Transforming from the Inside Out – A Green Seminary
A Green Mission Bringing Glory to God
Prof. Ho Kin-chung is a deacon of the Kowloon City Baptist Church, a director of the Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary (HKBTS) and the chairman of our Campus Environmental Consultation and Development Committee. He and his wife have a daughter and a son. He is a veteran environmental expert who has been engaged in environmental work for over 40 years. He is also committed to the promotion of environmental education in schools, seminaries and churches. Embracing the promotion of environmental protection as his mission, he longs for awakening more Christians to concerns over the issue of environmental protection and regards this as a testimony bringing glory to God.
Well before HKBTS moved to its Sai O Campus, Prof. Ho was invited to help with the greening efforts within the campus. Later, Prof. Joshua Cho continued to advocate environmental promotion when he assumed the presidency of the seminary. In 2018, when the Campus Environmental Consultation and Development Committee was set up, considering his zeal for environmental protection and his identities as director and alumnus of the seminary, Prof. Ho joined the Committee with a strong sense of duty and started to study and promote HKBTS’s environmental policies.
In Prof. Ho’s opinion, the Sai O Campus is situated at a location with superb landscape and pleasant environment, which offers a conducive campus ambience for teachers to pass down the philosophy of environmental protection to the students, with their lives affecting lives like the preaching of the gospel. Besides, as a cultural and educational institution, the seminary has the potential for nurturing talents to advocate the idea of environmental protection. Upon graduation, its students will be able to spread the concept of environmental protection in churches. For these reasons, Prof. Ho is glad to promote environmental protection in HKBTS. His mission is to get across the idea of environmental protection to the students, hoping that they will bring this mission to their churches in future and have it spread to the next generation.
Environmental Conservation amid Challenges
Over the years, Prof. Ho has spared no effort in standing up to the environmental challenges facing HKBTS. In 2008, when the government first proposed to build a major sewage pumping station near the seminary, he made on-site visits with two students to conduct an ecological study of Sai O’s environment and submitted the related environmental assessment report to the government to spread awareness of the area’s value in ecological conservation. The plan for building the pumping station was then shelved for a few years. Upon China Light Power’s introduction of the Renewable Energy Connection Scheme in recent years, Prof. Ho had discussions with President Cho, prompting the implementation of the current project of installing solar energy panels on the seminary premises, which reaped notable results.
Prof. Ho is very delighted to see the progress of the seminary’s work in environmental practice and education. Talking about his service in HKBTS, he finds it most unforgettable to have joined the meetings of the Campus Environmental Consultation and Development Committee at 7:30 am. Although he had to get up early at 6:00 am and go to the seminary for the meeting at first light, the meetings were held in a surprisingly efficient way as everyone was sober working in the quiet of the morning. He said with a smile that this might be regarded as the “greening of the soul.”
Institutionalization with Stronger Participation
Prof. Ho finds it great indeed for the seminary’s management to have a common philosophy to adopt a top-down approach to promote environmental protection. He also appreciates the seminary’s recent efforts in preparing a report on the waste recycling program, which he considers a prototype of an environmental audit report. This shows that the seminary is gradually institutionalizing an environmental management system, and he suggested that the seminary may extend the practice to the audit of other energy uses such as water and electricity usage.
Prof. Ho believes that the seminary can scale new heights in the promotion of environmental protection by further strengthening the education in terms of environmental values so that universally active and grassroots participation can be achieved. For instance, students can take their own initiative to set up environment-related associations such as ecological theology groups; environmental activities like prayer meetings with green themes or Green Weeks can also be held. Besides, he suggests that the seminary designate certain domains as the trial points for environmental education. For example, a “Clear Your Plate Campaign” can be held with special regard to the food waste problem so as to strengthen promotional and educational efforts.
Transformation from the Inside Out – A Green Seminary
HKBTS is now running some extra-mural courses related to environmental education and ecological theology. Prof. Ho has a greater wish that environmental protection would be incorporated into the main campus programs of the seminary, which means dedicated subjects will be taught and HKBTS may develop into a base for the study of ecological theology and more theological students and pastors can be nurtured with a green mindset.
In addition, Prof. Ho hopes that the idea of environmental protection can penetrate more deeply into the campus culture of life because environmental protection is in itself a life attitude and a value, which should be integrated into our daily lives. He points out that a “green campus” is not the same as a “greening campus.” Not only hardware like environmental facilities is needed, but also a campus-wide culture and atmosphere has to be built up. As a director of the seminary, Prof. Ho expresses his determination to stay loyal to his duty and do his utmost to bring the environmental concept into the campus. Filled with vision, he hopes that HKBTS will become the first “green seminary” in Hong Kong, making this a feature of the seminary and turning this into its unique “brand name.”