wfn.org | Editorial: Speaking up for marginalized people in times of recession

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

>      Taiwan Church News

>3032 Edition

>April 5~11, 2010

Editorial: Speaking up for marginalized people in times of  recession

>Translated by Lydia Ma

Just as churches wrapped up Easter celebrations, PCT got ready for  its annual 
General

Assembly Meeting. As always, PCT General Assembly earnestly prays  that the 
Holy Spirit will

work through delegates so that every issue discussed will  culminate in 
resolutions that

delegates can agree on and take back to their respective churches.

The original purpose behind holding a General Assembly Meeting  every year was 
to facilitate

pastors and church members to exchange ideas, despite their  different life 
experiences and

visions. It was intended to be an instrument of the Holy Spirit to  help 
churches prepare and

>realize their evangelical mission.

However, as PCT affiliated organizations grew and issues  pertaining to the 
management of

these organizations also grew in number and complexity, General  Assembly 
Meetings began

to revolve around issues relating to these organizations. In  contrast, new 
missions and other

ministry initiatives began to be addressed only in passing and  without much 
in-depth

>consideration.

Taiwan has reached a critical juncture in time and churches need  to spend more 
time

reflecting on their mission during this critical time.  Globalization and its 
effects hit Taiwan like

tidal waves, leaving many people jobless. One of  globalization’s worst impacts 
is that it

snatched away confidence and hope in the hearts of today’s  youth. This 
phenomenon should

command the attention of churches and prompt them to reach out to  younger 
generations.

As the current KMT government forges ahead with an ECFA agreement  regardless of

negative consequences on Taiwanese society, merely signing a  petition to quick 
start a

referendum is no longer enough for PCT churches.

About 25 years ago, faced with a battle for democracy, a  repressive KMT 
regime, and

indifferent countries and international organizations, PCT  churches did some 
soul-searching,

discussion, and theological reflection. Their efforts culminated  in a document 
known as PCT

Statement of Faith in 1985 and this document was distributed to  all PCT local 
churches.

This impressive document clarified and proclaimed the role and  vision of PCT 
churches,

which includes: “We believe that the Church is the fellowship  of God's people, 
called to

proclaim the salvation of Jesus Christ and to be an ambassador of  
reconciliation. It is both

universal and rooted in this land, identifying with all its  inhabitants, and 
through love and

>suffering becoming the sign of hope.”

Inspired by PCT Statement of Faith, the new motto adopted by the  General 
Assembly this

year is “Let cultures flourish; let justice take root.”  According to PCT 
Statement of Faith, the

church is an “ambassador of reconciliation”,  “rooted in this land and 
identifying with all its

inhabitants.” This means that, as Taiwanese people struggle  with unprecedented 
challenges,

PCT churches must figure out how they can contribute their part in  enhancing 
national security,

>and environmental and economic justice.

As we approach the 150th anniversary of PCT, let us pray that this  year’s 
General Assembly

Meeting will reinvigorate local churches so that they can see and  hear those 
who are in need.

We hope that churches can break down old barriers of  self-centeredness, and 
strive toward

sharing the gospel. We also pray for the Holy Spirit to guide  churches in 
loving others

passionately, accepting the cost of doing so, and becoming a sign  of hope.

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