Robert Eugene Christian

1. 12/13/1927, Summit, Illinois USA

 

Spouse/Family

Wife: Arleen Dora (Vogel) b. 2/9/29, m. 8/26/1950

Children: David Carl, Ann Elizabeth (Lindekugel, professional name Christian), Rebecca

Jane (Sandell), Lois Marie (Erickson), Julie Lynn (McKern, professional name Christian)

 

Dates of Service Field Call Assignment

1966-1977 Hong Kong Headmaster, Hong Kong

International School

Biographical Summary

Having been born just outside Chicago, and raised mostly in Chicago proper, Bob Christian attended Concordia High School and then Concordia Teachers College in River Forest, Illinois, for his B.S. in Education and History. His (future) wife Arleen attended Concordia Teachers College for two years and then taught for two years in her home school, Immanuel Lutheran, near Readlyn, Iowa, prior to her marriage to Bob in 1950. (Arleen and Bob had first met when Arleen enrolled at Concordia in 1946, and Bob was in his second year there.) Upon graduation from Concordia in 1949, Bob received the call, by placement, to serve at Our Saviour Lutheran School and Church in the Bronx, New York City. After their marriage in 1950, the newlyweds resided in Parkchester, a large apartment house project in the Bronx. Bob also enrolled at Teachers College, Columbia University and received an M.A. degree in Educational Administration in 1952.   Looking back, the Christians recognize that their move to New York was part of God’s plan for their missionary service, as life in such a large and diverse city prepared them and their children well for their life and experiences in Hong Kong.  In addition, while in New York they were greatly influenced by their pastor Berthold von Schenk, who was a committed Lutheran and a committed ecumenist, one who believed that everyone who is baptized into a church should have the opportunity to attend a church-related school to continue to grow in faith.

 

Bob served as teacher, and later (1957) as teacher/principal for the elementary department of Our Saviour Lutheran School, and Arleen did some part-time teaching at Our Saviour and nearby Trinity Lutheran School “in between” becoming the mother of a son and three daughters. Son David was born in 1951 and daughters Ann, Rebecca, and Lois in 1953, 1955, and 1959 respectively.  Altogether Bob served at Our Saviour from 1949-1966. In 1960 he was named High School Principal and Headmaster of the full grades 1-12 program, which by this time was multi-cultural with over 400 students, Caucasian, African-American, and Hispanic. Then in the spring of 1966, Bob received the call from the LCMS Board for Missions to serve as the founding Headmaster of Hong Kong International School – essentially to lead in opening and administering this school.

Hong Kong International School was conceived as an international school in the form and approach of American Education. Missionaries in Hong Kong worked in conjunction with businessmen and community leaders to lay the groundwork for the school. While there were British Schools in Hong Kong, with an influx of American and other international families in this British colony which was becoming the headquarters for Far East business operations, it seemed time to start an American type school for American children and others desiring an American type education. Meanwhile, LCMS had a strong background in Hong Kong education with the operation of Chinese Lutheran Schools, including “rooftop schools”, to serve the growing population, which included many refugees from the unrest and Cultural Revolution in mainland China. Accordingly, the Hong Kong Education Department and British government supported the opening of an American School by the LCMS Board for Missions.  There were no reservations about granting permission for church bodies to open and operate schools in Hong Kong, so the LCMS saw an opportunity to spread the Christian message as well as to provide quality education for students of many nationalities. To make possible the opening of the school, LCMS missionary in Hong Kong, Mel Kieschnick, had developed important relationships with the Hong Kong Education Department, and had secured a grant of land in Repulse Bay on the south side of Hong Kong Island, as well as a loan to develop a K-12 school for 1000 students. At the same time, back in the states, the LCMS Board for Missions was able to secure a financial grant and loan for the construction of facilities.  It was here that the Christian family came in, with Bob as the school’s first headmaster. In considering the school’s philosophy and approach, Bob writes that from the very beginning, “the major challenge was to find ways to be a Christian School and yet to respect the various backgrounds and preferences of its diverse constituency. As long as the school would carefully, but relevantly and aggressively deal with this tension, it could continue as a positive and productive Christ-centered ministry.”

