Islamic Union of Hong Kong, on July 16. “The Bible and the Koran on Peace” was the topic of the public lecture.
• Dr Simon Cheung, Associate Dean and Henry Co See Cho Associate Professor (Biblical Studies), was invited to preach at the Bible Exposition of Tsuen Kwai Ching Crusade between July 22 and 31. “Night Lodging for a Wearying Journey: The Psalms of David” was the theme of his message.
• Dr Xue Xiaxia, Assistant Professor (Biblical Studies), presented a paper at the virtual meeting of the European Association of Biblical Studies Annual Conference 2021 between August 2 and 5. “Paul’s Concept of the Care of Creation” was the title of the paper.

Publications

• Assistant Professor (Biblical Studies) Dr Lilian Li’s doctoral thesis in Chinese, The Significance of ‘Strophic Structure’ in Hebrew Poetry with Specific Reference to the Book of Lamentations, was jointly published by Research Center for Chinese Christianity, Chung Yuan Christianity University and Chinese Christian Literature Council in Taipei in June.
• Reflective Collaborators: Re-envisioning Theological Education, a CGST 45th Anniversary Publication and written by CGST Faculty Team in Chinese, was published in June.
• Dr Pan Yi-Jung published an article in Chinese entitled “Contemplation on Jesus’s Figure: A Perspective through Spirituality of Aesthetics in the Experience of Vulnerability” on Hill Road, Vol. 47, No. 24, No. 1 (July 2021): 111-135.

Endowment Fundraising

• We are thankful to the gift of Mr Tony Shum (DipCS 18) to establish the Philip Yeung endowed chair. Our Board endorsed the nomination of Ms Wance Chan Kwan for “Philip Yeung Associate Professor.”

Limited Term Chair

• We are thankful to the gift of Dr Alan Lau, former Chairperson and current member of the US Board, to establish the Josiah Mann limited term chair. Our Board endorsed the nomination of Rev Timothy Au for “Josiah Mann Associate Professor.”

Finance Update

• We give thanks to our God for His faithfulness in providing for our financial needs for the first half year of 2021. We continue to look upon the Lord for His gracious providence in the coming months.
• Departments are now planning the ministry development and budget for 2022. We pray that God will give all department heads wisdom as they embark on a new year of ministries.

General Fund Financial Report

Save trees 

Subscribe to electronic version of CGST Bulletins

More trees are being torn down when we continue to print the Bulletin. We now would like to invite you to take part in protecting the environment, by subscribing to our electronic version.

For English Bulletin, you can visit https://www.cgst.edu/ebulletin_eng and fill in the information as requested. For Chinese Bulletin, please visit https://www.cgst.edu/subscribe

From next issue onwards, you will receive an email notification to view the electronic version of the Bulletin. Thank you for making an effort to save the earth!