Taiwan Church News

3828 Edition

July 7 ~ 13, 2025

Weekly Topical

Formosa’s VoiceDeclared to the World in ILT Mission 2025

Reported by Chiu Kuo-rong from Tamsui, New Taipei City

An opening service of the 23rd “I Love Taiwan Mission” (ILT), sponsored by PCT Youth Ministry Committee, was held at Tamsui Church of Taipei presbytery in the morning on July 4. This year, 24 youths, who came from South Korea, Japan, the United States, New Zealand, Costa Rica, together with some Taiwan youths, were invited to experience a week-long cross-cultural journey via visiting and exchanging with local churches.

The opening service was hosted by Rev Fuyan Suda, pastor of Ciwkangan Church of Sawalian ‘Amis presbytery, which was also one of the chosen church to receive ILT members. Quoting Matthew 9:35-38, he encouraged ILT youths to follow Jesus, walk into the crowd, respond to the calling, and live out the love of Christ.

Rev Fuyan Suda stressed that the theme of this ILT Mission, entitled as “Formosa’s Voice”, “is not only meant a call to the world to take care of Taiwan, but also an earnest invitation of the youth to learn from Taiwan’s witness of faith and then get inspired to serve the church ministries after returning back home.”

“The purpose of the PCT’s ILT Mission is to encourage the ecumenical youth, via experiencing Christian faith practiced at local Taiwan churches, to feed back at their own communities through the evangelical mission,” he reiterated.

Taking Jesus’ healing ministries among his journey of the passion as an example, Rev Fuyan Suda pointed out that nearly 1,300 PCT churches were established across the island among cities, villages, mountains and seashores. “The PCT mission is to follow Jesus, walk into the crowd, respond to the needy. And, by engaging in local church ministries, the loyal spirit of PCT will carry on to exist among this ILT Mission, witnessing the actions and love of faithful Christians on Formosa island,” he said.

Just like Jesus “moved with pity” in his mission, Rev Fuyan Suda called on the youth to see the agonies and needs in contemporary era and to respond to our neighbors with love and good news. Meanwhile, he encouraged ILT members to transform their witnesses of faith in Taiwan’s into the driving force of life, so that the love of Christ could be passed on to inspire, heal and care the world.

To experience Taiwan’s dynamic multi-cultures and vibrant church ministries, and establish a deeper communion with Taiwan churches, Rev Huang Hsin-lian, secretary of PCT Youth Ministry Committee, said that ILT youth will be sent to different churches and areas across Taiwan.

She indicated that ILT Mission youth will observe and learn how the Taiwanese church live up to its faith in changing situations among different linguistic communities and cultural environments. “Not only ILT mission members can appreciate diverse cultures of Taiwan, but also the heartfelt kindness and hospitality from of PCT local ministries will overwhelm them for sure,” she said.

Rev Huang also expressed that it was a pity some Oceanian and African youths, originally scheduled to participate the event, were unable to come due to some personal reasons. She sincerely hoped that all youth in ILT Mission can exchange their own country informations, have an in-depth dialogue with ILT fellows, and share new perspectives and stories to Taiwan churches.

Facing Taiwan’s current diplomatic challenges and international isolation, she stressed that ILT Mission has become a resilient bridge connecting ecumenical youth, Taiwan society and church. She pointed out that, although the PCT’s ministries focus on local missions, but only by building relationships with the ecumenical churches can the PCT receive the stimulus to reflect and move forward. She sincerely wished ILT Mission to carry on, as a symbol of hope for Taiwan churches, to declare Formosa’s Voice to the world.

After the opening service, a special lecture, entitled as “The Heartbeats of Formosa”, was delivered by Dr Yi Lo, an assistant professor of the Taiwan Graduate School of Theology.

To let ILT Mission members understand the PCT’s initial missionary history and the passionate stories of the pioneering missionaries, a session of group discussions was held in the afternoon on July 4, and then a city tour, named “A Visit of Historic Sites of Rev MacKay’s Mission”, was subsequently held in the evening to visit many famous missionary sites, including Oxford College, MacKay’s cemetery, Tamshui Church, Ho-Be MacKay Hospital and The Place Rev MacKay Lands Ashore at Taiwan.

Translated by Peter Wolfe