Taiwan celebrates 140 years of Protestant ministry

Taiwan is celebrating the 140th anniversary of the arrival of Protestant missionaries. Canadian Presbyterian missionary George Mackay was one of the pioneers, arriving in 1872. "When the early evangelists arrived on Taiwan to proclaim the gospel of Christ, local people greeted them with thrown stones, spittle, knives and rejection," said Rev. Dr. C. M. Kao, former General Secretary of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan. "But the gospel was fearlessly proclaimed and the spirit of these brave forerunners remains a pattern worthy of emulation by contemporary Christians."
During celebrations, the Taiwan church leaders have referred to the 1955 Presbyterian initiative to "double in a decade." The movement reached its goals, thanks, in part, to the intake of 70 per cent of Taiwan's aboriginal peoples into churches following the Second World War.
"Is it possible that we might once again experience a 'double the church movement' in Taiwan, but this time not just in the Presbyterian Church?" asked Rev. James Hsia of the Chinese Christian Evangelistic Association. "If this vision can penetrate deeply into the hearts of Taiwan's clergy and lay church leaders, we could proclaim, "God is glorified in all Taiwan.'"
Hsia and Kao spoke at a prayer breakfast in Taipei, scheduled just before the national celebrations began in June. Several representatives from the Presbyterian Church in Canada were on hand. Margaret Zondo, administrator with International Ministries, and former missionaries Louise Gamble, Jack and Betty Geddes, Joy Randall and Wilma Welsh participated in the celebrations.
Despite a long history of continuous mission work, only four per cent of Taiwan's population is Christian.William J. K. Lo, General Secretary of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan, reflected on the disadvantages of being a large institution. "Institutionalism may have caused us to lose our flexibility in mission," he stated. "We must all reflect on our past, not forgetting that through this celebration of our history, God will lead us into and upon the road that lies ahead."