Jackie Pullinger
Encyclopedia
Jackie Pullinger MBE
(born 1944) is a British
Protestant Christian charismatic
missionary
to Hong Kong
and founder of the St Stephen's Society. She has been ministering in Hong Kong since 1966. Her work has resulted in at least 1000 drug addicts being saved from their drug addictions. The early years of her Hong Kong ministry are chronicled in the book Chasing the Dragon.
having specialized in the oboe
. She wanted to be a missionary, so she wrote to various missionary organizations. At first she wanted to go to Africa
, but then she had a dream that impressed upon her the idea of going to Hong Kong
. Unable to find support from missionary organizations, she sought advice from Richard Thompson, a minister in Shoreditch
, who told her that she should buy a ticket for a boat going as far as she could get and to pray to know when to get off the boat. She followed his advice and went to Hong Kong by boat in 1966. However, when she arrived she knew no one there and had only HK$100 on hand. The only reason the immigration officers allowed her in was because her mother's godson
was a police officer there. She found work as a primary school teacher in the Kowloon Walled City
, which in the 1960s was not policed and consequently had become one of the world's largest opium
producing centres ran by Chinese criminal Triad gangs. She established a youth club to help drug addicts and street sleepers
called the St Stephen's Society which provides rehabilitation
homes for recovering drug addicts, prostitutes, and gang members. By December 2007 it had grown and was providing homes for 200 people. The charity's work has been recognized by the Hong Kong government who donated the land for the rehabilitation homes. The intervention process that the drug addicts go through is very intensive. Instead of giving them medications they are put into a room for 10 days, prayed and cared over by a group of ex-addicts.
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
(born 1944) is a British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
Protestant Christian charismatic
Charismatic Christianity
Charismatic Christianity is a Christian doctrine that maintains that modern-day believers experience miracles, prophecy, speaking in tongues, and other spiritual gifts as described in of the Bible...
missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and founder of the St Stephen's Society. She has been ministering in Hong Kong since 1966. Her work has resulted in at least 1000 drug addicts being saved from their drug addictions. The early years of her Hong Kong ministry are chronicled in the book Chasing the Dragon.
History
At the age of 15 Pullinger graduated from the Royal College of MusicRoyal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
having specialized in the oboe
Oboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
. She wanted to be a missionary, so she wrote to various missionary organizations. At first she wanted to go to Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, but then she had a dream that impressed upon her the idea of going to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. Unable to find support from missionary organizations, she sought advice from Richard Thompson, a minister in Shoreditch
Shoreditch
Shoreditch is an area of London within the London Borough of Hackney in England. It is a built-up part of the inner city immediately to the north of the City of London, located east-northeast of Charing Cross.-Etymology:...
, who told her that she should buy a ticket for a boat going as far as she could get and to pray to know when to get off the boat. She followed his advice and went to Hong Kong by boat in 1966. However, when she arrived she knew no one there and had only HK$100 on hand. The only reason the immigration officers allowed her in was because her mother's godson
Godson
Loongson is a family of general-purpose MIPS-compatible CPUs developed at the Institute of Computing Technology , Chinese Academy of Sciences in the People's Republic of China. The chief architect is Professor Hu Weiwu....
was a police officer there. She found work as a primary school teacher in the Kowloon Walled City
Kowloon Walled City
Kowloon Walled City was a densely populated, largely ungoverned settlement in Kowloon, Hong Kong. Originally a Chinese military fort, the Walled City became an enclave after the New Territories were leased to Britain in 1898....
, which in the 1960s was not policed and consequently had become one of the world's largest opium
Opium
Opium is the dried latex obtained from the opium poppy . Opium contains up to 12% morphine, an alkaloid, which is frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade. The latex also includes codeine and non-narcotic alkaloids such as papaverine, thebaine and noscapine...
producing centres ran by Chinese criminal Triad gangs. She established a youth club to help drug addicts and street sleepers
St Stephen's Society
In 1981, she started a charityCharitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
called the St Stephen's Society which provides rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation is a term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines...
homes for recovering drug addicts, prostitutes, and gang members. By December 2007 it had grown and was providing homes for 200 people. The charity's work has been recognized by the Hong Kong government who donated the land for the rehabilitation homes. The intervention process that the drug addicts go through is very intensive. Instead of giving them medications they are put into a room for 10 days, prayed and cared over by a group of ex-addicts.