Taiwan Church News
3684 Edition
October 3 ~ 9, 2022
Topic News

Taiwan Government Encourages the Indigenous to Speak Mother Tongues in Sermon

Reported by Lin Yi-yin

To materialize the Indigenous Language Development Act, decreed by President Tsai Ing-wen on 14 June 2017, which article 8 stipulates that the central and local competent authority shall actively promote the use of indigenous languages in families, tribes, workplaces, gatherings, and public space to create environments for the use of indigenous languages, the Council of Indigenous Peoples(CIP) plans to launch a pilot-project applied to 300 indigenous churches for practicing aboriginal languages in sermon and ministries from 2023.

An itinerary orientation seminar is planned to hold across the island in September and October. It is estimated
in December that CIP will officially inform the Presbyterian Church, the Catholic Church and other Christian denominations to launch this revolutionary shake-up of aboriginal mother tongues.

Rev Rii Tajlimaraw, educational secretary of PCT Indigenous Ministry Committee, expresses that there will be a CIP orientation seminar held for the indigenous churches at Chi-Nan Church on September 19. Many PCT pastors and presbytery officials are expected to attend the seminar to learn more details of this significant policy, says Rev Rii Tajlimaraw.

Translated by Peter Wolfe