wfn.org | Editorial: Facing the challenges of Aborigine theological formation

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

>      Taiwan Church News

>3037 Edition

>May 10~16, 2010

Editorial: Facing the challenges of Aborigine theological  formation

>Translated by Lydia Ma

Yu-Shan Theological College and Seminary was established soon  after the end of 
World War

II when many Aborigines came home from the Pacific War. Many of  them 
undoubtedly

remembered the sharp contrast between the way the US army and the  Japanese 
army treated

prisoners of war, which was influenced by their religious  convictions. The 
former treated

POWs compassionately while the latter treated POWs brutally.

Against the backdrop of ancestor worship and autocratic  government, Aborigines 
brought the

gospel back to Taiwan and into their reservations. Though they  didn’t have 
Bible scholars to

instruct them and their financial resources were scarce, they had  passion to 
share the gospel

with people whose hearts were hungry and willing. Their efforts  resulted in 
what we now know

as “the miracles of 20th century missions”.

There has been a cultural awakening of sorts in Taiwan in recent  years. But 
there remains a

big difference between acknowledgment and acting on a conviction.  If we add 
cultural and

religious barriers and the love of money into the equation,  it’s easy to see 
why Aborigines

>would be confused about the meaning of life.

Aborigine pastors face daunting challenges today as they minister  to their 
flock. As Aborigine

people reclaim their cultural identity, deal with current social  challenges, 
face ever-increasing

economic inequalities, unjust government policies and biased media  reports, it 
is increasingly

difficult for them to keep their families and livelihoods intact.

These circumstances merely underscore the importance of Aborigine  churches and 
the

important role played by Yu-Shan Seminary in reversing the tide at  this 
critical moment in

history. Though there are now many educational institutions for  Aborigines to 
choose from,

only Yu-Shan Seminary understands Aborigine reservations  intimately and knows 
the needs,

values, and religious beliefs of Aborigines living in  reservations.

We are comforted to hear stories about young Aborigines who forego  
opportunities to study at

various colleges through scholarships or bonus points and choose  Yu-Shan 
Seminary instead

because they know that only Yu-Shan can adequately understand the  needs of 
Aborigines. For

all of us who care about Yu-Shan, can we cheer and encourage these  youth for 
the choice they

>made and support them in their studies?

Many prestigious universities in Taiwan have recently begun  seeking financial 
support from

renowned corporations to fill their dwindling general fund. A lot  of times, 
these fundraising

efforts have helped them secure an incredible amount of funding  and resources. 
In contrast,

Yu-Shan Seminary struggles to meet operational costs every day and  is too 
financially-

strapped to purchase a plot of land it has been leasing from the  government, 
which the latter

offered to sell to Yu-Shan Seminary at the end of June.

To prepare for new ministries and meet new educational goals,  Yu-Shan Seminary 
must add

a new multi-purpose building. A construction project has already  been unveiled 
and

construction is set to begin this year. Since we cherish Yu-Shan  Seminary and 
its unique role

in Taiwan, let us support and pray for this seminary as it faces  daunting 
challenges with limited

>resources.

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

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

You may translate and re-use our articles online only if you  acknowledge the 
source as

"Taiwan Church News" and list the names of the reporter and  writer.

Contact us before reprinting any of our articles for print  publications.

Direct comments and questions about this article to:  enews@pctpress.org

Visit our website for more news at: http://enews.pctpress.org/  (English)

>http://www.pctpress.org (Chinese)

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

> 
>