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Alarmingly Low Growth in Past 4 Years

Taiwan Church News 2627, July 7, 2002
Reported by Lin Yi-shin and Hsu Wen-long.
Translated and rewritten by David Alexander.

     Preparing to leave the Research and Development Centre
of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT), The Rev. Dr.
Huang Po-ho made a summary report of research and findings
during his four year tenure.  Chief among the admonitions he
carried was an alarm about the church's slow growth, only
0.19%, in recent years.  Though urban churches grew at about
3%, (the same rate as other Protestant groups) those in the
countryside and in Aboriginal villages actually shrank.
    Dr. Huang spoke to the criticisms of the PCT's by other
Protestant groups.  "These are complex," he said. "There are
suspicions that hinder progress and change in proclaiming the
gospel.  This centre's direction is on how best to organize for
mission and to put energy behind it.  Reform of church
organizations is necessary, but this always a hard fight.
However, if we don't do it today, then tomorrow will be too
late."
    He emphasized the need to direct resources toward mission
with and among weak minority groups. "If our concern is to be
only towards the areas that prosper economically, then our
focus will be on the cities, but we cannot ignore the rural
areas!
To do so would be to turn our back on the biblical mandate."
For more information: Huang Po-ho  <pekho@ms2.pct.org.tw >
                                   R&D Centre  <rd@ms2.pct.org.tw
 >