A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you, and make you follow my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances. (Ezekiel 36:26-27)
It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil and struggle with all the energy that he powerfully inspires within me. (Colossians 1:28-29)
Spiritual Renewal and Dedicated to Serve
In a nation that has run up against the spiritual vacuum of consumerism and abundant free time made possible by an economy based on the information age, our mission theme for the years 2002 and 2004 will be "Spiritual Renewal and Dedicated to Serve."
Taiwan's people are busy chasing after money, prestige and education. They are tired from rush and worry. People worry that the economy will not keep growing or that control will be transferred out of their own hands. Three decades of material success have yielded spiritual emptiness.
Economic transition has left many elderly people isolated and put lots of free time in the hands of younger generations. The need for spiritual renewal and the time needed for dedicated service are both present. The theme seeks to unleash people for renewal and service.
Church members give to building programs and program expenses where effects can be measured. A Sunday school or youth group to sing at holidays is welcomed. A class in English, computer skills or music will find students. Social service centres not directly connected with increasing a local church's membership get less. In general groups aimed at spiritual formation have a more difficult time finding participants. People who get busy in church activities often end up fatigued instead of renewed. People give sacrificially of time and resources, but so often it is the ego, not the spirit, that is fed and nourished.
Our World
The year confronted us with economic downturns everywhere. Taiwan's economic growth turned into economic shrinkage. Our unemployment rate soared to more than 5%. The September 11th terrorist attacks in the US did not materially affect Taiwan significantly, but the business slump that followed did. Locked out of the United Nations and other international organizations by Chinese intransigence, Taiwan has not participated in the Afghan war directly, but through ecumenical Christian agencies and Buddhist Charity groups privately donated relief supplies have been made available to refugees.
Our Nation
Differences of opinion on the status of Taiwan in relation to China produce alliances and enmities. These resulted in government gridlock between the executive and legislative branches. The executive is controlled by the pro-Taiwan Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), while the legislature continued under majority control by the pro-China Nationalist Party (the KMT). To prevent the DPP from making strides in many areas pro-China factions in the legislature blocked its initiatives. Tensions rose as legislative elections approached (they were held on 1st December). The voters pronounced the verdict. Prevented from buying votes by strict new campaign laws, the former ruling party lost its majority when its former "supporters" failed to show up at the polls. The DPP became the largest (though not the majority) party in the legislature. Together with other pro-Taiwan legislators it has the potential to form a coalition that will enact reforms blocked by the previous majority.
The World Trade Organization (WTO) admitted Taiwan in January of 2002. Trade protection measures that kept farmers on the land and low skilled workers employed in traditional industries have to be dropped. The economic dislocation of these changes is anticipated with trepidation. Excess construction during a "bubble economy" in the 90's has seen housing values drop and many bank loans moved to the "non performing" category. Low-wage jobs in industry and construction are now held by foreign contract workers from the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand. Most of Taiwan's fishing boats are crewed by sailors from China and the Philippines. Globalization is expected to draw outward investment from Taiwan into other areas, and lure that which would have come here from overseas to nations with cheaper labour markets.
Our Church
At the end of the year 2001 our church was composed of 1215 congregations in 20 Presbyteries and seven Districts. The worldwide economic downturn was not felt at the General Assembly level as much as in agencies and congregations that depend on regular sacrificial giving by Christians.
We celebrated the 50th anniversary of the establishment of our General Assembly but did not hold an annual meeting. As of last year the assembly became a biennial event. Freedom from the work that goes into the annual meeting gave us time to concentrate on other program ministries as well as ecumenical relations at home and abroad.
Our Church in the World
An international forum on "Taiwan in the Changing East Asian Situation and the Mission of the Presbyterian Church" was held in January 2001. Friends from Europe, Asia, North America and the Caribbean gathered to hear about regional tensions and promised to act as bridges for communication between the churches of Taiwan and China.
We continued to be engaged far beyond the shores of Taiwan, sending representatives or delegations to visit the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Hungary. In the past our regional ecumenical identification has been to the North (Japan and Korea) or to Southeast Asia (Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia). But increasingly, we've begun to see ourselves among the island nations of the Pacific. This was enhanced when general secretaries of Council for World Mission (CWM) churches in the Pacific Region met here in April.
The biennial Council meeting of CWM, hosted in Taiwan last June, elected PCT Associate General Secretary, Rev. Dr. Huang Po-Ho as its Moderator (two years). The Rev. Dr. Desmond van der Water from South Africa, was elected General Secretary.
On September 11th prayers united across the lands when the incredulous news of terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington D.C. filled our screens. PCT immediately sent words of condolences together with US$9,000 to be divided between three of our partner churches in the USA, a token gesture of our caring to aid in their disaster response. In December we joined the member communions in the National Council of Churches of Taiwan to declare the first Sunday of the New Year as a day of Prayer for World Peace.
