From the chair:

Welcome to the FCC summer ‘Update’. Many thanks to those who have written and collated these various items. In what follows you will read Angela Evans’ report on the June meeting of the European Network of Amity Partners (ENAP) in Helsinki. Our recent Amity visitor Ms Lu Yi reflects on her time in the UK, and FCC member Dave Young writes about his recent sabbatical in Hong Kong.

This ‘Update’ ends with dates for two FCC Annual Meetings! This year, we meet on Saturday November 25th, 2023. Don’t miss it! Next year, we plan to meet on October 5th (the first Saturday after FCC’s 40th birthday on September 29th, 2024) at a new location. Please make a note of these two dates: November 25th 2023 and October 5th 2024. Read on below about how we plan that these two meetings will be both in-person and online (we call them ‘hybrid’ meetings). You can choose whether to attend in person or to join with others online.

A new prayer diary is sent with this Update. Thanks to John Austen for this.

Ads you pray, please remember Ruth Conway. Martin (a former chair of FCC) died in January this year aged 87. I was glad to represent FCC, alongside other members, at his funeral in SS Mary & John church in Oxford.

Godfrey Stone

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1. Visit to the UK by Ms Lu Yi from Amity Foundation

Lu Yi is a valued member of staff from the Amity Foundation in Nanjing, who was recommended to us for continuing professional staff development, in learning about British culture, language and how UK charities manage communication within their organization.

She enjoyed 5 weeks in the UK, from May 28th to June 30th and claims she had a fabulous time and will treasure it immensely. We are very grateful to several FCC and SCCG members who hosted her and facilitated her travel. Lu Yi participated in two ‘in-person’ meetings in Oxford and London. The former was in a hybrid format, so all could take part, whether online or in person.

Lu Yi worked hard by visiting 13 cities, 21 charities and 8 on-site projects. She observed positive aspects such as the brand and professionalism of charities such as Oxfam and Christian Aid. They enjoy good relations with the media and the public, so that the UK government gives these charities (along with some other large UK charities) free media coverage when the government declares a situation to be an emergency. Connection is
valued by other charities as they use effective email systems to connect and target supporters with relevant information, using ‘MailChimp’ and ‘Infoodle’. Some charities network and build strong links through involving volunteers. Small amounts of money can make a big difference to people’s lives as they focus on core aims and consider the psychological impact of financial appeals. The Eric Liddell Community in Edinburgh said “we are not doing something massive, we just want everything to be excellent.”

Cultural experiences included food such as Toad-in-the-Hole, rhubarb and black pudding. Only the latter got the thumbs down! Lu Yi had the opportunity to chat with her hosts about a huge range of cultural aspects and enjoyed visiting iconic buildings such as Westminster Abbey.

In Lu Yi’s own words: ‘I am very much impressed by the rich history, the politeness of people, the caring for the environment, the sincerity of friends, the healthy lifestyle, the selfless contribution, the love shared among
people. Although this is my first time to the UK, the virtues, the kindness, everything, are so touched and deep in my mind... What are the common things we share? What can we do together for a better future?’

FCC has supported a range of Amity projects over many years, for which we can access up-to-date
information from the Amity English Website – see below on how to access it.
Using Google Chrome, the steps are as follows (using the ‘1000 day project’ as an example):
1. open Google Chrome and accept automatic translation
2. www.amity.org.cn
3. Cick the tab "Domestic Projects"
4. Find the name of the project you wish to know about eg the FCC supported project
‘Earth Sprouts Maternal and Infant Health care’ Click on it (the Chinese name is 大地新芽母
婴健康关爱行动)
5. Details of the project should appear.
To check the other projects, on the 3rd step you can choose "Domestic Projects" or
"International Projects" and you will see all the details.

While I was in the UK I had a range of meetings with experts on Hong Kong and China to try and understand some of the broader issues involved and to deepen my own expertise. Some of the experts I met included Dr Caroline Fielder (Lecturer in Chinese at Leeds University), Bishop David Urquhart (Episcopal Envoy to China), Professor Steve Tsang (Director of SOAS China Institute), Cindy Yu (Journalist at The Spectator and host of Chinese Whispers podcast), Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint (Anglican priest, former chair of HSBC and former government minister) and Dr Yinxuan Huang (Researcher at the Bible Society). It was also great to meet with Godfrey and Dot Stone to hear more about FCC and the work this organisation has been doing to foster friendships between Chinese and British Christians over many years.

While there have been many things I have learned over the course of my sabbatical, perhaps the most important outcomes have been the need to continue in the work of friendship with the people of Hong Kong and China. The political tensions between the UK and China make it incredibly important for those with a knowledge and love of China and her people to act as bridge builders between our two nations and also to educate wider British society on the complexities of Chinese society. There will always be differences between us, but that makes it more important to invest in a deepening relationship with China, while at the same time
being wise to the unique political situation in Hong Kong and understanding the reasons for the mass migration of people from Hong Kong to the United Kingdom. For our parish churches, pastoral care and practical support of those from Hong Kong in our congregations and communities is perhaps the most important response we can give at this time, and in order to do this well church leaders and congregations need to understand the bigger picture and the complex issues at play here. What is clear from my research is that knowledge and understanding of China and Hong Kong is very limited within the British population and also within the Church as a whole. Given the growing importance of China in geopolitics and given that Britain has become home to a very large number of Hong Kong citizens over a very short period of time it is vital that this lack of understanding and knowledge be remedied.

4. Books on China: Free to a good home!
    Kind offer from John Paton                      john.paton1949@gmail.com
The following books are available at no cost and can be posted to anyone in the UK offering to give them a good home. Please contact John as above
• Neither Bang nor Whimper, the end of a missionary era in China by George Hood
• Unfinished Encounter, China and Christianity by Bob Whyte
• RO: The life and times of Bishop Hall of Hong Kong by David Paton
• Red Tape and The Gospel: a study of the significance and ecumenical missionary
struggle of William Paton (1886 - 1943)

Other snippets of news:

Godfrey and Dot Stone travel to China, from 21 August until 20 September 2023. They are joined for a time by Lydia Morey at the beginning and John Austen at the end of their visit. While in China, they hope to travel from place to place by high-speed train, and to enjoy exploring some of the major cities. Among many others, we hope to see friends of FCC, including Dr Luo Chengzan (he has just moved from Hebei Bible School to become a staff member at the Yanjing seminary in Beijing).

Dates for your diary:                 Two annual meetings

1) In 2023, we meet on November 25th in the Desmond Tutu room at St Martin in the Fields.

The meeting is expected to run from (10.30am for) 11am, ending by 4pm.
There will be only 25 places available for those meeting in-person (but an unlimited
number online). Please respond promptly requesting one of these places to Ian
Blaney our General Secretary. secretary@thefcc.org

Our keynote speaker is Philip Wickeri, who is well known as the archivist of the church in Hong Kong and biographer for the late Bishop K H Ding (1915 – 2012). He is part of an active network of historians of Christianity in China. There will be a number of other contributors from both China and the UK.

2) In 2024, FCC will be forty years old! On Saturday 5th October, we expect to meet for an early Annual Meeting, with a flavour of 40 years as well as pointers for the future, at the Christian Medical Fellowship in Borough, London SE1 1HL (6 Marshalsea Road). This will again be a ‘hybrid’ meeting. The room can easily accommodate over 40 people.

Friends of the Church in China is a UK Registered Charity, no 1004221. Webmaster: FriendsChuChina@aol.com
https://twitter.com/FriendsCChina
For membership details contact the Membership Sec, Dot Stone. dot.caswell.stone@gmail.com Mob. +44 (0)7810-585450

END