wfn.org | TCN: China and Taiwan church leaders to meet for a forum in November

["Taiwan Church News" <enews@pctpress.org>]

>      Taiwan Church News

>2997 Edition

>August 3~9, 2009

China and Taiwan church leaders to meet for a forum in November

>Reported by Lin Yi-ying

>Written by Lydia Ma

The National Council of Churches Taiwan (NCCT) confirmed its  decision during

a board meeting on August 3rd for Chinese church leaders to visit  Taiwan from

November 13~19 in an attempt to boost dialogue between Taiwanese  and

Chinese church leaders and display Taiwan’s religious  diversity and freedoms

>for all to see.

The NCCT invited National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic  Movement of

the Protestant Churches in China, China Christian Council, and  leaders from

other church organizations in China to visit Taiwan and attend the  “Christian

Church and Society Development Forum” slated for November  13~14.

As a member of NCCT, the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT) also

welcomed Chinese church leaders to visit PCT headquarters and  urged them to

be unafraid of government intimidation or demonization, lest it  should prevent

them from visiting, said PCT General Secretary Andrew Chang.

According to reports, a forum had been planned for Christian  churches from both

countries as early as 2007, but changes in leadership among  Chinese church

organizations had delayed it from taking place until former NCCT  Chairman and

Taiwan Methodist Church Bishop Enoch C.H. Kuey visited Shanghai  last year

and confirmed the theme and dates of the forum. The forum will be  hosted by

Taiwan Methodist Church in partnership with NCCT.

Visiting delegates from China will include church leaders from  Shanghai,

Jiangsu, Tianjin, and more. On Taiwan’s side, delegates  participating in the

forum will include leaders from PCT, Episcopal Church Taiwan,  Taiwan Lutheran

Church, Taiwan Theological College and Seminary, Tainan  Theological College

and Seminary, World Vision, and Garden of Hope Foundation.

The forum’s theme will be city churches and the spiritual  needs of contemporary

society and topics of discussion will include a Christian analysis  on social

services, theological education, changes in modern society, how  the church

should reach out to seniors, church organizations and their  outreach ministries,

>church history, and equipping the laity.

Besides attending the forum, Chinese church leaders will visit  house churches in

Taipei, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taiwan Seminary, Garden of Hope

Foundation, Good TV Christian broadcasting corporation, World  Vision Taiwan,

and other evangelical organizations. They will also visit famous  tourist attractions

in Taiwan, including Sun Moon Lake, Tamsui harbor, National Palace  Museum,

>and more.

“Having this Christian forum take place in Taiwan is better  than having it take

place in China,” said Andrew Chang. He thinks it’s a  good thing for church

leaders in China to come to Taiwan and witness the development and  progress

of churches here and he hopes they can also visit the PCT General  Assembly

>headquarter offices when they come.

According to Chang, the PCT’s longstanding efforts in  promoting social justice

and peace in Taiwan should serve as a model for Chinese church  leaders and

encourage them to stand up against government oppression in China.  He said

the PCT is looking forward to the visit of Chinese church leaders.

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