wfn.org | Taiwan's Churches Seek Unity Through Dialogue and Humble Study

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Taiwan Church News 2726, 24 through 30 May 2004
Reported by Gu Hao-jan. Translated and Rewritten by David Alexander

Taiwan's Protestant churches have long been divided over their responses to
and identifications with national political trends or religious phenomena
such
as the Charismatic movement.  These and other matters have created deep
divisions between some denominations that use the Taiwanese language and
others that use Mandarin Chinese. Sometimes these divisions are seen between
congregations of a single denomination that use different languages.

In his May 20th inauguration speech, Taiwan's President Chen Shui-bian
indicated his willingness to engage in self-reflection followed by frank and
sincere dialogue with those who have differed with him on the actualities of
Taiwan's social and ethnic problems. He wants to seek an effective
resolution.

The Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT), which has long emphasized love of
Taiwan and rooting of the Gospel in this land, might also profit from better
attitudes and methods. By these it might move closer to resolution of the
invisible but very present gulf between itself and the "Mandarin language
denominations." Reporters from the Taiwan Church News sought out a few clergy
who have abundant front line experience in ecumenical cooperation to discuss
barriers to and potentials for inter-church cooperation.  These clergymen did
not agree on all things, but each pointed to the need for allowing the Holy
Spirit to lead in the work as Christians humbly learn. Each also favors open
dialogue with ecumenical partners to make progress in understanding and
thereby to walk the road to cooperation and unity.

An Unselfish Attitude Must Come First

The Rev. Wang Ing-shyh is a retired minister who has extensive experience in
prison ministry. He was pastor of Lo-tung Presbyterian Church on Taiwan's
Northeast coast and remains the district convener for the Renewal Fellowship
in that area.  In addressing church cooperation, he says that work in the
prisons is free from denominational particularities.  Every church
participates and supports from its own unique context. The result is that in
his district the work is cooperative.

But he warns that church cooperation requires unselfish attitudes among the
clergy regarding resource sharing. He said that the work in his area began
when prison chaplain Twu Huei-hsiung promoted the ministry to churches
through
a newsletter. As local congregations became involved in the ministry the ball
began rolling.	Resources increased and led to more cooperation.  Had clergy
started out with an aim only for developing their own local congregations or
had they expected a quick and easy harvest, unity would not have had a chance
to begin.

The Work of the Holy Spirit Unifies

Ther Rev. Chen Jian-yue is a zealous promoter of the Holy Spirit movement for
personal renewal and has abundant experience in cross-denominational work. He
is the pastor of You-Chang Presbyterian Church in Kaohsiung City.  He says
that unity requires the experiences of Holy Spirit fullness and renewal that
lead to gradual transformation. Without these there can be no real progress
in
cooperation across denominational lines.

Rev. Chen frankly says that prior to a visit he made in the year 2000 to a
church in Korea he had been an extremely traditional Presbyterian clergyman.
After his visit, when he experienced the Holy Spirit's fullness and presence,
he began to notice a great difference in himself. "When a heart's door is
thrown open, spiritual life is transformed from the bottom up, and the Holy
Spirit creates a warm place from which to act."

This year You-chang Church led an action of 20 congregations from 9
denominations to establish the Kaohsiung Clergy Strategy Alliance for
single-hearted cooperation. Rev Chen says that he is constantly moved by
God's
Spirit. He envisions the church as a place of "Sabbath" where people and God
are reconciled, the Spirit of God enters into human hearts, and people enter
into abundant rest. An increase in such rest will lead to more blessing from
God and the walls of the church will fall down. Alienation between
denominations will cease. Denominational names will even cease to be
mentioned
and the Kingdom of God will be the only identity.

Resolution Through Frank and Sincere Dialogue

Pastor Chuang Hsiao-sheng has cooperated in ecumenical ministry at Chu-tang
Church in Chang-hwa County.  In his region, the profile of the Presbyterian
Church is so high that, even when the work is cross-denominational, PCT
congregations are expected to take the lead and serve as conveners for
projects. Experience hosting large scale evangelistic rallies, unified prayer
events and other mass gatherings has given the region a flavor of
"ecclesiastical community" over against that of "denominational division."

But he can still see differences based on national politics, opinions
regarding charismatic renewal and the language divisions between Mandarin
language and Taiwanese language churches.  These still exist and must be
resolved. He has faith that progress can come through open sincere dialogue.

Cooperation Begins with Prayer.

Getting "down to brass tacks", one pastor who chose not to be named here
suggested less structured beginnings.  He said his experience showed that the
other denominations in Taiwan have high regard for the PCT and want to learn
from us, but they see the PCT's relative size and power as a hindrance

Kaohsiung's Rev. Chen suggests that if the PCT wants to cooperate with other
denominations it should not seek to find what is "popular" but to return to
the basics of building its own spiritual foundations. "The success of other
people does not form a model for how you yourself should proceed."

Advancing the argument a step he says that there are some areas in which the
PCT can easily cooperate with other churches. First is to establish prayer
teams, second to set up evangelistic teams, and third to offer training for
new members, especially for "first generation" believers. He points to the
1950's and 60's when, in ten years, the PCT doubled its size.  "That was a
time of prayer and close cooperation with the Holy Spirit. It was a time when
the church was energized."

For More Information: Wang Ing-shyh  TEL: +886 3 954 2023
		   Chen Jyan-yue n4511100@ms55.hinet.net
		   Chuang Hsiao-sheng n4518@ms22.hinet.net
Taiwan Church News is published weekly in Taiwan's local languages.
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