Taiwan's Ministry of the Interior recently reported that within a decade this will be a nation of the elderly. The Senior Citizens' Ministry department of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT), preparing to face the phenomenon of aging society with few youth, has published a set of directions for community-based ministry to the aging. Rev. Peng Chi-hong, the programme secretary for ministry to the elderly at the church's General Assembly, said that the church must strengthen its focus on the elderly, and at the same time encourage church members still in their child-bearing years to reproduce.

According to the Ministry of the Interior report, over the past one hundred years Taiwan's population has increased by over 20 million people, but it projects that by the year 2017 the population will have tipped into the category of "aged". This means that those termed "elderly" will outnumber those termed to be "children".

With this in mind, projections for the total population in the year 2018 are for 23.8 million people, at which time deaths will begin to outpace births, and after which the average age of the population and the death rate will begin to rise. Further projections envision a population fall to 18.561 million by 2050.

Population transition and change are challenges to Taiwan now. So the government is proposing policies to meet this major problem. The population report calls on government agencies and NGO's to begin to pay attention. The PCT is already dealing with the transition through a design for community based senior citizen concern work. It has held explanatory meetings, sponsored research projects, and has called for cooperation between churches and mission agencies in two stages. The church expects that many congregations might not only strengthen their outreach to the aging sectors of the population, but will move in ways that increase the power of the elderly in their own neighborhoods and provide opportunities for meaningful activity and volunteer work, increasing not only services to the elderly, but participation in social life as well.

Rev. Peng, speaking at a recent public meeting, addressed the increase in the number of elderly and decrease in the number of births as a challenge to this nation. Because the elderly cohort is seeing a rapid increase in numbers, the church must be careful in designing and planning its work. It must not merely continue to involve the elderly in decision making, but must address the young as well, encouraging families to plan on having at least 3 children, not two or less, as has become the pattern in recent decades.

Three children, he suggested, are a blessing. This is one way to respond to God's blessing. Young couples should not fear the pressures of birth and education, but think of the future society of this land.

For more information: Peng Chi-hong pang@mail.pct.org.tw