From the Worldwide Faith News archives www.wfn.org


Taiwanese Churches to Train Members as Marriage Counselors


From Taiwan Church News <pctpress@ms1.hinet.net>
Date Wed, 29 Jan 2003 14:50:13 +0800

Taiwan Church News 2657/8, February 2 & 9, 2003
Reported by Li Yi-shin. Translated and rewritten by David
Alexander

   Since the recent passage of Taiwan's Family Education law,
courses on marriage have been a hot item for discussion.  The
Seven Stars Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT)
has recently entered an arrangement with the Family Love
Foundation to jointly offer a training course for Marital and
Pre-marital counselors. The presbytery hopes that clergy and lay
people will join the course.
   So Tek-song (Su Der-sang), head of 7 Stars' Marriage
Committee, said, "The PCT has a lot of potential for marriage
care. Most of our pastors took courses in counseling during their
theological education. But marriage situations are particularly
delicate, so they will need specialized training. The
foundation's cooperation with the church gives hope that we can
approach things systematically.  This will help us understand the
problems that exist between people and offer the right kinds of
help."
   Under the agreement, the foundation will provide curriculum.
This will include material on preparation for marriage,
remarriage of single people, spousal relationships, and mid-life
companionship.	There is potential, using computer editing, to
specially craft each course to account for each of the different
ethnic groups in Taiwan's population.
   Rev. So said, "Using these materials, a counselor can quickly
come to an understanding of the underlying problems that a couple
may be facing.	But the counseling that follows the diagnosis
will take a long time.	Solutions are always more painstakingly
achieved than diagnoses."  He expects that many people will take
the training, so that every congregation will potentially have
counseling staff to pay concentrated attention to family issues.

For more information: 7 Stars Presbytery   star@ms2.pct.org.tw
		      So Tek-song   tonghuch@cm1.ethome.net.tw

Taiwan Church News is published weekly in Taiwan's local
languagX-Mozilla-Status: 0009e: www.pctpress.com.tw


Browse month . . . Browse month (sort by Source) . . . Advanced Search & Browse . . . WFN Home