The Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT) is pleased to offer this second edition of the handbook distributed at the November 2018 First Meeting of the Taiwan Ecumenical Forum (TEF). This edition contains the full record of the meeting with the full texts of the presentations and the outcome document presented by the Listening and Discernment Group (LDG).

The LDG was chaired by Rev. John Proctor, General Secretary of the United Reformed Church, with 11 others as members. In his summary of the LDG report, presented to the Steering Group (SG) of the TEF, the Rev. Proctor noted that:

The Taiwan Ecumenical Forum exposes PCT to the insights of partner churches, and allows partner churches and agencies to learn from the experience of PCT. Much that we discussed has strong parallels in many other national contexts – the needs and rights of marginal communities, the pursuit of gender justice, the claims and impact of powerful empires, the task of truth and reconciliation.

This observation represents succinctly a major objective of the TEF: an accompaniment project of the ecumenical movement of the PCT pilgrimage for justice and peace.

The meeting presentations accomplished another main objective of the meeting held at the PCT Presbyterian College in Hsinchu. They clearly set the issue of Taiwan in a regional perspective, be it the Transitional Justice processes, the impact of the Empire, or Taiwan’s increasing isolation, making a compelling case for accompaniment by the churches and ecumenical agencies around the world.

The PCT is deeply grateful to all the participants for their active engagement. The participants have contributed significantly to helping the PCT broaden its mission perspective and deepen its theological understanding of mission. More importantly, the PCT was comforted by the warm ecumenical solidarity of its partner churches and the ecumenical movement.

The PCT commends this publication for study, reflection, and appropriate action.

Victor Hsu
Coordinator, PCT Task Force for TEF