Taiwan Church News

3339 Edition

February 22 - 29, 2016

Church Ministry

PCT Envoys Visit WCC HQ To Strengthen Future Cooperation In Ecumenical Ministries

Reported by Fang Lan-ting

In order to express both PCT's admiration of the missionary vision of "Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace", proposed by World Council of Churches(WCC), and a thanksgiving for thesignificant participation in PCT 150 of Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, General Secretary of WCC, delivering an encouraging message to the churches of Taiwan, PCT specially sent a team of envoys to visit WCC HQ at Geneva on 2nd February 2016. PCT delegates brought to WCC 50 pieces of the cross, made of Taiwan cypress, symbolizing a goodwill from the churches of Taiwan and expecting a further cooperation with WCC in future ecumenical ministries.

Led by Rev. Lyim Hong-tiong, PCT General Secretary, this PCT envoy team also included Dr. Hsu Victor Wang-chi, PCT Associate General Secretary; Rev. Chen Hsing-lian, Chairman of Changhua Christian Hospital(CCH); Rev. Chen Chin-hua, Director of Chaplain Dept of CCH; Rev. Fang Lan-ting, President of Taiwan Church Press. PCT delegates arrived WCC HQ at 8:45 a.m. on February 2nd. After attending a morning prayer at WCC HQ, they were well received by Rev. Dr. Martin Robra, a WCC co-worker, to have a short tour of WCC HQ and attend a series of meetings later on ecumenical ministries with Rev. Dr. Tveit and his staffs.

In the meeting, Rev. Dr. Tveit shared his ecumenical vision of "Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace" after WCC 10th Assembly at Busan 2013, and reiterated WCC's role as a calling of the Christians to witness in this turbulent world through a journey of peace and justice. To the remarks of Rev. Dr. Tveit, Rev. Lyim Hong-tiong responded that PCT did commit to the values of peace and justice proposed by WCC and pledge to become a peace-maker in her missionary context.

But, Rev. Lyim and all PCT delegates also stressed, facing China government's military threat with thousands of missiles against Taiwan and an on-going persecution to China's local churches by tearing down the crosses, the ecumenical church fellows and international society should concern about these imminent destructive crises.

On the issue of the aboriginal ministry, PCT was highly affirmed by WCC for her long-term involvement and broad experiences with the aboriginal society on Taiwan island. Rev. Dr. Tveit also promised to invite PCT to join a WCC council unit to facilitate an ecumenical effort on the ministry toward the aboriginal peoples around the world.

Translated by Peter Wolfe