 

The Christian family arrived in Hong Kong on August 10, 1966.  Bob notes that the four children had initial reservations about leaving their home and friends, but they gradually came to know Hong Kong as their home, and were very happy there. Though the school was slated to open in 1967, the sheer number of expatriate Americans regularly coming to Hong Kong necessitated a start in 1966, so Bob’s first assignment was to set up a “provisional school” in a leased apartment building on the south side of Hong Kong Island for about 180-200 students. He recalls going to the Wing On Department Store to purchase the most basic of items – toilet paper, light bulbs, cleaning supplies, drinking water – and the Wing On staff agreed to give him a school discount, and even free delivery, for a school that didn’t yet exist!  Bob had ordered textbooks while still in the United States, hoping they would be adequate, and the books fortunately made it across the Pacific on time. In a month, desks were quickly constructed and water coolers were bought and placed in classrooms.  Two Lutheran young women had been obtained by the Board for Mission to teach in the school that first year, and others were recruited locally, from among a wide variety of expatriate families – British, Canadian, American, Australian.  Grades 1-6 were included, and a small program for grades 7-11 was also administered in the same building by Dow Chemical Corporation. Almost all of the students in the “Provisional School,” which opened on September 19, 1966 on Chung Hom Kok Road, were Americans.

 

The provisional year of Hong Kong International School was not without its difficulties, but staff members did their work admirably, supporting each other and implementing the educational and religious mission of the school.  The students periodically enjoyed taking a break from studies by walking down to the nearby beautiful beach, and by cheering for American Navy ships that sometimes could be seen in the distance.  One of the most influential activities that took place that year happened the day before the Christmas holidays, when the whole school gathered outside in the hot sun to sing Christmas carols and then distribute gifts to Chinese children in a convalescent hospital in a nearby village.  This may have been the beginning of “Giving Day,” which later became a tradition each year the day before the Christmas break.

 

Shortly after the Christians arrived in Hong Kong, Pastor Leonard Galster of the Church of All Nations (which met in the Repulse Bay Hotel) was called to serve in Bangkok.  The Christians were then asked to carry on the administrative responsibilities of the congregation, including the scheduling of Lutheran missionaries to conduct church services.  Bob accompanied the singing on a little pump organ, and Arleen and Bob worked with the Sunday School which served many children from the area.  During the years in Hong Kong, Arleen also participated in church outreach activities in the Chinese community, doing service projects and sharing the Gospel; in the church itself, she taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School.

 

September, 1967, would see the opening of Hong Kong International School in its Repulse Bay facilities built for the permanent K-12 program. Meanwhile, with this also being the height of the war in Vietnam, there were turbulent political and social conditions, growing ever more serious in East Asia, especially in relation to mainland China. The U.S. dollar suffered a major devaluation; there was a huge water shortage in Hong Kong when China cut off its water supply to the colony, and the Cultural Revolution in China led to riots and planting of bombs in the British Colony. These events caused uncertainty for the calling of U.S. teachers with a Lutheran/Christian background, and also slowed construction of the HKIS school building and the chapel of Church of All Nations. However, by September 1967, thanks also to the special efforts of the construction workers and the gradually assembling school staff, the school – and its new eight-story, air-conditioned building – were ready to go.  Six hundred students arrived on September 14, the first day of classes: 65% U.S. citizens and the remaining 35% a mix of thirty different nationalities, including more than 100 local Chinese students. Twelve of the 40 teachers and administrators of the staff were called from the U.S. as missionaries of LCMS, through its Board for Missions. Additionally, Pastor Karl Boehmke, who had been called in the summer of 1967 to serve at the Church of All Nations, taught religion in the school and was a member of the HKIS Board of Managers, along with Bob Christian; Dr. Eugene Seltz, an LCMS missionary in Hong; American Businessman Joseph Mache, who had worked hard and long for the opening of the school; and member of the Church of All Nations, Professor C.S. Hung of Hong Kong University. Arleen and some of her Hong Kong friends designed both a summer and a winter uniform, each carrying the school logo, for the HKIS students.  In the first year, fully half of the teaching positions turned over as teachers moved from the colony, but God always provided replacements from among members of the talented local population.   Then, just as the second full year of school was beginning in September, 1968, the Christians were blessed with the gift of their fifth child, Julie.

