Welcoming Christians from Hong Kong at Bury Parish Church

Loretta Leung attends Bury Parish Church, where there is a growing community of people from Hong Kong attending the Cantonese Service.

Loretta joined the church in 2023, and the Cantonese Congregation began in April of that year. Initially run by a group of volunteers, the Cantonese service is now led by two volunteer pastors: Angela, who was ordained in Hong Kong, and her husband, Patrick, who served as lay minister there. The service takes place in a separate room during Sunday Eucharist, with both congregations joining together for Holy Communion. By running concurrently, the congregations have been able to connect despite the language barrier.

“A language barrier can make people hesitant to talk at first”, says Loretta. “I experienced this myself at the beginning. However, there has been a gradual change. Local church members now understand more about what Hong Kong people are experiencing, and they follow up by asking how things are going.”

Loretta is multilingual, speaking Cantonese, English, Korean and some Mandarin, and will often help bridge the gap in understanding between the English congregants and those from other heritages by translating conversations. “I talk to different people after the Sunday service”, she explains, “and when I hear an interesting conversation happening in English, I may share it with some Hong Kong members in Cantonese and invite them to join in. For example, a local lady once talked about the colours of clothing that suit different eye and hair colours, and I invited several Cantonese ladies to join that conversation! Simple steps like this help create connections.”

This sense of fellowship is part of a wider culture of inclusivity and welcome, with Revd Julian Heaton and the church leadership engaging with the local community to ensure everyone feels included. Alongside long‑standing outreach such as the weekly Asylum Drop‑In and English classes, Julian has introduced new ways to include both congregations in shared worship. On the third Sunday of each month, for example, a prayer in Cantonese is offered during the main Sunday service to honour the church’s cultural diversity.

During Lunar New Year, everyone was invited to the church to share Hong Kong-style food and cultural insights, and Angela regularly encourages Hong Kong congregation members to volunteer for church activities such as flower arranging and serving refreshments. These opportunities help the Cantonese community feel welcomed and fully integrated into the life of the church.

As the wider worshipping community continues to grow, not just with people from Hong Kong but with those from other heritages too, Loretta hopes to use her experiences to inspire other churches about what can be achieved by embracing interculturality. “There are so many benefits of having an intercultural congregation. People bring unique gifts from their own heritage, and the church gains a better understanding and knowledge of the communities around it”, she says.

“My vision is to be a bridge between the parish and the wider diocese. If our parish continues to grow as a multicultural congregation, I hope to use my multilingual abilities to share our experiences with other churches.”