Frequently Asked Questions

A: There are three reasons why St Andrew’s decided to pursue a development at the front of the site.

• SAC has a vision to impact Hong Kong with the gospel, and seeks significant growth in new Christians in the years to come. We believe this is a God-given vision, and we are following his leading.
• We must be wise stewards of the blessings St Andrew’s Church (SAC) has now. The Centenary reminded us that God has blessed us richly up to the present, and he is a great God with great plans for Hong Kong. As much has been given, much will be expected. We should be looking now to what SAC needs in the future.
• God has clearly and strategically placed SAC in the centre of a rapidly growing location where we cannot be inward looking. SAC’s location speaks for itself to reach out to our neighbouring communities, giving rise to growth in many aspects, from congregation size to ministries.

Our existing resources are stretched, and growth has been stalled. The recommendation for an auditorium is not primarily about having enough space, as much as it is about our being a missional church that fulfils its vision, mission and goals, in obedience to Jesus.

A: In January 2007 Council was asked by the Vicar to consider options for increasing space, and the possibility of developing our site was raised. Council resolved to undertake a feasibility study to ascertain the technical possibility of a development at the front of the church site. That study was very encouraging. The conclusion was that a development at the front of the site was the best option. It gives us high visibility, takes the church to the community, does not need to fulfill expensive planning permission, creates many options for multiple services and is the best option for relocation.

A: No planning permission is required. We have already received approval from the Buildings Department on 28 August 2009 to build an auditorium on our site at 138 Nathan Road. We have obtained approval for the relocation of the trees. Some of the major hurdles that we faced in 1996, which we failed to overcome, were no longer an issue with this simpler development proposal. 

A: We cannot re-develop the Christian Centre for at least five years. It has a number of Christian organisations using it until at least 2018. A site analysis also shows that the footprint of the building only allows us to build an auditorium with a maximum of 500 seats. As for our proposal for developing the rear car park, it was turned down in 1997 by the government mainly due to access and heritage reasons. The advice we sought is that we ought not to assume that government will agree to any re-development of the Christian Centre for the same reasons as the last application failed in 1997. 

A: Yes and we would seek the Lord’s guiding to do so. That would be part of a strategy that is unlikely to impact church services in Tsimshatsui. However, we do not have a free hand to do what we would like. We have responsibilities in our relationships within the Anglican Church, and other churches too. 

A: We have reviewed alternative sites nearby and nothing is suitable or available. We believe that this option would separate the church and cause activities to be far removed from the main church in Tsimshatsui. In any case, no church that is doing this, or has done this, recommends it if there is a choice. We do not believe it is a sensible alternative for the long term.

A: As of 28 April, we have raised over 56% of the total budget of $180M.

A: The money we have raised will pay our bills in phases to the building company, architect, consultants and quantity surveyor until May 2014.

A: Indeed, we are moving forward in faith because we believe that this development is an important aspect of our 2020 Vision. As we stepped forward with the construction in June 2012, we set ourselves the challenge to raise the funds. We haven't yet met that challenge, but have raised just over $100 million and are still going.

St Andrew's has no secret funds, and our only source of funding is donations. SAC members are continuing to approach private and corporate donors who may support this building project and/or the Vision ministries.

If SAC does not raise additional funds by mid June 2014, the project will be halted and work will stop. 

A: We have already determined that we expect the facilities to be rented out in the same way our present facilities are, and we hope that the income will either cover or considerably assist in covering costs. As well, we would expect that when we are no longer in fund raising mode, church giving will recover quite considerably. Also, the Life Centre is being built in readiness for a growing church. That should see the income increase as more members join. 

A: St Andrew’s has raised funds by asking for members to make pledges and one-off donations, organising community activities, in-church activities, through the Recognition & Facilities Gifting programme, and the Gala Dinner (auction, table sponsorship and donations).

A: SAC will continue to seek additional pledges/donations from within the church as well as from outside; to seek bridging loans as support until funds are raised; and to continue with various fundraising activities. 

A: 

• To pray.
• To consider giving sacrificially to the church in this time of need, as you are able.
• To keep on asking, seeking and knocking on doors.

A: The 2020 Vision Fundraising Committee is coordinating the fundraising activities. 

A: SAC has hired an independent quantity surveyor which is accountable only to us. They are responsible for checking the pricing of the tenders. Our Structural, Mechanical and Electrical engineering consultants are responsible for checking the technical specifications. The quantity surveyor contacts the tendering companies on behalf of SAC about any queries.

Invitation for tenders went out to seven potential tenderers in mid-January 2012. Of the four companies who have tendered, two were over our budget and two were under. We decided to pursue further with the latter. The two companies were invited for an initial interview with SAC representatives John Menear, Paul Wu, Juliana Wong, our architect and consultants.

After more rounds of clarification, negotiation and revised tenders, Council was presented with a final report with recommendations prepared by the architect, quantity surveyor and consultants.

Council finally selected the successful company based on several factors: they had experience in similar projects, their quotation was the lowest, and they have a positive recommendation from the minister of St Joseph’s Church, Kam Tin (Anglican Church) as they have done a project for them.

A: Our contractor, Ching Lee Engineering Limited, began work on 22 June 2012 and we expect to see the building completed in fourth quarter of 2014.

A: SAC has always adhered to the highest standards in heritage conservation, having won the prestigious UNESCO award in 2006. The Grade 2 heritage compound therefore posed challenges as SAC considered how to improve facilities while protecting and enhancing the beautiful church and grounds. The final design has a number of advantages that will ensure it is a world class heritage development:

• It will be a development built underground at the front of the site onto Nathan Road. This means it will not intrude on the site nor detract from the green space at the front of the compound.
• The landscaped front of the Life Centre will light up and beautify the streetscape on Nathan Road. Colonial style balustrades will be retained. The granite finish to the building will match the historic lychgate adjoining the Antiquities and Monument Office. A significant portion of the stone wall facing (15 metres) will be retained in the new frontage.

• Existing good quality trees in the church grounds have been trans­planted under the supervision of the land­scape architect and a certified arborist. New trees will be planted to replace the felling of poorer quality trees. By the time the Life Centre opens, the rooftop garden to be used by both the church and the local community will have 33 trees – a net gain of 7 trees.

A: The close proximity of four “Old and Valuable Trees” (Chinese banyan) has meant that SAC has worked closely with the Leisure and Cultural Services Department to design special features for protection of the trees. A certified arborist and the landscape architect will be working closely with the construction company to supervise the work. SAC will also take special measures to minimize disruption to users of Nathan Road during the construction phase. 

A: The Life Centre will house an auditorium of up to 830 seats with a lower floor for youth and children to meet. It will have disabled access and is designed with particular care for seniors, parents and children in mind.

A: Apart from Sunday church services, the Life Centre could be used to host a variety of services for the community, including youth and children’s services, family and marriage services, and cultural and community events. We also want to be able to encourage other Christian organisations to use the facilities.

We have to accept too that in part we do not know yet what God has in store for us. We pray that God will lead us into new, exciting ministries that our centre will be ready for. Please keep this important project in your prayers.