 

From this beginning, Hong Kong International School grew rapidly, reaching enrollment of nearly 1300 by 1975, along with additional facilities to provide for a total of 1700 or more students.  Bob continued to serve as administrator, and once their own children were older, Arleen taught kindergarten and helped in the lower grades of the school during the last three years they remained in Hong Kong.  The Christians were called to return to the United States and open a Lutheran high school in Seattle, Washington, and they left Hong Kong in 1977.  By 2005, enrollment had risen to over 2500 students, as HKIS successfully stood through the Hong Kong transition to being governed by China in 1997, and remained a Christian/American school serving a wide variety of students.

 

Nota Bene

Co-author of Association of Lutheran Secondary Schools (ALSS) guide for self-study of the Christian dimensions of Lutheran high schools, “Validating our Christian Mission” (1993).

Assisted in production of ALSS resource manual “Planning for a Lutheran High School (1997).

Served on editorial board for Aid Association for Lutherans (AAL) “Resource Notebook for Lutheran High School Administrators” (1982).

Bob’s awards and recognitions include Valparaiso University Award of Excellence (1990), ALSS Paul Lange Award (1994), Bob Christian Sportsmanship Award begun by SeaTac Athletic League (1994), Concordia University Portland Lux Christi Award (2003) and Christi Crux Award (2006), Mount Rainier Lutheran High School Vita Scholae Award (2006), Bob Christian Alumni Award begun by Hong Kong International School (2007).

Bob and Arleen together were recognized as Veteran Missionary Honorees by the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod in 2007.

 

Phase 2 Information

 

Biggest missiological issue faced?

The biggest challenge faced by Hong Kong International School and its founders was the very basic fact of being a Christian school in such a diverse place and with a population that varied widely by religious background and belief.  Since Hong Kong was a transportation, communication, and marketing center of the Far East, the school had children from 40 different nationalities and every major religion in the world.  The Christians, and other staff in the school, hoped that every student who walked into the school would be exposed to the knowledge of a loving and forgiving God.  The school did have religion classes, where staff carefully and without pressure tried to share with each student the basics of the Christian faith.  It was certainly a help that HKIS had a solid core of teachers who had come from Lutheran schools in the U.S.; these teachers did a remarkable job of challenging themselves to find ways of doing Christian mission while being sensitive to the diverse needs of the school and its students.  The issue of exactly how the school’s Christian mission can be carried out remains a salient one still today; it is not an easy task to find a quorum of teachers and administrators who can undertake mission in these circumstances.

 

Another significant issue faced by HKIS, and by the Christians, was the problem of students who were unhappy with being uprooted and asked to live in a foreign country for several years.  Some students did not take well to leaving the United States, and some turned to drugs, which were, unfortunately, fairly easily available.  The worst incident was when one young man died of a heroin overdose; students’ parents were naturally upset, and Arleen recalls receiving a phone call from one mother who criticized the school’s handling of students and told her “Whether you like it or not, you are the school.”  Because of their hand in starting and administering HKIS, the Christians did feel acutely these problems.  Some progress was made when a principal was hired who took time to get to know all the students and to develop programs to help curb drug use; this approach went a long way toward encouraging students to make healthy choices and toward minimizing the problems with drugs that had been present.

 

Most significant contribution during missionary service?

Bob’s contribution encompasses the whole Hong Kong International School, since he took the lead in its founding and worked with other missionaries and businessmen to make the idea of an American Christian school in Hong Kong a reality.  Arleen considered that her job, especially at first, was to keep her family happy and comfortable in their new situation and to help the children to get used to the new culture, while also standing with Bob for school issues and events.  She also undertook hosting responsibilities.  When missionaries came to preach at the Church of All Nations, Arleen cooked for and hosted them in the Christians’ home (after getting the family safely to and from church!).  She also provided support for new teachers and families arriving in Hong Kong by meeting them at the airport, setting up apartments, and acting as guide and counselor.

 

Connection to today’s mission?

As noted, Hong Kong International School continues to operate as an American school and maintains its Christian identity.  Its student population has reached 2500, and teachers continue to come from all over the world to teach.  The school continues to seek ways that it can fulfill its mission of providing excellent education and also exposing all who are affiliated to the saving word of God.

