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In
Chung Chi College, the traditions of theological education from
the mainland churches and thirteen Christian colleges of Mainland China
have been preserved and developed. The historical roots of the Divinity
School of Chung Chi College go back as far as 1864 when the Training
School of Canton Presbyterian Mission was established at Fati,
Guangdong. In 1914, this School joined with the Anglican Church
and the Methodist Church to form Canton Union Theological College.
During the War, this College had, at various times, affiliated
with the University of Central China and with Lingnam University.
After the War, the Anglican Church, Wei Li Kung Hui, and Christian
Mission to Buddhists joined together to establish Hong Kong
Union Theological College. The Church of Christ in China and the
Chinese Methodist Church supported Trinity Theological College
in Singapore.
Chung
Chi College had been having religious education and theological
training as part of the academic programme since 1957. Before joining
The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1963, the theological training
was separately provided by Chung Chi Theological Seminary,
with the Hong Kong Theological Institute of the Church of Christ
in China as the nucleus. Dr. Chi Tung YUNG, the head of Chung Chi
College, was the first President of the Chung Chi Theological Seminary.
Chung Chi Theological Seminary continued the affiliation with
Chung Chi College.
The
Seminary was established as a joint effort by the Hong Kong Council
of the Church of Christ in China, the Anglican Church, the Chinese
Methodist Church, Wei Li Kung Hui, Swatow Baptist Church
and the Tsung Tsin Mission. The Board of the Seminary which was
formed by representatives from the supporting churches, planned
the construction of the Theology Building on the campus of
the Chung Chi College. In 1966, Tsung Tsin Lok Yuk Seminary
joined the Chung Chi Theological Seminary. Lok Yuk Seminary had
a history which went back to 1864 when it was first established
in Lilong of Po On District. After changing locations for several
times, it was finally re-established in Sai Kung, Hong Kong in 1955.
In
1968, the Seminary as such ceased to exist and its function
was transferred to the Theology Division (the former name of the
Divinity School of Chung Chi College) in the reorganized Department
of Philosophy and Religion of the Chinese University of Hong Kong,
later known as the Department of Religion in 1978 and restructured
to be the Department of Cultural and Religious Studies in 2004.
The Theology Building was completed and began to function in 1969
and was renovated in 2000. The Divinity School of Chung Chi College,
under the Theological Council, is mainly financed independently
by Church gifts and funds from the Trustees of Chung Chi College;
but academically, it is a recognized part of the University to
offer degree programmes in Theology and Christian Studies. In memory
of Rev. Pommerenke who donated a piece of land at Siu Tao Fung
Shan, the Pommerenke Lectureship of Christianity and Chinese Culture
has been set up since 1998 by the Trustees of the College.
To
strengthen its current unique identity as the only theological education
institution within a Chinese public university and in order to enhance
the collaboration with other seminaries in other parts of the world, Theology
Division is renamed as Divinity School of Chung Chi College with effect
from August 1, 2004.
Divinity
School of Chung Chi College is also a full member of the Association
for Theological Education in South East Asia (ATESEA) and the Hong Kong
Theological Education Association (ATESEA) and offers programmes
of the South East Asia Graduate School of Theology (established
by ATESEA).
A
little more than half of our alumni were ordained ministers and serve in
various parishes in Hong Kong and abroad. The rest serve in tertiary
institutions, seminaries, Christian organizations, education and
social service agencies, industrial, commercial and other professional
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