In recent years Taiwan’s focus has been on economic progress. The result of this focus is seen in spiritual isolation and loss of hope for the future. Generally speaking, economic progress leads to social wealth, happiness and peace. But as we examine Taiwan’s “misery index” we see it rising. The suicide rate Taiwan’s among young people has not diminished as economic prosperity rises. Our faith and our churches in these times must bring renewed hope to Taiwan’s people so that all might enjoy abundant life. Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they might have life, and have it to the full”(John 10:10). We must turn from a material-centered view of the world to one that is Theo-centric so that people might see the dignity and value which God has given to humanity and recover human-to-human mutuality in care and sharing. We must live forth the abundance that God gives. The gospel records “… the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Like the Son of Man, we, too, must share in order to enjoy the fullness of life that God offers.

Martin Buber, a philosopher and theologian, in I and Thou (regarding human relationships) mentioned three faith attitudes. The first of these is “I centered.” According to Buber, this is the basis of most social philosophy. Simply stated, it means, “if a person is not self-concerned, nature will eliminate him or her.” This attitude leads to “rationalization” of personal actions. Buber said that for the “I centered” person basic life-values lack a time aspect and life is about getting by and avoiding loss. A focus on avoiding loss while attaining personal fame and power, centering everything on oneself and the fulfillment of one’s own desires, leads to many problems. Such a person fails to recognize the dignity of the image of God in other people as creatures, and relegates other persons to the status of objects thought of as “it.” Other people are similar to materials or toys rather than individuals thought of as “you”. This leads to woe in interpersonal relationships.

The second of Buber’s faith attitudes is “I and thou” (in which the initial “t” in “thou” is lower case). It involves dignity and is established on the relationships between individuals that involve concern for the other upon which the relationship is based. Under this rubric, the one recognizes the voice of the other and satisfies the other’s needs. It is in the other’s needs that the one finds his or her duties. Many social service organizations and religious agencies model this sort of relationship, but they often discover that when people give of themselves for others without a deeper basis for giving, lives can become depleted, unsatisfying, and the basic reasons for giving are obscured. This is a place where we as Christians and members of other religious organizations often differ, because our connection is with the one who is the way, truth and In Mark 10:45life on an entirely different level.

In the language of our Christian faith, life’s most vital center is God, and the relationship is that of “I and Thou”(wherein the initial “T” of “Thou” is upper case). In this relationship God is first. We can have clarity about God’s desires for us no matter what decisions or actions we take, because we can be clear that God is our help, that what we do brings glory to God, that God is first in our hearts, and God’s glory is our priority. When our everyday lives bring us repeatedly back to God’s word in deep reflection, we can serve God’s will, care for marginalized people, discover life in all its fullness and enjoy God’s grace ever more deeply. With God at the center we come to serve divine intentions. In praying for each other we are humbled, learn the spirit of God and return to our proper place before the Holy One. If we can attain to this stage of relationship with God, then we can diminish the alienation between human being and human being.

A person committed to God will discover three things: 1) Fullness of zeal, like St. Paul experienced toward God in the life of an evangelist and expressed in the words, “Fool for Christ!” 2) Selflessness, especially at times when decisions must be made, when the questions will be, “Is there selfishness in my heart? Am I thinking only of my own benefit, or that of my own circle of friends, my presbytery or my congregation? Is my heart clearly focused simply on the work of God and nothing else?” and 3) Mutuality, considering not merely his or her own opinion, but seeking out the ideas of others, and striving for mutuality.

Sharing The Executive Committee’s Work Of The Past Year

I have personally worked with the executive committee for two years. Last year we adopted a new theme, “Identify, Commit, Grow” as a programmatic guide for the years 2006-2015. We have published a “Mission White Paper” in which Taiwan’s changes and contexts are analyzed. Our mission work has been planned on the basis of this analysis. We have also published a vision for future mission in which the potentials of presbyteries are enhanced, policies are united, and use of the internet has been incorporated into our future development. Actualization of all directions of General Assembly mission work and development must begin with a renovation of the General Assembly central office from its smallest details to its greatest manifestations. This includes work to proclaim the gospel, nourish the children of God, provide effective and loving service, transform the society and care for the created world. Let us now turn our attention to these five areas.