Our Church in Our Homeland
Small but positive steps were taken in our ecumenical efforts at home. In April we participated with churches across the theological spectrum to sponsor the first National Prayer Breakfast in Taiwan. This high-profile event drew President Chen Shui-Bian, not himself a Christian, to deliver a short address. Dr. C. M. Kao, our former General Secretary, was the chairman of the promotion committee, and Rev. William J. K. Lo, the current General Secretary, served as co-convener. The breakfast will be held again in 2002 during a series of events from 17 to 19 May.
Year 2001 saw the beginning of confidence building measures between churches long separated by barriers of ethnicity, theology and national understandings. The YMCA hosts a monthly breakfast for church officers to discuss matters of common concern.
Following the terrorist attacks in the USA we joined with Roman Catholic and Evangelical church partners oppose terrorism, war and all forms of violence and to call for humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.
The end of the year found us marking the 30th anniversary of our 1971 "Statement on our National Fate." That statement entered us into the political turmoil of Taiwan at the end of the 20th Century. Its anniversary coincided with active church concern at the time of the December 1st elections. Once again we urged that voters cast their ballots for candidates who identify with Taiwan. In the same spirit that the 1971 statement called for active participation by "ALL the people of this land", our campaign in 2001 was devoid of ethnic favouritism.
As we look to promoting the mission of spiritual renewal and dedicated service throughout the church, we most desire to convey that vision to, and through all of our agencies and institutions. "Business as usual" will take a back seat to the mission of the reign of God. Our schools, hospitals and social service centres have all been called to renew their vocation as gospel agents, accountable to God through the church. This may involve misunderstandings of authority, so we proceed with care and constant appeal for wisdom from the Holy Spirit.
Our Church's Manifold Mission
Central to renewing the spirit is deep familiarity with the scriptures. The "Reading the Bible with New Eyes" movement distributes 35 thousand copies of a daily devotional book every quarter. It is supplemented by a phone-in service in eight different languages offering daily Bible reading and prayer.
Following the earthquake in 1999 we established 17 Community Rebuilding Care Centres in the reconstruction zone. They are maintained with disaster relief funds administrated by the General Assembly office and supervised by the Church and Society Committee for four years. The end of central funding is now in sight, so the process of moving centres to local church supervision is beginning. Their mission stretches beyond the work they have done in individual communities. Through them we have learned much on how to conduct community ministries. Local churches island wide can learn from these projects apply the lessons even in the absence of a disaster.
The Church and Society Committee also coordinated rescue, relief and reconstruction work in the wake of two typhoons that caused flooding and landslides in both mountainous and city areas during July and September.
Overseas concern was shown in the wake of quakes in El Salvador and India, where funds for medical service, pastoral training and housing reconstruction was sent. General Assembly officers and staff paid on site visits to Gujarat, India on three occasions and El Salvador once. For El Salvador PCT participated in a combined disaster appeal through the Taiwan Conference on Religion and Peace.
Our theological seminaries accepted 141 new students into graduate and undergraduate programs in Divinity, Theology, Music, Education and Social Services for the academic year commencing in September of 2001. The evangelism committee works with seminaries to adjust curriculums to what graduates will find in the churches. The committee also conducts extensive screening during the final year of training to guide potential graduates with academic, skill or psychological deficiencies into avenues of ministries where they will be less likely to cause or receive harm.
The senior citizens' university (Pinelife University), established in 1989 to minister to our aging society, continues to attract many students (over 55 yrs old). Currently 2,638 students are enrolled to study the Bible, faith, church work, service and health. The university now holds classes in 39 centres scattered all over Taiwan. New branch campuses were added this year in Taoyuan, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung and Taitung. Pinelife University functions in 16 of our 27 presbyteries and districts.
Last year 13 Hakka language congregations were released from their presbyteries to form a special District. They had hoped by the end of 2001 other Hakka congregations would join them thus qualifying them to form a Presbytery, that goal has not yet been reached. Those Hakka churches in Hoklo (Taiwanese) presbyteries thus far have chosen to stay where they are.
The Hakka Bible Translation was completed and is under revision with a release date set for September 30 of 2004.
Our "blue" church hymnal was adopted in 1965. Among its 518 selections are many that nobody sings. The church music committee is circulating collections of new hymns for trial use, in preparation for the publication of a new hymnal in 2005. The committee hopes that one third of its contents will have been written locally instead of imported and translated.
The Church's Many Peoples
Aborigines
The Bible was published and released in the Rukai language in June. This step forward in Mother Tongue work coincides with its promotion by the government. Our church encouraged nearly 3000 aborigines to participate in a government examination to certify residents to go into the public schools as teachers of mother tongues (education is conducted in Mandarin Chinese, the mother tongue of a minority of Taiwan's people).
