St Stephen’s Church 160th Anniversary Celebration

‘But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.’ (Isaiah 40:31)

Celebrating its 160th anniversary, St Stephen’s Church celebrated a Thanksgiving Eucharist on the afternoon of 28 June. The service was celebrated by the Rt Revd Dr Matthias Der, with the Most Revd Andrew Chan delivering the sermon and blessing. The vicar of St Stephen’s, the Revd Canon Ip Kam Fai, assisted as deacon. The theme of the 160th anniversary celebration was ‘160 Years of Grace, Empowering us to spread God’s Love’. The church also held a thanksgiving banquet that evening at Jordan, with 49 tables set.

Archbishop Andrew noted in his sermon that the gospel reading for the day featured Jesus teaching everyone to face the challenges of the end times, saying, ‘But anyone who endures to the end will be saved.’ The Archbishop encouraged all brothers and sisters to follow the holy example of the forefathers of St Stephen’s Church over the past 160 years, by continuing the grace that God has bestowed, striving to preach the gospel, live out the gospel, and open their arms to all who are in need. He also encouraged everyone to follow the example of the patron saint, Stephen, the first deacon and martyr in church history, who remained faithful to Christ despite all.

During the service, the theme song of the church anniversary ‘I lift my eyes to his glory’《定睛榮耀處》was sung as the gradual hymn. The theme song was composed by church member Mr Ulfred Yu Wing Chun (余永俊) and lyrics were written by Mr Joseph Mak (麥年豐). There were also music offering by the senior choir, the parent-child choir, and the church choir.

160th Anniversary Banquet

The banquet began with a special video commemorating St Stephen’s anniversary. Mr Yuen King Hang Alan, Chairman of the Anniversary Planning Committee, delivered the welcome address. The Revd Canon Ip Kam Fai, Vicar of St Stephen’s, gave a thank-you speech. The Rt Revd Matthias Der, Bishop of Hong Kong Island, delivered an address. The Revd Chung Kin Kai, Chairman of the Hong Kong Chinese Christian Churches Union, presented a commemorative gift to St Stephen’s Church. And Archbishop Andrew delivered a speech.

In his welcome address, Mr Alan Yuen stated that the day was a celebration of God’s unwavering grace and care for St Stephen’s Church over the past 160 years, and that only God could have brought the church to where it is today, and now, guiding it into the future. In addition to the thanksgiving service and banquet, the church anniversary celebrations included a year-long visit ‘campaign’. It is aptly named a ‘campaign’ because it is ongoing. In August, there was a missionary trip to Sabah; in September, an anniversary gospel rally will be held with the theme ‘Unchanging Love’; in October, a basketball invitational tournament will be held; an anniversary commemorative edition of the Bible (Revised Chinese Union Version) was printed; and a special anniversary booklet will be published by the end of the year. Mr Yuen hopes that all will count and cherish our blessings from God, connect with one another, and continue to fulfil our duty as church stewards and believers.

The Revd Ip Kam Fai, in his thank-you speech, noted that the evening was filled with gratitude and praise to the Lord, as everyone gathered together like a family, celebrating the church’s 160th anniversary with joy and gladness. He thanked his brothers and sisters who served with him in unity, as their support made it possible to fulfil the mission entrusted by the Lord.

Bishop Matthias stated in his address that he saw the positivity and love for the Lord at St Stephen’s Church, and the congregation here truly take their mission from the Kingdom of Heaven seriously. St Stephen’s Church has consistently supported younger parishes and mission churches, and even churches or organisations abroad have received their support. This love shows that there is still much work to be done in the Church, and it also shows that God has prepared many resources, which are not for our enjoyment but for working for God’s kingdom.

Archbishop Andrew said in his address that he wanted to say ‘thank you’ and ‘I envy you’ to St Stephen’s Church. The Archbishop noted that in 1996, when he was assigned to St Luke’s Church, he needed assistance with the various ministries, so he discussed the matter with Archdeacon Tsang Kwok Wai, and the Revd Tsui Yuk Fan of St Stephen’s Church. They readily encouraged the brothers and sisters of St Stephen’s to lend a hand. Amongst them, the brothers and sisters would first come to St Luke’s Church in the morning to teach Sunday school, and then return to St Stephen’s Church to continue their Sunday school work there. This arrangement greatly alleviated the Archbishop’s pastoral duties in those early days, and demonstrated the foresight of the laity and clergy of St Stephen’s, as well as the mutual support between the limbs of the church.

Additionally, when St Luke’s Church needed to provide pastoral care for the end-of-life services at Nam Long Hospital, all volunteer staff had to undergo training. A group of brothers and sisters from St Stephen’s also volunteered, visiting the patients every weekend. Even after the patients passed away, their families were still willing to remain friends with them. The Archbishop felt that St Stephen’s Church had bestowed a great blessing upon him in his pastoral duties, and for this he wanted to say ‘thank you’.

Archbishop Andrew also mentioned that within the parish of St Stephen’s, there are eleven educational and social service institutions. Serving these outstanding educational and social service units is a blessing: although the challenges are great, they are essential in training the future talent for our greater society. He believes this is one of the most important responsibilities God has entrusted to St Stephen’s Church.

Following this, the bishops, clergy, and members of the church Anniversary Celebration Committee raised their glasses for a toast, joining voices in singing the church anniversary theme song, ‘I lift my eyes to his glory’ 《定睛榮耀處》. The Revd Francis Yu, Curate of St Stephen’s, said grace. During the banquet, the ‘Gospel Dance Team’ of St Stephen’s Church College performed a dance themed ‘Mount up with wings like eagles’. This was followed by the a session of dialogue between the clergy, with the Revd Canon Ip Kam Fai hosting, speaking with four previous curates and associate priests of St Stephen’s, including: the Revds Ho Kam Tim Arthur, Ho Kit Ying Christine, Sin Ut Fan Edith, and Choi Lok Mei Lorraine. The clergy shared their cherished memories at St Stephen’s. 

The main design inspiration comes from the scripture chosen as the theme of the anniversary. It features four colours, all taken from the colours of the stained-glass windows on either side of St Stephen’s. The overall shape depicts a person kneeling before the altar in prayer, symbolising that we should always draw near to God to gain strength to move forward. As shown in the illustration, the badge features an eagle soaring. The eagle glides with the air currents, exerting no unnecessary effort. This mirrors how the Holy Spirit has sustained St Stephen’s Church like the wind over the past 160 years, enabling it to soar. The eagle’s design also symbolises an open Bible, signifying the church’s mission of evangelisation.