Gospel Proclamation: Our General Assembly office cannot be self-centered, but must selflessly and humbly cooperate with all other agencies. God alone must be our prime motive. With this in mind, international mission of our church will be carried out through relationships of local presbyteries, supporting the sending of mission personnel, promoting the mission of God in the world and sharing with local congregations. Currently Taipei Presbytery has posted Rev. Wang Jenn-nai in Thailand and Hsin-chu Presbytery has sent Chung Su-huei to the UK. In addition, Chang Hwa Presbytery has established a mission partnership with the Mid-Kentucky Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in the USA and Chia-yi Presbytery has joined the Northwestern Synod of the United Reformed Church in the United Kingdom for mission work. Presbyteries and districts can become more deeply involved in ecumenical work and partnerships through which both sides’ churches can mutually experience cooperation. In ecumenical mission work, we maintain good relationships with organizations like the WCC, WARC, CWM and CCA, and are deeply involved in mission to China. We commend to all here the gospel mission in that land at this time, including the need to respect justice and peace as basic principals. We call on the churches of China to speak to their Government regarding the regulations on religion, and we offer the Chinese churches the benefit of our own history as a church speaking to power.

Domestic mission is another thing not exclusive to the General Assembly office, which is a coordinator and a promoter. Every presbytery, district, and local congregation is a mission agency which the General Assembly must serve. Therefore we have asked that each church organize an “each one reach one” fellowship for mission, hoping that through individuals leading individuals we can work towards fulfilling our commission and increase church membership by 5% every two years so that by the year 2015 our church will have 400,000 members. But numerical growth is not the only vision or need, quality of growth is also extremely important. Therefore we need to talk not only about local church growth, or presbytery growth, or General Assembly growth.

Positive strengthening of presbyteries’ and districts’ executive structures and staffing must take place at the local levels so that programmes which originate at the General Assembly level might be communicated to local churches where the work is actually done. For example, the Hakka Mission committee is promoting a “Hakka Mission Strategy Conference”, a “Nationwide Hakka Christians Spiritual Retreat” and a “2007 Hakka Leadership Training Camp” in order to positively promote Hakka Mission Work, aiming to organize a “Hakka Mission Presbytery” as the fruit of these labours.

Nourish the Children of God: As we look for church growth we also acknowledge some actualities of life in Taiwan. It is inevitable that some churches experience shrinkage. Youth flow out of villages to cities. Foreign spouses come to live in local communities. Overseas contract labourers influence Taiwan’s social situations. Beyond this, aboriginal mission and other programmes for strengthening and social action are inevitable responsibilities at the local congregation and General Assembly levels.

Youth are zealous, and we must channel this zeal. Research has shown that the best time to draw a person to faith is during the years of middle school and university education. At the end of 2006 the General Assembly’s Youth Work Committee held a “Jesus Night” with over 30,000 in attendance. It was a festive occasion during which 300 young people made professions of faith, offering their energy and zeal to Jesus. The University Ministries Committee established “College Student Companion Congregation Partnerships” with churches in Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Kaohsiung and Pingtung so that local churches can better understand college campus ministry and enter into, care about and perform campus evangelistic work. In 2007 the 44th annual University Students’ Bible and Theology Camp gathered 400 young people, the largest turnout on record. Because so many young people desire to understand the scriptures, read the scriptures, and offer their strength to the study, we must positively promote participation in the camp, hoping that in future years even more youth will participate and study the Bible together. We expect that their zeal will rise and they will offer themselves in service to the Lord and the church, and that the conference will continue to serve as a development engine for mission energy.

Last spring the General Assembly’s Education Committee repeated “Life Education Training Meetings” in Northern and Southern Taiwan. Over 800 persons came out from different churches and denominations to be equipped as workers for this programme. The Women’s Ministries Committee held decentralized human resources training events in January to which 170 persons turned out in 27 different locations to be nourished for ministry. Through women’s human resources training, we hope to equip future women leaders. Preparation is also necessary if we are to equip Sunday School teachers and others to nourish the zeal of future generations.

