NOTICE OF THE HOUS E OF BI SHOPS：Revised service arrangements in times of typhoons and rainstorms
The House of Bishops has issued the following guidelines to replace those issued in March
2016 regarding service arrangements in times of typhoons and rainstorms, promulgated by the
Notice of the House of Bishops (Ref: HB/2016/01).
1. When Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 (or above) or the Black Rainstorm Warning is in force before a service starts or when announcement has been made by the authority that such warning shall be issued at the time of a service:
No service is to take place until the relevant warning is cancelled.
2. When Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 (or above) or the Black Rainstorm Warning is issued at
the time of a service:
The service in question may continue, and the celebrant should bear the congregation’s safety in mind and exercise prudence to ensure the parishioners can return home as quickly as possible or stay indoors when the service is ended.
3. When Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 is lowered or the Black Rainstorm Warning is cancelled:
All churches should resume conducting services as scheduled two hours after the relevant warning is cancelled.
Churches located in Macau should construe “black rainstorm warning” mentioned above as “rainstorm warning”.
In addition, with respect to Sunday schools and fellowship groups for children and youngsters affected by adverse weather, the class suspension policy in place of Hong Kong’s Education Bureau (applicable to churches in Hong Kong) and of Macau’s Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (applicable to churches in Macau) should be followed.
Vicars and priests-in-charge are asked to remind their parishioners that when deciding whether or not to attend church services and activities amid adverse weather, they should always give their own safety the first priority. Parishes and mission churches should announce the above arrangements in their pew bulletins every year before the summer months.
By order of the House of Bishops
The Revd Canon Peter Douglas Koon
Secretary
16 August 2018
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