HONG KONG'S 380,000 Protestants are being urged by their ministers to stay in the territory after it reverts to China on July 1st, despite misgivings about the future as part of communist China.
"Concerning the handover, we are positive but realistic," said the Rev Yu WaiKan of the Hong Kong Church Renewal Movement, a Protestant umbrella grouping. "We are Christians, but we are also Chinese proud to be returning to China."
The issue of Christian freedoms in Hong Kong has come to the fore in the countdown to British departure. Two weeks ago bishops of the 250,000 member Hong Kong Catholic diocese opened a dialogue with Beijing about their future after the handover.
In the United States, a new campaign by the religious right has been gathering support in Congress to deny China most favoured nation status because of Beijing's treatment of Christians.
Literature sent to over 300,000 supporters throughout the US by the Washington based Family Research Council asks "how would it feel to have your fingers crushed and broken with a pair of pliers because you believe in the Lordship of Jesus Christ?"
However there is virtually no support among Hong Kong Christians for the ending of China's favoured trading status with the US. Such a move would damage the territory economically and could force Beijing into a more anti Christian position if seen to be a victory for the religious right, observers say.
While it prohibits bodies such as the officially approved Three Self Protestant organisation to seek converts in China or to import Bibles in bulk, Beijing has eased up on many restrictions on Protestant denominations.
The Hong Kong Christian Council has helped to rebuild 70 churches in southern China and when a new church in neighbouring Guangdong province was dedicated in November, local Communist officials offered to hold a welcoming ceremony.
Underground "house churches" are also tolerated in many places, though the government has clamped down since the Prime Minister, Mr Li Peng, in 1994 required all religious organisations to register with the state.
Religious inspired groups are also finding new freedoms to help the Chinese in such areas as education, so long as they do not openly proselytise. In Yanji city, in the northern Jilin Province, China's first joint venture university. Yanbian University of Science and Technology operates, on the principles of "truth, peace and love". Founded in 1992 by a South Korean from the US, Dr James Kim, it has an understated Christian ethos. It will have its first 114 graduates next month.
Presbyterianism is practised by many of the ethnic Koreans living in Yanji, which has a large new Christian church near the city centre.
"Politically, our space in the future may be limited but religiously and culturally we hope it will be sufficient," the Rev Wu told Reuters in Hong Kong. "We hope the Chinese government realises that Christians are not a threat, that we are good people, hard working, obedient and co operative.
"As an organisation we have asked our members to stay but that does not mean that some individuals are not still wrestling with the decision on a personal basis.
"Things were easy for us in Hong Kong under the British because Britain is a Christian country. We are going to have a more pluralistic society as part of China. We must be flexible and not take anything for granted."
A proposal by 47 Protestant pastors and theologians that religious services should be held to mark October 1st, which Beijing celebrates as the day the Communist Party took power in 1949, has caused bitter controversy, with Christian opponents arguing that many fled to Hong Kong to escape communist persecution.
The Basic Law, drawn up by China seven years ago as Hong Kong's future constitution, guarantees religious freedom during the 50 year period when Hong Kong will be allowed to govern itself, except for matters of defence and foreign policy.
Half of Hong Kong's primary and secondary education is controlled by Christian churches, and 50 per cent of all social services come from church organisations. According to the Hong Kong government 95 per cent of people benefitting from the territory's Christian run kindergartens schools and universities are non Christian Chinese in Hong Kong's population of 6.4 million population.
More than twice as many Christians as nonChristians were among those leaving each year until recently, but this has tapered off and many Christian churches are publicly recommending their congregations to stay.
. China will guarantee Hong Kong religious freedom after the change of sovereignty, the head of the State Council's Religious Affairs Bureau. Mr Ye Xiaowen, said yesterday.