Special concern continues for weak aboriginal congregations where pastoral salaries are low, the culture has been secularized, local economy is based on low value production and unemployment is high. Problems have emerged in the new political environment in the mountains. At times a church member, having been elected to political office, will assert authority over the pastor and other members because of the new status.
Women
The Research and Development centre released the report on its survey of gender equality on November 12th. The survey divided clergy from lay respondents. Among clergy, nearly 80% say that there is gender inequality in the church. Among laity, 53% saw inequality. Age and gender differences correlated with the degrees to which they saw either equality or inequality. Among the clergy, location of service also influenced responses.
In July a Bible study retreat, looking at the stories of women in the scriptures and at the stories of women in contemporary Taiwan, was a great success. It was followed up by an international celebration of the 50th anniversary of ordination of women to the office of ministers of word and sacrament in our church, and a special retreat of Aboriginal women in November to look at gender issues in their churches and communities.
Children
We joined other Christian groups to support the government's ministry of education as a new curriculum on life education began to make its way into schools nationwide this year.
PCT education secretary Rev. Chiou Chiong-Yuan said, "Contents of many lessons were adapted from materials that the churches had on hand. This puts church resources in the schools. As time passes we will coordinate life education as taught in the churches with what students get at school. The church also offers evaluation tools and in-service training for public school teachers."
The Church and Society Committee printed 1,400 copies of a Bible study book on human rights. It is entitled, "Abundant Life: The Word of God and Human Rights." 12 lessons, each from a biblical story, help students to understand the relationship between Christian faith and human rights. Each lesson emphasizes human life as a gift of God, and human responsibility to respect the rights of others.
Youth
The youth committee is responsible for ministries to church members between the ages of 13 and 40. Younger "youth" are offered programs in basic faith, recreation, and ways to find respite from high pressure schooling. Those in their 20's and 30's get leadership training and opportunity for overseas exposures.
This year a trip was made to Israel to understand Israeli and Palestinian sides of the conflict there. Younger people had "Taiwan Style" musical conventions called, "Jesus Rocks". These included songs of the "Worship and Praise" genre as well as aboriginal, indigenous and world music.
Youth joined the Community Rebuilding Care Centres to build houses for isolated elderly people who had lost their homes in 1999.
College Students
The annual "Bible and Theology Conference" found 280 students reading and discussing Romans this year. It was the largest crowd ever. An ecumenical aspect was added by having a Roman Catholic theologian deliver a paper on the nature of Justification by Faith.
During August 60 students gathered as the Taiwan Student Christian Movement (SCM) to be trained as leaders. Their course included environmental, ethnic, educational, gender and church history components. Currently 20 full time campus workers struggle to provide contact and ministry on more than 150 campuses nationwide.
Twenty women from campus groups in Central Taiwan went on an exposure tour to the Philippines. Several student delegates attended activities of the World Student Christian Federation held internationally and in Taiwan.
Clergy
For several years the conditions under which pastors served congregations have been in flux. From a "call without set term" tradition, the church moved to "a three year contract with renewal of three to five years at the option of the congregation". From this year the system will be "a four year initial contract convertible to a call without set term at the option of the congregation at the end of the first term."
A change pension board policy now allows clergy to draw benefits if they retire after 25 years of service. Though not many do, the number of those taking this option rises yearly.
The evangelism committee seeks to address the stress of ministry through retreats, especially for clergy spouses. There is a wide gap between church members' expectations for their pastor's spouse and the expectations of many who were not called to serve the church, but married into the responsibilities.
International Friends
The Kaohsiung City government hired the Kaohsiung Christian Family Counselling Centre to form a Family Support Alliance for the many women from Vietnam, China, the Philippines and Indonesia who have been bought and brought to Taiwan as brides for local men. Though from diverse backgrounds, these foreign brides in cross cultural marriage situations have similar problems during their transition years.
Four mission partners who served the PCT in the past went to greater glory this year. Mrs. Eva C. Haslup, PCUSA, (a nurse at Chang Hwa Christian Hospital 1978 to 1993) died in April; Dr. James Wilkerson, PCUSA, (a physician at Chang Hwa 1953 to 1980) in June; Rev. Dr. James Sutherland, PCC, (Tapei Presbytery, Taiwan Theological College and the General Assembly 1954-1976) in November and Rev. Daniel O. Whallon, PCUSA, (evangelist and then Interboard Treasurer from 1962 through 1987) on Christmas eve.
An Open Request
Please keep the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan in your prayers this year. Neither spiritual renewal nor dedication to service is possible apart from the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit. Pray that this power might be poured out upon us until our cup overflows.
Yabu Syat
Moderator, 47th General Assembly
William J. K. Lo
General Secretary
March 2002 |
