wfn.org | Taiwan and Malawi Churches Seal Partnership

["pctpress" <pctpress@ms1.hinet.net>]

Taiwan Church News 2721, 19 through 25 April 2004
Reported by: Gu Hao-jan.  Translated and Rewritten by David Alexander

In the presence of hundreds of delegates and observers, including Malawi's
ambassador to Taiwan, the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan and the Nkhoma Synod
of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) signed a cooperation
agreement on 15th April committing themselves to fellowship and cooperation.
With this agreement the PCT is now a formal partner with 26 different
churches
in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Pacific and the Americas. As part of the signing
ceremony the churches exchanged tokens, maps and blessings.

The signed agreement is the consummation of an overture placed before the
Assembly by the committee on faith and order over a year ago.  The ceremony
itself was preceded by the showing of an 8-minute film of highlights from a
visit to Malawi by members of Ta-an Presbyterian Church in Taipei. Then
Moderators Tan To-hiong (Chen Der-hsiung) from the PCT and Stonham S. Sande
Mwale from Malawi signed documents and exchanged gifts.

Rev. Tan thanked Ta-an Church for taking the lead in bringing the
relationship
to fruition.  Mr. Mwale also expressed thanks to the PCT in general and to
Ta-an in particular for all the support that he and his church have received.
He invited the Rev. Lo Lian-seng, pastor of Ta-an Church, to come to Malawi
as
a missionary.

The Nkhoma Synod of the CCAP has 13 presbyteries, 116 congregations and
800,000 members. Eight representatives came to Taiwan for the ceremony. 
After
being given tours and introductions to Taiwan and the PCT, Mr. Mwale noted
several things that he believed would be appropriate for the PCT to offer to
the Nkhoma synod in partnership.  He specifically stated education, medical
and faith related work that could be done in Malawi, and asked that students
from his church be given scholarships to come to Taiwan and study in these
fields.  He invited Rev. Tan to participate in a CCAP synod meeting to be
held
in October.

The guests and ambassador from Malawi then blessed the Assembly with a song
and the ceremony was concluded.

For More Information: www.pct.org.tw
Ta-an Presbyterian Church taan4477@ms37.hinet.net
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