Baptist Centre for Practical Theology and Culture: From a Vision to a Reality

　　Five years ago, during the thanksgiving worship service celebrating our seminary’s 70th anniversary, I once again publicly proposed the establishment of a Baptist Centre for Practical Theology and Culture (“Baptist Centre”). Over the past five years, we have gradually advanced this initiative through ongoing reflection, planning, and prayer, seeking God’s guidance and blessing upon this ministry. This year marks the seminary’s 75th anniversary, and we hope to formally establish a Baptist Centre within the year, so that the last five years of incubation and preparation may be transformed into a concrete platform for academic research and ministerial practice.

Five Years in the Making: Bit by Bit, Step by Step

　　During these five years, the work of establishing a Baptist Centre has never ceased; rather, it has advanced steadily and consistently. Dr. Alex To published his book The Quest for Baptist Origins: History and Faith in 2022 and hosted a series of related lectures, laying a solid foundation for our further development. I, too, have shared insights on core topics—such as the Baptist perspective on spiritual disciplines, baptism, and authority—in various churches and at different events both domestically and abroad, thereby fostering broader reflection and building consensus. Together, these efforts converge on a single goal: to establish a platform that promotes theological reflection, research, and practice within the Chinese Baptist community.

Baptist Heritage Week: A Journey of Deepening Faith

　　Furthermore, over the years, the seminary has continued to deepen reflection and dialogue on the Baptist faith through Baptist Heritage Week events, gradually laying the groundwork for the establishment of a Baptist Centre. For example, in November 2019, Dr. R. Lawrence Ballew guided us in exploring the historical trajectory of Baptist churches in Macau under the theme “A History of Baptists in Macau.” By tracing the ministry journeys from J. Lewis and Henrietta H. Shuck to John and Lilian Galloway, he offered us a renewed vision of the history and contributions of Baptists in Macau.

　　In October 2020, a Baptist Heritage Week was held under the main theme “A Theologically Minded Passion for Pastorship,” focusing on Baptist faith tradition, history, theology, and church polity, and facilitating the exchange of pastoral experiences. The Rev. Desmond Choi (then Senior Pastor of Chai Wan Baptist Church) and Ms. Lai-king Liu (former Senior Pastor of Hong Kong Baptist Church Good Neighbour Chapel and lecturer at Urban Peacemaker School of Missions) spoke on the topic of “Social Concern.” The Rev. Ka-fai Sou (Senior Pastor of Shatin Baptist Church) and the Rev. Chi-kwong Chung (then Senior Pastor of Tsuen Wan Baptist Church; currently Senior Pastor of Diamond Hill Baptist Church and Chairman of our Board of Directors), delivered a lecture on “Church and State.” The Rev. Stephen Lin (the late former Senior Pastor of Tsim Sha Tsui Baptist Church) and the Rev. Ming-choi Leung (then Senior Pastor of Kowloon City Baptist Church; currently our board member), gave a lecture on “Baptists’ Church Polity.” They deepened our understanding of the Baptist faith and practice from multiple perspectives.

　　From 2021 to 2022, Baptist Heritage Week could not be held as scheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, the seminary persisted in fostering reflection and dialogue on the Baptist faith through other channels, ensuring that this ministry continued uninterrupted. In October 2023, the seminary resumed Baptist Heritage Week under the theme “A Survey of the Major Baptist Denominations in Hong Kong,” examining the history, development, and church polity of the three major Baptist denominations in Hong Kong, as well as the impact of recent social changes on their respective congregations. Mr. Wai-tong Chiang (General Secretary of the Hong Kong Association of Baptists for World Evangelism Alliance) introduced his organization; the Rev. Kam-kwong Sin (Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Conservative Baptist Church Association) shared on the development of that association; the Rev. Kwok-hong Lee (General Secretary of the Baptist Convention of Hong Kong) spoke about the current status of the convention. Through these presentations, we gained a more comprehensive understanding of the diverse landscape of Baptist churches in Hong Kong.

