Taiwan Church News

3322 Edition

October 26 - November 1, 2015

Headline News

Tainan Church Day Opens With Blessing And Good News For Taiwan

Reported by Chen Yi-hsuan

Taiwan's first ever Church Day, which was originated from Germany as "Kirchentag", is jubilantly held at Tainan cityon 24 & 25 October. Including the voluntary work staff, it is estimated that over 16,500 people or citizen having attended this festival. Within these 2 days' event, there are lots of service and worship, major theme exhibition, arts program, plural cultural exchange, pulpit speech, physical exercise and garden fair etc.

In the morning on October 24, in order to let the participants of Taiwan Church Day experience the plural dimensions of the Christian faith rooted in this island, a series of activities like exhibition, garden fair, plural culture exchange and various ball-game contests are held among the sites of Chang Jung Senior High School, Taiwan Church Press, National Museum of Taiwan Literature, National Museum of Taiwan History and etc.

In the opening service of Tainan Church Day, Dr. Mathews George Chunakara - General Secretary of ChristianConference of Asia(CCA) - delivers his sermon, entitled as "You Are A Chosen Race"(1 Peter 2:9), praising PCT's long term care and service to the poor and the marginalized. "Except continuously establishing social well-fare institutes to look after those in needs, PCT still carries on acting as a prophetic role in Taiwan society", says Dr. Chunakara, "This social engagement ministry of PCT is especially outstanding when most Christian communities are mostly a minority in contemporary Asia".

Many ecumenical church leaders and representatives are also invited to attend Tainan Church Day, including PC(USA), Presbyterian Church Wales(PCW), Presbyterian Church Aotearoa New Zealand(PCANZ), World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) and many others.

When the chorus of the Tsou aboriginal district start to praise in the service, their pure vocie and beautiful dresses steal the attention from the audience. Many sisters and brothers from ecumenical churches can not help but stretch out their smart phones to catch this special moment.

In the end of the opening service, Mr. Lai Chi-yuan, a Pai-wan aboriginal youth, goes up to the stadium leading the audience to read the dedication prayer of Rev. Thomas Barclay: "Lord, I give myself to you. And I will follow your will and your arrangement of the infinite wisdom in order to make me a means for your glory!"

Translated by Peter Wolfe