wfn.org | TCN: Forum on Calvin is a sober reminder for PCT churches

["Taiwan Church News" <enews@pctpress.org>]

>Taiwan Church News

>3000 Edition

>August 24~30, 2009

Forum on Calvin is a sober reminder for PCT churches

>Reported by Chiou Kuo-rong

>Written by Lydia Ma

Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT) held a forum on August 17~20  as part of a

series of activities organized to commemorate John Calvin’s  500th anniversary.

The main speaker of the forum was former WARC chairman and  theologian Rev.

C.S. Song, who astonished his listeners with the words, “We  mustn’t be hijacked

by Calvin!” Song emphasized that Calvin had lived in a  homogenous society that

was very different from today’s multicultural Taiwanese  society. Therefore, if PCT

continues to absorb and rely on Western theology without doing  some critical

assessment on its own, this will inevitably lead to the demise of  the church.

Song’s theme during his lecture was “Reform, Reform, and  more Reform.” He

emphasized that as churches celebrate Calvin’s birth, they  must not be

sidetracked by fantasies about Calvin’s preferred style for  churches, sermons,

etc. Instead, he urged PCT churches to do some introspection,  especially on the

doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Otherwise, the church  might become

so irrelevant to people that it will ultimately be dismissed by  the rest of society.

He illustrated his point by alluding to renowned and revered  German theologians

throughout history who are esteemed as theology experts and  contrasted them to

>dying German churches.

“Calvin believed in the priesthood of all believers, but this  idea has never truly

materialized within churches in the past 500 years!” pointed  out Song. In the

same way, it is useless for the PCT to agree on the principle of  the priesthood of

all believers when misconceptions about power within churches are  never

addressed and tactfully avoided over the years.

Song regretted that “the priesthood of all believers”  was not addressed as a

topic during this forum, and hoped it would be addressed in  churches,

presbyteries, and the general assembly one day. He hoped that by  coming to

terms with misconceptions about power within churches, churches  debilitated by

this problem may begin to grow and missions hampered by this  problem may be

>renewed.

One person in the audience asked how positions such as church  elders and

deacons came into existence during Calvin’s era. In response,  Taiwan

Theological College and Seminary Professor Cheng Yang-en replied  that every

member participates in different capacities within a church and  the type of

ministry a person is called to serve depends on his spiritual  gifts. This

understanding is in accordance to biblical teachings, but problems  arise when

church members mindlessly follow traditions or erroneously  conclude that to be

elected as deacon is the only way to be “promoted” to  the position of an elder

later on. Most people still view pastors and elders as people who  wield the most

powerful and coveted positions within a church.

Cheng clarified this misconception by saying the ultimate  difference between

positions at churches is that everyone is entrusted with different  things and all

ministries and positions are equally important. “The church  is a democracy, not a

>dictatorship or an oligarchy!” he said.

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