wfn.org | Christians in Taiwan Shocked Over Suicide of Missionary Pastor's Spouse

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

Taiwan Church News 2773 18-24 April 2005

Reported by Gu Hao-jan . Written by David Alexander

Rev. Yinn Tsai-cheng, pastor of the Korean congregation at Bread of Life 
Church in Taipei, recently lost his wife, who hanged herself in their home. 
At first the church had kept quiet about the incident, but this resulted in 
bad publicity, so the Rev. Yeh Ling-nan, acting as an official 
spokesperson, began opened a press conference with an open apology to 
Taiwan's mass media.  He added that Bread of Life Church was doing all it 
could to offer pastoral care and counseling to Rev. Yinn and his entire 
family.

Rev. Yeh reviewed the educational and professional background of Mr. Yinn, 
and noted that he and his wife had been in Taiwan for just over a year, 
during which time they struggled with cross-cultural adjustments that 
resulted in stress and psychological pain. He said that as an organization 
based in faith, Bread of Life Church never anticipated this outcome, which 
he attributed to outside pressure that transformed Ms. Yinn. He added, 
"Because we cannot fully understand the matter, the church also cannot 
pronounce judgment. She made a choice, the church is saddened, as is God."

Mr. Yeh did not deny that a Christian may struggle with life stresses that 
might lead to a choice to commit suicide while wondering, "Where is 
God?"  But he asserted that the church should not fall into the trap of 
using a believer's suicide as an instance for debate over the existence of 
God or the genuineness of God's love in a manner that gives equal value to 
Christian faith and other-than-Christian understandings. "What is 
important," he said, "is that people need to live changed lives." Through 
this entire affair Bread of Life Church has once again been driven to 
consider the manner in which it offers faith instruction and pastoral care.

He said that those who believe in Jesus are absolutely assured of heaven, 
but that does not free Christians from being tempted in every way. 
Christians, like people of all religions, must face the happy and the sad. 
"God," he said, "can bring blessing from sadness." He quoted from the New 
Testament Epistle to the Romans, that nothing can separate us from the love 
of God that is in Christ Jesus.

Returning to the subject of the church's delayed announcement of the 
suicide, Mr. Yeh said that no matter what happens, the church must face it, 
and cannot fear critique. As a functioning part of society, whenever 
something as sad like this happens, the church must be a model. No matter 
what the staff and members might feel, he trusts that God will lead, 
especially through hard times.

For more information: Bread of Life Church www.llc.org.tw

Taiwan Church News is published weekly in Taiwan's local languages.

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