wfn.org | Taiwan's Presbyterians Form International and Domestic Partnerships

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

Taiwan Church News 2771, 4 to 10 April 2005

Reported by Gu Hao-jan. Written by David Alexander

When the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT) met
late in March it signed partnership agreements with the Independent
Presbyterian Church of Brazil (IPIB) and with the Taiwan Holiness
Church.  During the ceremonies IPIB general secretary Assir Pereira voiced
support of the PCT's stance on independence for this nation.  Presenting
the assembly with a Brazilian national flag, he expressed a wish that
eventually, under the leadership of God, Taiwan would have its own national
flag.

The IPIB was created in 1903 when 7 ministers and 11 elders declared
independence of their congregations from the foreign-mission led
Presbyterian church. Now, a hundred years later, the IPIB has roughly
100,000 members and supports 3 theological schools, 3 mission centers and a
publishing house.  Its mission projects include service to homeless elderly
people, children, single parent families and HIV/AIDS sufferers.

The partnership agreement between the churches is an expression of the
Jesus' prayer, found in John 17, that believers be one. In the future the
PCT and IPIB will consult on the development of liturgies and special
services and engage in mutual consultation on matters of importance to
their respective home countries. The mutual affection between the two
churches is seen as a response to the call of God to engage in mission
around the world.

Rev. Pereira thanked outgoing PCT General Secretary William J. K. Lo and
outgoing PCT Moderator Chen Tao-hsiung for their visit to Brazil last year.
He promised to continue in prayer with the PCT for Taiwan's eventual
independence.

The Brazilian visitors presented the PCT with a handmade chalice and
baptismal bowl. The PCT presented the Brazilians with a banner bearing the
church's "burning bush¨ seal and motto, "Aflame but not consumed".

Following the international partnership agreement, a domestic one was
signed with Taiwan¡¦s Holiness Church.  Holiness church Moderator Chen
Li-ho said, "The PCT and the Taiwan Holiness Church are both home grown. In
our use of language and our styles of worship we are close kin." He
joyfully anticipates ever closer cooperation between the two churches.

Rev. Chen also said that the mission challenges to the churches are
unchanging. Cooperation is essential in neighborhoods where both PCT and
Holiness churches are established. The mission of the Kingdom of God and
the benefit of God's flock must come first.

The partnership agreement between these churches signifies that in the
future there will be coordination of mission and use of mission resources
as well as cooperation between the PCT¡¦s four theological schools and the
Central Taiwan Theological College which belongs to the Holiness church.

For more information: gs@mail.pct.org.tw

Taiwan Church News is published weekly in Taiwan's local languages.

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