 

Lessons Learned

• Each situation calls for a unique way of communicating the Gospel message.  Older approaches may not always work in a new situation.  In the experience of the Christians at HKIS, the most effective means of spreading the Gospel is through one-to-one relationships people have with each other, and through the modeling of Christian life.
• As exemplified by some stellar teachers at HKIS, it’s best when the sharing of the Gospel is primarily a ministry of listening: a Christian should try to find situations in which he or she can listen to someone’s story of spirituality or lack thereof, and help reflect on these personal stories.
• The United States is both increasingly diverse and an opportunity for mission.  The Christians have found that their time in Hong Kong helped prepare them for a new period of mission in the Northwest United States.
• Particularly in the first years abroad, it was very important to be in good communication with sending congregations in the U.S.  The support received by missionaries, and the teaching and support they can give to congregations when they return from the field, is invaluable for both parties.
• Especially in mission work, ecumenism is crucial to do God’s work.  The Christians’ experiences in New York and in Hong Kong have truly taught them to value the “church catholic” and to promote the working of churches together.

 

Best Practices

• Once the school was open, the Christians found that a best practice for support and cohesion of staff was that of welcoming the staff personally: preparing housing, meeting them at the airport, providing hospitality and guidance.  The warm welcome staff received became a great asset to staff and to the school as a whole.
• Missionaries should find and receive opportunities to share with congregations, especially those that have provided support, when they return from their work.  The mission advocacy the Christians were able to do helped congregants in the U.S. to recognize the fruits of the mission on which they were sent, and it kept congregants excited about the mission of their church.

 

Phase 3 Information

 

Inspiration for entering foreign missions?

Arleen recalls a mission festival she attended at her home church in Iowa at which she was struck by stories of mission, as well as inspired by the words of the hymn “Hark, the Voice of Jesus Calling” with its refrain of “here am I, send me.”  Continued exposure to Christian education during her early years also inspired her to relay the Christian message to others.

 

Bob says that he was also first “called” while at a mission festival (he was living with his grandparents at the height of the Depression), at which Filipino missionary Alvaro Carino spoke.  Bob was also able to meet Carino personally after the festival because Bob’s grandparents hosted Carino at their house.  Bob remembers thinking, “Wouldn’t it be something to be a missionary?” and the memory and its pull toward mission work has remained with him.

 

Quotation by/about or brief story:

• The difficulties inherent in operating HKIS as a Christian school came into the open early on: when the provisional school had been open only three or four weeks, Bob was notified by one of the parents that he was requested to come to a meeting at the school.  At this meeting was a group of parents objecting to the fact that religion was taught in the school.  One of the men went so far as to say that “every minute I feel my child is being taught Christian religion, I’m going to spend twice that amount of time at home counteracting it.”  Bob wasn’t sure how to handle this vocal opposition to the founding principles of the school, but after the meeting had gone on a while, one Eurasian woman who was a parent and an influential force among the families at the school stood up and admonished the others that they ought to be ashamed of themselves.  They had wanted this American school for so long, she noted and now the school had opened and would be good for their children.  The intervention of this one strong voice essentially silenced the complaints; the parents ended the meeting, and there were no more such open displays of antagonism toward the Christian aspect of the school.

 

• A humorous incident occurred when the internationally acclaimed Spanish dancer Jose Greco came through Hong Kong.  The Spanish teacher at HKIS convinced Greco to perform a dance demonstration for the students.  When Greco visited the school beforehand, he instructed the staff to scrub the stage to make sure there was nothing slippery on it.   The administrative staff asked the Chinese cleaning staff to wash the stage, and when the job was finished, they discovered that the stage was indeed clean – and it had received a very lovely coat of wax!  The Christians and all the other staff had to quickly find some steel wool to scour the wax off the stage, and though it took several hours, they managed it so that Jose Greco could make it through the dance without falling.

 

• The bus system in Hong Kong was very good, and the Christians’ two oldest children (David and Ann) hopped on the bus to go anywhere and everywhere, both for school and for fun outings.  However, the day that riots began in 1967 (spilling over from the Cultural Revolution in mainland China), David and Ann were at a British High School in Kowloon, on the other side of the harbor, and because of the turmoil, had no way to get home.  The Christians could not reach them by phone and spent the whole night with no idea where the children were.  The next day, it turned out that David and Ann had been taken into the home of another missionary who lived close to the British school.  Though the episode ended well, Bob and Arleen note that the night spent praying and worrying was a real test of the faith that brought them to Hong Kong – their faith in God’s care for their family was all they could rely on.