wfn.org | PCT Gets Ready to Celebrate Calvin's 500th Birthday in 2009

["Lydia Ma" <enews@pctpress.org>]

>Taiwan Church News

>2963 Edition

>December 8-14, 2008

PCT Gets Ready to Celebrate Calvin’s 500th Birthday in 2009

>Reported by Lin Yi-ying

>Written by Lydia Ma

Presbyterian churches will mark their founder John Calvin’s 500th  birthday on July 10 next year. For this occasion, the Presbyterian  Church in Taiwan (PCT) announced during its fourth general assembly  meeting of the year held on December 2nd that it would plan celebrations  commemorating Calvin all across the country. The General Assembly of the  PCT decided to make July 5th 2009 the day all presbyteries would  celebrate Calvin’s 500th birthday by holding special services. It  also plans to set aside next year as a special year commemorating  Calvin. Celebration events will begin during next year’s General  Assembly Annual Conference and conclude at the following year’s  annual conference.

Hsinchu Bible College will host a conference entitled “Calvin and  Today’s Church” on August 17~20, 2009. The event is expected  to draw 240 staff members from presbyteries across Taiwan. The purpose  of the conference is to help Christians today understand Calvin’s  contribution to theology, churches, and his contribution to the  Protestant Reformation.

The General Assembly of the PCT also appointed a publishing committee in  charge of collecting and printing promotional materials that will be  distributed during events highlighting Calvin’s legacy. Some of the  promotional materials include books such as “Praying with  Calvin”, “Devotionals with Calvin”, "Calvin's  Diary”, and a comic book entitled “Calvin’s Legacy”.  The committee will also translate renowned books such as “Legacy of  John Calvin”, “Calvin for Armchair Theologians”, and  “Presbyterian Beliefs”. It will also make available DVDs  chronicling Calvin’s life and works, as well as commemorative caps,  t-shirts, bookmarks, mugs, etc.

To help people get up close and personal with Calvin during this special  occasion, the General Assembly of the PCT will also launch  “Following Calvin’s Footsteps”. This will be a 12-day  group tour traveling to France (Calvin’s birthplace), Switzerland  (Calvin’s residence when he was growing up), Geneva, Edinburgh,  etc. The PCT has designed two types of group tours, one for pastors and  another one for everyone else.

All across Taiwan, Christian colleges and seminaries are gearing up for  Calvin’s 500th birthday as well. Chang Jung Christian University  and Tainan Theological College and Seminary have already held a forum on  Calvin in November 2008. Hsinchu Bible College and Yu-Shan Theological  College and Seminary will be helping out in celebration preparations  headed by the General Assembly of the PCT. Taiwan Theological College  and Seminary will hold a forum next year and it plans to invite pastors  from Singapore and Malaysia to the event.

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