　　In October 2024, Baptist Heritage Week, held under the theme “Facing Challenges: Retrospection, Reflection, and Looking Forward,” continued to explore the history, development, and church polity of major Baptist churches, as well as how to respond to the challenges posed by recent social changes. The Rev. Ann Lee (former Senior Pastor of Taipo Baptist Church) and the Rev. Christopher Law (Senior Pastor of Tsim Sha Tsui Baptist Church) shared their experiences with large congregations; the Rev. Peter Koo (Senior Pastor of Shaukiwan Swatow Baptist Church) and Ms. Deborah Yeung (Minister-in-Charge of Christ Baptist Church and our board member) shared their experience with medium and small churches; the Rev. Ken Lui (our Researcher and Visiting Assistant Professor of Preaching) and the Rev. Miguelito Kwok (our Administrative Officer and Director of Field Education) further guided us in reflecting on Baptist faith and church polity. Their practical experiences with congregations of various sizes provided us with valuable insights and inspiration.

　　In October 2025, Baptist Heritage Week adopted the theme “Flying against the Wind: Consolidation, Reconstruction, and Development” to address the unprecedented pastoral challenges faced by Hong Kong’s churches amidst the dual impacts of the pandemic and waves of emigration. The Rev. Mun-lun Wong (Pastor-in-Charge of Kwong Lam Baptist Church), the Rev. Wai-keung Chau (Senior Pastor of Taipo Baptist Church), and the Rev. Chi-hoi Ng (Senior Pastor of Abounding Grace Baptist Church) shared how their respective congregations have strengthened their foundations, rebuilt their communities, and developed new pastoral ministries in the face of adversity, offering valuable insights and inspiration for churches across the city.

　　This October, as we celebrate the seminary’s 75th anniversary, we were pleased to invite three alumni to serve as speakers for Baptist Heritage Week, signaling the gradual emergence of a new generation of Chinese Baptist scholars. Mr. Tsz-hong Lau (M.Div.; currently a Th.M. student at our seminary) presented a lecture titled “James William McClendon’s Narrative Ecclesiology”; Mr. Timmy Or (M.Div. and Th.M. from our seminary; currently a Ph.D. student at University of Aberdeen) spoke on “Paul S. Fiddes’s Trinitarian Ecclesiology”; Ms. Michelle Chan (M.Div. and Th.M.; currently a Th.D. student and Lecturer of Biblical Studies at our seminary) delivered a lecture titled “Paul S. Fiddes on the Role of Women in the Church.” This event not only embodied the continuity of academic tradition but also demonstrated that theological research within the Chinese Baptist community is entering a new stage of development.

　　These lectures have not only enriched the seminary’s teaching and research resources but have also laid a solid theological and practical foundation for the Baptist Centre for Practical Theology and Culture currently under development.

From the “Faith, Hope, and Love Project” to a Tangible Space

　　As early as 2011, during the 60th anniversary celebrations, the seminary articulated its overarching vision through the “Faith, Hope, and Love Project,” which encompassed the establishment of a theological research centre and the development of graduate programs. In 2013, the seminary launched its Doctor of Theology (Th.D.) program to further strengthen the training of faculty and researchers, thereby laying the groundwork for the Baptist Centre’s academic positioning and human resources.

　　As the “Faith, Hope, and Love Project” was gradually implemented, the seminary recognized the need to expand its campus to accommodate future development needs. In 2016, the Board of Directors approved the third phase of the campus expansion project, which included the construction of a four-story academic building. By 2022, the new academic building was completed and received its occupancy permit. The third floor is designated for the use of research centres and features a Grand Conference Hall with a capacity of 80 people, suitable for hosting both local and international academic events. This development provides the Baptist Centre with physical space and necessary infrastructure required to be successful. In other words, the concept of the Baptist Centre for Practical Theology and Culture has moved from its initial vision into a substantive preparatory phase, characterized by the completion of facilities, the development of supporting curricula, and the gradual establishment of an archival and bibliographic foundation.

The Centre’s Positioning: “Centre” in Two Senses

　　The Baptist Centre is not an isolated research institution—it is deeply embedded in the overall life of the seminary; it is composed of students, graduate students, faculty, as well as leaders and pastors from Baptist churches. In this sense, it functions as a “centre” in two ways.

　　First, it serves as a centre of gravity for the seminary. It serves as a focal point that advances the seminary’s overarching goal of fostering the development of Baptist faith practices among all Baptist students. The Baptist Centre seeks to establish a shared discourse within a learning community, enabling students to connect Baptist faith practices with churches in an open atmosphere marked by a spirit of inquiry.

