Title: Taiwan's Presbyterian Church Posts 3.6% Growth
Taiwan Church News 2853 30 October to 5 November 2006
Reported by Li Hsin-ren. Written by David Alexander
The Presbyterian Church in Taiwan just released a strategic plan book for the coming year. General Secretary Chang Te-chian said that the figures published in the book, which cover the year 2005, indicate that the church has grown by 3.63%. This is a meaningful figure. Next year's plans expect that similar growth, if it continues for 10 years, can result in a church of 400,000 members.
Rev. Chang said, in the pat the PCT members seemed to lose interest in growth or to reach a stopping point of some sort, but since the General Assembly in July of 2005 adopted a theme of "Identification, Commitment and Growth" around which to center its programmes, things have begun moving again.
Past figures indicate that in 2002 the church had a total of 217,820 members and adherents. In 2003 that number rose by only a few hundred, to 217,612. But there was a loss of 1.39% in 2004, leaving the church with 214,589 persons on its rolls. Last year, however, the final number was 222,381.
But there is to be no resting on the laurels. Rev. Chang asserts that "we must continue to push!" His personal analysis of the reasons for growth include the push for identification, which has drawn people to declare affiliation. Second is the attention the church has paid to youth. The 2006 General Assembly meeting focused on the areas of youth and university student evangelism work, and the entire year has had a youth focus. Church identification with youth and university student work has moved the church towards young people, and has helped youth return to the church. Rev. Chang hopes that each year's General Assembly can have a similar focus. He has suggested that Aboriginal, Women's and Senior Citizens' needs and ministries be taken up one year at a time.
When the 52nd General Assembly convenes in 2007 it will focus on Women's Work and the issue of Gender Justice. The leadership encourages women from all of the church's local districts and presbyteries to prepare to participate.
The strategic plan book contains ideas and plans from each of the church's ministry committees. The evangelism committee, for example, is promoting a "Lead One, Tell One" movement in cooperation with local district evangelism organizations, in the hope that the church might incorporate a further 220,000 members by the year 2015.
The Hakka Mission Committee has set a goal of doubling the number of hakkanese churches and believers in the PCT by the year 2014. This plan emerged from a special missions conference held in 2004, and it fits neatly with the General Assembly theme of identification, in this case, identification of one's ethnicity and language.
But apart from the numerical goals, Rev. Chang emphasizes the growing depth of fellowship within churches as a major need as we seek to actualize the Kingdom of God in our midst. Churches at work in this society must be aware of the contexts in which they work, including issues of economics, politics, education and environment so that faith might be connected to life, and life might be infused with faith. The growth in faith will transform Taiwan as it testifies to the reality and purpose of the Kingdom of God in creation.
For more information: Chang Te-chian gs@mail.pct.org.tw
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