Covid-19 kills Hong Kong church leader who moved to Scotland after being targeted by pro-Beijing media
- Reverend William Yeung, who was in his 60s, succumbed on Wednesday
- Yeung was among several outspoken clerics targeted by two pro-Beijing newspapers shortly after national security law came into force
Reverend William Yeung Kin-keung, of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, succumbed on Wednesday, the Hong Kong Christian Church in United Kingdom (HKCC) said in an announcement on its website on Saturday.
“Shortly after moving to Scotland, Reverend Yeung followed God’s vision to gather and shepherd families from Hong Kong who are scattered in Scotland. May the Lord comfort and strengthen his family at this difficult time and those whose life have been touched by him. Further announcements will follow in due course,” said HKCC, which has churches in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Sheffield.
Hong Kong Methodist Church ex-president Reverend Lo Lung-kwong, who taught Yeung theology in the 1980s, said he had learned about his coronavirus infection.
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He said Yeung, who was in his 60s, had contacted him last month in an effort to find a venue in the country. Yeung reportedly arrived in Edinburgh in January.
“I was shocked [about his death], realising that he had been working hard and excitedly to build up churches there to care for Hongkongers who have emigrated,” said Lo, a former director of the divinity school at Chinese University.
Yeung, who set up the new church earlier this year in Edinburgh, had recently moved to Glasgow where he had planned to expand his ministry, Lo said.
He also gave a sermon at a September 5 service in Glasgow, according to the church’s website.
Ying Fuk-tsang, another ex-director of the divinity school, posted a message of condolence on his Facebook page on Saturday, and said he learned about Yeung’s death at a morning class.
Scotland has been hit by a spike in coronavirus cases recently although the numbers have improved in the past few days. Almost 5,900 new cases were confirmed in the 48-hour period to Friday.
Thirty coronavirus-related deaths were reported on Friday.
Yeung initiated the “Hong Kong 2020 Gospel Declaration” in May last year together with other clergymen from the Hong Kong Pastors Network, a group formed during the 2019 social unrest.
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The six-point declaration reaffirmed Christians’ allegiance to Jesus Christ and the church’s fearlessness in upholding the truth and rejecting evil.
One point said: “In the face of a totalitarian regime that distorts facts, controls the media and buries the truth, the church courageously rejects all falsehood, and points out what the regime has done wrong.”
Yeung was among several outspoken clerics targeted by two pro-Beijing newspapers in Hong Kong two months later after the national security law came into force. The newspapers described the declaration as an attempt to encourage secession and subversion. Ying was also named by them.
The papers launched their attack after the network posted a four-minute video clip based on the declaration, with footage that showed the slogan “Liberate Hong Kong; revolution of our times” twice. The popular slogan from the 2019 protests has now been deemed by the authorities as violating the Beijing-imposed security law.
Yeung kept a low profile until March when he established the church in Edinburgh to give pastoral care to emigrating Hongkongers.