Provide Effective and Loving Service (or purpose driven General Assembly work): In these days, beyond being good and loyal stewards, we must be wise as well. This year we have put wisdom into all of our goals at the General Assembly. Purpose-driven formation and transformation of our structures will make us more effective as a team, and will promote our effective work. (1) Human resources are often the key factor in success or failure. My co-workers and I at the General Assembly intentionally seek people with talents and gifts to enter into General Assembly service. Current staff get training, and service begins from this resource. Anyone who comes to the General Assembly with a need can expect to be welcomed, that phone calls will not be transferred carelessly, that requests will be treated seriously, and that any complaints will be resolved through the office of the Associate General Secretary. Human resources sharing is facilitated through a talent bank that can be drawn on by General Assembly standing committees and boards of church-related agencies. Those with talent have responsibility for the positive direction of our mission. The pensions fund encourages retired clergy to continue to serve, and has organized many experienced pastors to continue to give of their talents in a spirit of teamwork. (2) Often in the past we have been able to do effective work on short notice. When our Assembly has met we have had to face significant planning needs. But as we have become more complex and needed to work more effectively, needing more time for deliberations, we have also reduced the time that the Assembly meets. I’m happy to say that this year, the Law Committee, that reviews all proposals before they come before the Assembly, accomplished in half a day what used to take us several days. That is effectiveness! (3) Every financial grant or subsidy must have a clear aim. Of Aboriginal and small churches that apply for these, we ask that descriptions include concrete and attainable mission goals. In such cases, the General Assembly offers increased subsidies to enable pastors to accomplish mission work visions. (4) Church agencies also must demonstrate mission-focused cooperation. One example we can follow is how the General Assembly invited Mackay Memorial Hospital, Chang Hwa Christian Hospital, Sin Low Christian Hospital officers to sit down and discuss how their agencies might work together towards a holistic and creative mission vision. To reduce the waste of work time spent in quarrels the executive committee has developed a “Head of Boards Benefit Reconciliation Policy” which we hope can be a model for all of Taiwan’s society.

Since the current General Assembly staff took office in 2005 we have experienced both internal and external changes, but there is still much to do. As we have considered many models of fund raising: The Blue Seas Plan, The Least Coin Movement, and the raising of resources from newly created sources for new and creative work. Change is fast and fluid in Taiwan’s society. All ministers, elders and believers willingly cooperating in the church has become our most important current point of discussion.

Social Transformation: We must promote church concern for our society and share our experience with the world. I personally identify with Taiwan’s movement for sovereignty and independence. The church must be concerned about Taiwan’s society and politics. The General Assembly acts towards this end inn many ways, encouraging churches to participate through their own situations. When we “look not to ourselves” but open up more broadly, we focus outside of ourselves, and find much space for cooperation. I personally encourage every agency of our church to work in alliance and harmoniously with government departments and grassroots organizations. One example is support of Taiwan’s entrance into the World Health Organization, our approach to which changed a year ago. Sin Low Christian hospital has taken the lead, inviting the General Assembly’s Church and Society Committee and the Taiwan United Nations Association to work with it. Last year’s National Prayer Breakfast also changed its format so that national leaders could see God’s blessing of Taiwan and the Churches’ hopes for Taiwan. Last August the Church and Society Committee published “Sing Taiwan Songs and Walk Taiwan’s Road With a Taiwan Heart” for the 60th anniversary of the 228. This quickly found support both within and outside of the church, and was highly praised by social movement groups. The “Protect Taiwan Alliance” funded printing and distribution of ten thousand copies of the book, and when the 228 commemoration was held on Taipei’s Ketagalan Boulevard there was a 10,000 voice mass choir, so that everyone in and outside of Taiwan could hear the cry of our hearts. We look for change not only in politics and policy, but in life, culture and the understandings of Taiwan’s people through mutual identification. In cooperation with Tainan Theological College and Seminary we published a 228 Memorial Festschrift as one edition of the college’s “Theology and the Church” journal. Its contents reflected on the relationship, position and attitudes of the church to the society in many concrete ways. In domestic disaster response we have also, through the Church and Society Committee, cooperated with the Christian Rescue Association and World Vision. At the same time, service agencies and the Christian Welfare Association have cooperated to promote volunteer training and plan a “gleaners center”, hoping that churches can more deeply enter into communities as gospel partners. Because I support the entry of Taiwan into the United Nations and the World Health Organization and other such organizations, our church can take a positive role through application of our spiritual resources. For example, we invited the World Council of Churches leaders to Taiwan and helped them to understand this land, placing Taiwan’s peoples’ hopes that our nation can enter the United Nations and the World Health Organization before them. Our voice goes out to all of the world, and an increasing number of organizations hear it and ally themselves with us. Last year we hosted the moderator of the Presbyterian Church in the USA, and after he returned to his home country he shared our church’s mission work with his church, promoting deeper mission cooperation between our churches. Dr Setri Nyomi, General Secretary of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, was at our 51st General Assembly and shared his organization’s mission visions with us. He also took our church’s mission model back to share with his organization’s member communions. Bishop Sano of the United Methodist Church in the USA visited with 7 members of his church, and afterwards he spoke up for Taiwan’s churches in his assembly. Dr. Samuel Kobia and 5 executives from the World Council of Churches visited and took away deep impressions and concern for Aboriginal mission in Taiwan. They plan to participate in our General Assembly meeting in 2008. The Christian Conference of Asia plans to hold its 2010 Assembly here in Taiwan.

