Taiwan Church News

3864 Edition

16 ~ 22 March, 2026

Weekly Topical

Remembering the 140th Anniversary of the Mission, Changhua Church Holds a Gong Parade to Proclaim Good News Again

Reported by Hong Tai-yang from Changhua

Remembering the 140th anniversary of the mission launched by Rev Campbell Naismith Moody, the PCT Changhua Presbytery held a gong parade named as “God Lost His Children! Let’s Proclaim Good News in Changhua” in the afternoon on March 15. Walking from Changhua Church to Rev Moody’s cemetery, with the sounds of gong along the way, about 500 people from 15 local churches of Changhua Presbytery participated in the evangelical parade, imitating the authentic evangelical campaign Rev Moody preached publicly on the streets in Changhua area 140 years ago.

The event was held at a warm and sunny spring. Before the parade, Rev Lin Chia-hong, pastor of Changhua Church, invited all pastors and the attendants raised up their hands and prayed in unity, declaring that under God’s blessings: the rally would be proceeded as a witness the gospel, the parade blessed by God’s peace, and above all the people in Changhua inspired by the gospel.

The rally were divided into three groups: the semi-veteran group of cyclist; the ultra-veteran group of hiker and the rookie group of bus rider. Dressed in church vests or uniforms, the people gathered in Changhua Church and rallied under the banner of their mother church. The ultra-veteran group of hikers was further divided into three teams.

The hiker team is led by Rev Wu Yi-hsien, who played the role of Rev Moody; the cyclist team is co-ordinated by Rev Chuang Chia-jing, and the third team is taken care by Rev Qesuw Pusin. Setting up the second cemetery of Changhua city as the end, the rally plan to march across the city downtown and chant slogans with hymns and banners. After the ultra-hiker group set off, the cyclist group and the rookie group also moved on in order.

When the rally marched close to the cemetery, Rev Wu Yi-hsien gathered the assembly again to sing hymns and chant slogans, encouraging all people to accomplish the last four kilometers journey up to the hill of the cemetery. Though walking on a very crooked road filled with dirt, the rally finally arrived at the destination. Rev Lin Chia-hong shared the amazing missionary story how Rev Moody proclaimed good news on the streets in Changhua area with dramatic gongs, and reported his extraordinary impacts and legacy to the Taiwan church up to date. After the speech, the assembly offered the flowers to Rev Moody’s grave in order.

Rev Lin also remarked, though the cemetery had been rebuilt, but a small plate still preserved with the inscriptions “In memory of Rev Moody’s wife, who passed away on Changhua Street on November 8, 1915″. Rev Lin stressed that today, more than a century later, people still came to the cemetery to commemorate the beautiful footsteps of these audacious missionaries and give thanksgiving to God.

“In the very beginning of the mission in Taiwan, missionaries and their families were not afraid of very harsh living conditions like diseases, ethnic conflicts, war and etc. Even if their lives were in grave risks, they still determined to preach the gospel in Taiwan. All PCT members, regardless of age, should commemorate these faithful forebears and remember that God’s love is so precious,” called Rev Lin.

After all three parade teams arrived at the cemetery, a memorial service, hosted by Elder Hsu An-an of Changhua Church and moderated by Rev Wang Yio-chun of David Landsborough Memorial Church, was held at a plaza beside a big tree. Quoting the verses of 2 Corinthians 4:5~15, Rev Wang gave a sermon entitled as “Viva Good News”. He expressed “Rev Moody is a respectable person full of impacts. Preaching the good news is not to persuade people with mere rhetorics, but to show God’s grace in Christ and invite people to listen the voice of our God in heaven.”

Rev Wang stressed “our faithful forebears had established a good witness for us. In spite of success or failure, alive or dead, their missions had shown Jesus Christ is the Lord. This is the missionary life of the Apostle Paul, the life of the saints, and the witness of the church to the world!” He encouraged the assembly to keep calm and carry on serving for the kingdom God. “No matter how our society will change in time, let us always dedicate our lives to God and live out the evangelical gospel in Christ,” urged Rev Wang.

Translated by Peter Wolfe