Help us speak to people in the pews, WCRC president asks Taiwanese church

From Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>
Date Mon, 02 May 2011 12:16:42 -0700

World Communion of Reformed Churches



News Release



02 May 2011


Help us speak to people in the pews, president of
global church group asks Taiwanese church

If global church organizations are to have a
future, people in local parishes will have to be
mobilized, the president of the World Communion
of Reformed Churches (WCRC) has told participants
at a national church event in Taiwan.

"I personally believe that for ecumenism to have
a future, we have to take its vision and mission
to people sitting in the pews," Jerry Pillay said
in an address to the General Assembly of the
Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT) delivered
Thursday in the Taiwanese capital, Taipei.

"We rely on member churches like PCT to find
creative ways of doing this," Pillay told the
several hundred participants and international
guests meeting at the Mackay Memorial Hospital in central Taipei.

The WCRC president made his remarks prior to
flying to Geneva, Switzerland to oversee
strategic planning and executive committee
meetings that will set the agenda for WCRC for the coming seven-year period.

WCRC vice-president for Asia, Lu Yueh Wen, who is
a member of PCT will participate in those
discussions slated to run from 2 ? 13 May.

Plans under discussion call for WCRC to focus
over the coming years on encouraging the sharing
of resources ? including model programmes ? among
member churches; s; leadership development; and
regional engagement in justice and church unity issues.

"We invite PCT to help build regional leadership
and capacity in the WCRC as you have done with
medical missions and mission education. We'd love
you to bring that to the WCRC," Pillay noted.

Pillay was accompanied on his visit to Taiwan by
WCRC general secretary, Setri Nyomi. Earlier in
the week, Nyomi brought greetings to the
assembly. In referring to the assembly theme ?
"Let Cultures flourish: Let God's Justice take
Root" ? the  ;General Secretary noted the link
between the theme and WCRC"s long commitment to justice issues.


Nyomi praised PCT's involvement in justice
initiatives, including its work with the
country's Indigenous peoples, and thanked the
church for its support and commitment to WCRC.
The four-day assembly concluded Friday.


The Presbyterian Church in Taiwan is a small but
significant force in Taiwanese society. Its
members make up just over 1% of the population
that is primarily Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian, or
secular. Known for its human rights, social
service and mission, the church is closely
connected to the country's aboriginal peoples.
Eleven of its 23 presbyteries represent
Indigenous congregations; the remaining 12 are Han or Hakka.

WCRC was created in June 2010 through a merger of
the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC)
and the Reformed Ecumenical Council (REC). Its
230 member churches representing 80 million
Christians are active worldwide in initiatives
supporting economic, climate and gender justice,
mission, and cooperation among Christians of different traditions.


Media Contacts:



Kristine Greenaway



Office of Communications



Email: <mailto:kgr@wcrc.ch>kgr@wcrc.ch



tel: +41 (0)22 791 62 43;



fax: +41 (0)22 791 65 05



<http://www.wcrc.ch/>www.wcrc.ch