wfn.org | Manuscript Bibles Become Popular in Taiwan

[Taiwan Church News <pctpress@ms1.hinet.net>]

Taiwan Church News 2649, December 8, 2002
Reported by Li Hsin-ren. Translated and rewritten by David
Alexander

   In the year 2000 Taiwan's Bible Society promoted a "Hand
Written Bible" movement to raise funds.  Since then many local
congregations of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan have produced
their own manuscript scriptures to celebrate anniversaries.
   In Tainan City, East Gate Presbyterian Church, which is 100
years old this year, is producing one.	The Rev. Mr. Ong Beng-jin
(Wang Ming-ren) said, "The manuscript Bible is one of the
activities we are doing as part of our anniversary celebration.
We want to remind our members that the church is founded upon the
Word of God and produce something tangible as testimony to our
history."
   East Gate Church's members ardently support the project.  More
than 130 of them are working to write out a copy of the "Chinese
Union Version" of the Old and New Testaments.  They are using
high grade paper and writing instruments, and hope to have the
project finished by April of 2003. The completed volume will
become part of the church's historical collection.
   Iam-chiu (Yen-chou) Presbyterian Church in Pingtung County is
promoting a Bible reading and writing movement. The Rev. Mr.
Cheng Yau-chong says of the project, "This idea moves in stages.
Believers can choose to read a chapter then write the verse that
most moves them.  Or they can go deeper, reading then copying out
entire chapters, adding to this their own feelings.  We want to
promote the idea of each person in his or her own lifetime
producing a personally written copy of the scriptures."
   Rev. Lai Chun-ming, General Secretary of Taiwan's Bible
Society, promotes hand written Bibles as a way to help believers
to value the words of scriptures.  One of the two copies of the
Millenium Manuscript Bible that was produced here two years ago
has been placed into the collection of the American Bible Society
in New York City for safekeeping.

For More Information:  East Gate Presbyterian Church
k2344627@ms17.hinet.net
		       Iam-chiu Presbyterian Church
ycchurch@ms26.hinet.net

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