wfn.org | Kiribati Church Leaders Visit Taiwan

["pctpress" <pctpress@ms1.hinet.net>]

Taiwan Church News 2735, 26 July - 1 August 2004
Reported by Li Hsin-ren.  Translated and Rewritten by David Alexander

The Republic of Kiribati entered into formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan
at the Ambassadorial level in November of 2003, but for many years prior to
that the Kiribati Protestant Church (KPC), a communion of 129 congregations
whose members make up nearly 30% of the nation's population, enjoyed formal
ties with the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT).
On July 21st the KPC's Rev. Baiteke Nabetari and the nation's Roman Catholic
Bishop Paul Mea were in Taiwan. They came on a travel grant from this
nation's
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and took part in celebrations marking 5 decades
of
Aboriginal ministry in the PCT. During their visit they stopped in at the
PCT's headquarters in Taipei.
Rev. Nabetari briefly introduced his nation's history and situation. It
became
independent from British colonial rule in 1979. Though its population is only
around 100,000 it holds a seat in the General Assembly of the United Nations.
He said that the people of Kiribati have a lot in common with Taiwan's
Aboriginal peoples, and he hopes for many future exchanges.
On the 22nd the two ministers visited Taiwan's Roman Catholic Church. Bishop
Mea noted that the percentage of Christians in Taiwan's population is small,
but the impact that they have had on society at large seems to be very great.
He hopes for strong missional ties between the churches of Taiwan and
Kiribati, where 97% of the population are Christians.
Kiribati's church leaders share with the PCT mission concerns regarding the
effects of globalized economics on women's rights and the spread of HIV and
AIDS.  Rev. Nabetari also noted his and his nation's support for the entry of
Taiwan into the United Nations, another PCT concern.
On a side note, one student from the KPC will be spending a year in a mission
studies programme sponsored by the PCT and the Council for World Mission
starting in September. The PCT's Tainan Theological College & Seminary will
also have students from Malawi, South Africa, India, Singapore and Madagascar
into this programme in addition to one Zambia and another from Nagaland
(Northern India) who will study for the Master of Theology degree.

For More Information: The Presbyterian Church In Taiwan  www.pct.org.tw
				   Tainan Theological College and Seminary 
www.ttcs.org.tw
					The Council for World Mission 
www.cwmission.org.uk
Taiwan Church News is published weekly in Taiwan's local languages.
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