In the area of work with the elderly, a PCT Community Senior Citizens’ Ministry seminar held in Southern Taiwan planned and published a “PCT Community Senior Citizens’ Ministry Handbook” last year. A pamphlet published in 2006 “Light for the Elderly” became a monthly magazine in 2007. As Taiwan’s population ages we cannot stand still. We must encourage the elderly themselves to joyfully enter into the tides of change.

Care for Creation: Faced as we are with the downside of globalization, not only did we promote recycling of resources by churches last year, we also called on them to begin reuse of cups, chopsticks, bags and other items in an environmental awareness education programme. As we face work in and concern for other countries, we seek, through our Ecumenical Committee, to participate in international organizations. We are currently in discussion with the Presbyterian Church in the USA on cooperative outreach and work in Vietnam. Following the 2005 Tsunami in South Asia we entered reconstruction work, and through the Church and Society Committee we saw it carried out. In recognition of our work in housing reconstruction and training in Sri Lanka one town named a new street “Taiwan Road”. In India the first phase of our rescue work and training has finished and we are currently engaged in re-housing, vocational training and early childhood education work. In addition to these projects, we continue to demonstrate to ecumenical organizations and international churches that we are a participant in the world, willing to volunteer and participate, and create opportunities for our church youth to participate in real-life situations of sharing and bearing fruit.

Committed to Life in All its Fullness

Commitment grows from identification. When we discover God’s mysterious intention for each of us, God’s creation of us, God’s empowerment of each of us, we then can recognize the Grace of God that opens our eyes so that we can see life differently, not with common human values that defend our own values or denigrate others. When we come to know God’s expectations for us and how God values us we joyfully commit our hearts so that what is in us is naturally lived out through service that no longer seems onerous. In fact, duty becomes sweet, and we come to express with St Paul, “Woe unto me if I don’t preach the gospel.” (I Corinthians 9:16). This woe is not the result of compulsion or threat, but is a kind of unstoppable movement in us that becomes self-sustaining. When we have more differently gifted people using different expertise in common projects, all co-workers are able to share, and we find ourselves energized and filled. Truly because of this, then we can have more people sharing the gospel’s good news. Because of this we ourselves and all people are progressively more and more blessed by God. The PCT’s future must depend on your and my cooperative effort, that the work of the General Assembly, its direction, policy, resources, and transformation to the electronic age can become the work of all churches on a level ground. Presbyteries and districts must become bridges between the General Assembly and local congregations for service and cooperation. Local churches will engage with their communities as sowers of gospel seeds with vision. Schools, hospitals, and service agencies with differing missions of their own will become cooperators in the project of actualizing and living out our faith. May everyone in Taiwan come to identify and commit to the end that life in all its colourful fullness might be characteristic of life in this land.