wfn.org | Taiwan Church Leader Calls For Social Prophets

["Char and David Alexander" <alexa@macatawa.org>]

Title:Taiwan Leader Calls for a Socially Prophetic Church
Taiwan Church News 2684, Augist 4-10, 2003
Reported by Li Yi-shin , Translated and rewritten by David Alexander

   The World Taiwanese Association held its annual convention in the United
Kingdom this year.  Though turnout from the Far East was reduced because of
SARS restrictions and fears, nonetheless over 300 peoole attended.  The Rev.
Mr. Lim Chong-cheng, associate General Secretary of the Presbyterian Church
in
Taiwan, addressed a plenary session.
   Mr. Lim chose "Taiwan, Our Mother" as his theme.  Besides filling in
delegates who live outside Taiwan on the current situation in the homeland,
he
reflected on the role of the church in a changing world situation.  He drew
comparisons between Taiwan's churches and those of  Hong Kong between 1984
and
the spring of 2003.  When the government of the United Kingdom announced
plans
to eventually turn over their colony to China, the churches of Hong Kong did
not take a prophetic role.  The demonstrations in the Special Autonomous
Region this year, in which half a million people took to the streets to
protest the diminution of their social and political rights, show the need
for
churches to speak out loudly, prophetically and early about political
situations of the lands and territories in which they are located.
   Turning his attention back to Taiwan, Mr. Lim asserted that churches must
stir themselves and take the role of social prophets.  "Taiwan curreltly
faces
not only a political struggle between those who are 'from here' and those who
have 'come here', but also a fight for free and democratic values."  He
called
for a prophetic  church that can take responsibility to speak for social
reform, demonstrate concern in the change of social trends, preserve what is
valuable in tradition, establish new social ethics, and, guided by biblical
principles, establish a nation of justice and love.

For more information: leonard@mail.pct.org.tw
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