Title: Seminary in Taiwan to Grant Honorary Doctorate to CCA General Secretary Taiwan Church News 2819, 6-12 March 2006 Reported by Chiou Kuo-rong. Written by David Alexander
When the Joint Program Area Committee of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) met in Taiwan from 3 - 8 March, the Faculty and Board of Directors of Tainan Theological College and Seminary (TTCS), in recognition of the near half-century of CCA contributions to the churches and societies of Asia, and in the hope of strengthening the involvement of Taiwan's churches with and contributions to the churches of the world, announced their decision to award the Degree of Doctor of Theology honoris causa to Dr. Prawate Khid-arn, General Secretary of the CCA in June of 2006.
The CCA was established in 1959. It is among the most active of the regional ecumenical associations linked to the World Council of Churches. Over the past forty years the CCA has made significant contributions and has had a deep influence on the causes of church unity and mission work, and on the project of theological education in Asia. The National Council of Churches of Taiwan (NCCT) and the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT) both participate in the CCA as members. The PCT is a founding member of the CCA and has profited from long term networking with other Asian churches in many types of cooperation and exchange.
Dr. Prawate Khid-arn is a citizen of Thailand. He was a member of the faculty of Payap University until he joined the CCA staff where he served as executive secretary and associate general secretary for more than ten years. In June of 2005 he was elected and installed as CCA's general secretary. As a high-ranking officer in the ecumenical movement he has deep insight and extensive experience of community mission. He has been a true friend of the churches of Taiwan. This is evidenced by the holding of the first meeting of the CCA's Joint Programme Area Committee since his inauguration in Taipei. It is hoped that their presence in Taiwan gives many leaders of Asian churches an opportunity for deeper understanding of Taiwan's society and churches in mission.
TTCS was established in 1876 as Taiwan's first university level institution of higher education. Throughout its long history of academic excellence, it has consistently asserted that faith must be rooted in local soil while looking to the world. TTCS is currently Taiwan's only theological college offering degree and diploma programmes in the English language to international students. At this time the school has two programmes, The Master of Theology Degree and the Certificate in Mission Studies Diploma, in which ten students from Asia, Africa and the Pacific are enrolled. International Visiting Scholars also regularly join the TTCS community for research and teaching.
TTCS believes that granting this honorary doctorate not only can encourage Dr. Prawate Khid-arn for his future service within the CCA, but will also strengthen the ties between Taiwan's churches and the churches of the world as well as bring about closer exchanges between Taiwan and the nations of the world while stimulating Taiwan's churches to greater activity in the ecumenical movement.
For more information: Tainan Theological College and Seminary www.ttcs.org.tw
Christian Conference of Asia www.cca.org.hk
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