　　Second, the Baptist Centre functions as a centre of gathering, attracting talents from outside the seminary. For example, when hosting lecture series on topics such as missions, the role of women, pastoral ministry, power, artificial intelligence, environmental conservation, culture, and ethics, it will provide scholars in these fields and fellow Baptists with opportunities for dialogue and mutual exchange. In this way, this discourse community extends beyond the seminary, drawing more participants into the conversation.

　　What unites these two dimensions is the Baptist Centre’s dedicated community of researchers. While each pursues their own studies across diverse fields of faith and culture, they also form a community that supports and intellectually stimulates one another. Through their interactions with the wider discourse communities mentioned above, they form their own discourse community. We hope that the Baptist Centre will enable more Baptist brothers and sisters to situate their faith within the contemporary cultural world, so that they may understand, practice, and bear witness to it.

Future Directions: Chinese Subjectivity, Ecclesial Dialogue, and Public Response

　　In line with the seminary’s recent strategic development, the future work of the Baptist Centre for Practical Theology and Culture may be summarized in five key objectives.

1. To Establish the Subjectivity of Chinese Baptist Theology

　　While continuing to engage with the Western Baptist theological tradition, the Baptist Centre will promote theological reflection, academic research, and church practice grounded in the context of the Chinese church. We hope that research on the Chinese Baptist Church will move beyond reliance on Western scholarship, gradually developing its own theological reflection, research methods, and practical wisdom through humble learning.

2. To Integrate Historical Archives with Contemporary Research

　　The Baptist Centre will collaborate with the Hong Kong Baptist Archive Centre and the existing Hong Kong Baptist Archive at the Seminary Library to systematically organize all the historical documents related to local Baptist communities, thereby providing a solid historical foundation and preserving the churches’ collective memory for contemporary theological discourse. Historical archives are not merely repositories of the past; they serve as vital resources for contemporary theological dialogue. By drawing on the historical experiences of the Baptist community, churches today may discern directions for learning and response.

3. To Promote Interaction among the Seminary, Churches, and Society

　　The Baptist Centre seeks to bring together Christian scholars, church leaders, and pastors to collectively explore how faith responds to contemporary social issues, ensuring that theological reflection can practically assist churches in addressing specific challenges. Utilizing the Grand Conference Hall and research spaces in the new academic building, the Baptist Centre will host mini-conferences, thematic seminars, lecture series, doctoral forums, and cross-regional exchanges, while also connecting with our annual events such as Baptist Heritage Week. In this way, the Baptist Centre will serve as a hub that continuously fosters dialogue, produces research outcomes, and informs church practice.

4. To Cultivate a New Generation of Researchers in the Chinese Baptist Church

　　The Baptist Centre will integrate the doctoral and master’s programs in theology, encouraging young alumni, graduate students, scholars, pastors, and church leaders to engage deeply with pressing issues faced by churches today. Rooted in the Baptist faith tradition, in-depth research will be conducted in areas such as the role of women, missionary practice, church leadership, spiritual disciplines, and Christian ethics.

　　Through sustained academic guidance, exchange, and collaboration, the Baptist Centre will gradually bring together the Chinese Baptist study community, nurture a new generation of theological researchers, educators, and church leaders, thereby providing long-term support for the development of theological talents in both churches and the seminary.

5. To Become a Regional Hub for Baptist Theological Studies

　　The Baptist Centre aspires to develop into a regional research hub, connecting scholars engaged in Baptist theological research worldwide, with a particular emphasis on collaboration with Baptist theological seminaries and research institutions in Asia. The Centre will regularly host global and regional symposia, academic conferences, and cross-cultural projects to promote theological exchange and collaborative research across different regions. Our vision is that the Baptist Centre will remain rooted in Hong Kong and Chinese churches while actively participating in global Baptist theological dialogue, ensuring that the voice of the Chinese Baptist churches is heard within the wider catholic church. At the same time, we will draw wisdom from Baptist traditions worldwide to enrich our own theological reflection and church practice.

Conclusion: From Conception to a Reality

　　This year marks the seminary’s 75th anniversary, and we hope that the Baptist Centre for Practical Theology and Culture will be formally established, transforming the ideas cultivated over the past five years into a concrete platform for academic research and ministerial practice. In doing so, we open another small yet significant chapter in the development of Chinese Baptist theology.

Nov 2026