MOK: Refined forms of worship have been developed for the daily prayer services held in Chinese and English. Since the Lutheran-based ministry began in China early this century, the spirit of the liturgy has become increasingly ecumenical. East and West also meet in the center's symbol: the western sacred cross rising from a lotus, considered to be Asia's sacred flower.

Unidentified Man: For me, it's a way that the cross and lotus is opening up, as the lotus opens up for the sunlight, so it opens up to receive the cross, so that Christianity being received by the Buddhists and by the Chinese culture and also then taking root in Chinese soil.

MOK: In another effort to bring the Christian faith closer to local culture, Jesus is portrayed as Chinese, and the Last Supper is depicted in the traditional Chinese setting on hand-painted porcelain. Tao Fong Shan is not typical of Hong Kong's religious mainstream. From the outside, its unusual cross-cultural approach has set it apart. So it's not been easy conducting a dialogue with skeptical Christians and Buddhists.

Rev. OLSEN: It has taken a long time, or it will still take a long time, I think, to build a trust because it's important that we do not have a hidden agenda, and that was how it was perceived -- justly or unjustly.

MOK: Tao Fong Shan prides itself on being both genuinely Christian and genuinely Chinese. But its unorthodox philosophy limits its appeal. The center remains a niche group in Hong Kong's tolerant but conservative religious community.