wfn.org | TCN: PCT aboriginal churches promote starting small churches

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

>Taiwan Church News

>2972 Edition

>February 9~15, 2009

PCT aboriginal churches promote starting small churches

>Reported by Lin Yi-ying

>Written by Lydia Ma

February 15 is the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan’s (PCT)  “Aboriginal Missions Sunday” and offerings collected on that  day are used to support aboriginal ministries. PCT Aboriginal Missions  Board Director Pastor Suna urged aboriginal churches across Taiwan to  reach out to other churches that are smaller and financially struggling.

Suna encouraged aboriginal church members to be generous with their time  and finances at their own churches because there is often a shortage of  volunteers in many church ministries. He also called on all presbyteries  within the PCT to actively participate in planning and carrying out  different types of aboriginal missions ministries so that the spiritual  harvest among aboriginals may double.

The General Assembly of the PCT has already sent out a pastoral letter  to all PCT churches with guidelines on how to minister to small  churches, develop urban aboriginal missions, and set up regional mission  centers. The letters also included information on aboriginal  self-determination movements and tribal agricultural programs as these  are all important fields of study when pursuing aboriginal ministries.  The General Assembly estimates that it will need $10 million NTD (about  $290 thousand USD) to carry on with this year’s aboriginal  ministries, and $6 million of this total will depend on offerings from  individuals and churches.

According to data from the Executive Yuan Aboriginal Committee, the  population of aboriginals in December 2008 was approximately 495,000  people and only 32.05% of these still live in tribal reserves. The rest  of the population lives in small villages or urban areas in order to  make a living.

Based on this trend, PCT Indigenous Ministry Committee Chair Pastor Sudu  Tada estimated that over 85% of aboriginals from ages 18 to 45 are  living in urban areas because of work or study. Therefore, the most  important task for aboriginal and urban churches now is to partner  together to help these people who grew up in Presbyterian churches to  find a Presbyterian church to attend regularly once again.

Sudu Tada pointed out bluntly that about 50% of aboriginals who head to  the cities for work or study lose their Christian faith in the process.  Some 20% of aboriginals wind up attending another church denomination  and only 20% of aboriginals continue attending PCT churches after they  move to urban areas.

In light of this trend, it is imperative that aboriginal missions focus  on urban aboriginal outreach with the help and partnership of city  churches. Sudu Tada cited Changhua Presbytery as a model because this  presbytery already has six urban aboriginal churches. Another model is  the partnership between South Bunun Presbytery and Kaohsiung Presbytery.  South Bunun will use churches and resources offered by Kaohsiung to  begin offering aboriginal Sunday services so that aboriginals living  near Kaohsiung city can return to church.

Sudu Tada hoped that city churches will consider employing aboriginal  clergy to minister to aboriginals living in their neighborhood. City  churches can also help aboriginal people start their own churches in  cities across Taiwan so that aboriginals living in urban areas who have  not attended church and those who have given up their faith can return  to the Lord.

PCT Associate Secretary Sing ‘Olam remarked that the most important  thing was for aboriginal churches to rise up and find their own unique  vision in the field of mission outreach and produce effective mission  strategies. Sing ‘Olam urged aboriginal churches not to remain  passive by waiting for help to come, but to become pro-active  participants in winning souls for God. He pointed out that pro-active  churches that also enjoy the support of other churches are the ones who  will bear the most fruit.

********************

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

You may translate and re-use the articles if you acknowledge the source  as "Taiwan Church News" and list the names of the reporter and writer.
Visit our web site: http://www.pctpress.org (Chinese)

>http://enews.pctpress.org/ (English)

Please direct comments and questions to: enews@pctpress.org

If links are not working or you desire to receive e-news as plain text  attachments, please let us know. Thank you!

>********************