Taiwan Church News

3304 Edition

June 22 - 28, 2015

Headline News

Thanksgiving Services Held For PCT 150 Across Taiwan

Reported by Hwang Yi-lek, Lin Yi-ying and Chen Yi-hsuan

In the morning on June 21, three thanksgiving services for the 150th anniversary of PCT's mission in Taiwan were separately held in Kaohsiung, Hwa-lien and Tai-tung. At this historical moment of PCT 150, the audience assembled at each site, about 15,000 in Kaohsiung, 6,000 in Hua-lien and 5,500 in Tai-tung, were to commemorate the evangelical spirits of the former missionaries and pledge to carry on their Missio Dei!

The thanksgiving service of PCT 150 held at Kaohsiung was organized by fiveunited southern PCT presbyteries - Chiayi, Tainan, Kaohsiung, So-shan and Pin-tung. Rev. Cheng Wen-ren, Moderator of PCT General Assembly, officiated the thanksgiving service; Rev. Shih Lien-chen, Chairman of the United Southern PCT Presbyteries, delivered his sermon entitled as "Walk Out Of History, Step Into Time" encouraging PCT members to inherit the past glorious history in missionary service, engage with today's challenges fearlessly and become the evangelical model for next generations of Taiwan church.

Liturgy of this thanksgiveing service was designed by Rev. Hu Chong-ming, pastor ofDer-seng Presbyterian church. Three responsive readings of scripture were used to manifest the themes of PCT 150 - commemoration, calling and responsibility. The hymnal "O come, let us sing", honored as PCT' "national anthem", was also used to lead the audience to sing their heartfelt thanksgiving toward God's love, favor and leading Taiwan into future.

Many special guests from domestic and overseas churches, including localpoliticians and city magistrates, were invited to attend this special assembly of PCT 150. They included, Rev. John C. Christie, former Moderator of the Church of Scotland; representatives from Colonge Presbytery of Evangelishe Kirche in Deutschland(EKD), Hyogo Parish of The United Church of Christ in Japan(UCCJ); Archbishop Liu Cheng-chung; Mr Benjamin Nan, executive of World Vision Taiwan; Dr. Tsai Ing-wen, chairwoman of Democratic Progressive Party(DPP); Ms Kiku Chen, Mayor of Kaohsiung City; Mr. Pan Men-an, Magistrate of Pin-tung county and many other local politicians and city council representatives.

Rev. John C. Christie remarked that the wonderful services offered to Christby the former missionaries in the past 150 years were just like "a great cloud of witnesses": they were missionary paradigms inspiring us to march forward; Archbishop Liu Cheng-chung encouraged the audience to keep vigilant, reflective and faithful to act at this special moment of PCT 150; DPP chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen, adduced Rev. Thomas Barclay's famous dedication prayers, pledged to make Taiwan a country filled with justice, love, honesty and love.

Translated by Peter Wolfe