The 71st General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan was held at Changhua Christian Hospital from April 21 to 23 under the theme “One Heart in Love, Bound in Fellowship,” with Rev. Philip Vinod Peacock, general secretary of the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC), delivering a keynote address that called reformed christians to move beyond doctrine and action toward a deeper ethos of justice and communion. The assembly gathered 33 ecumenical partners present, including the Presbyterian Church (USA), United Church of Christ, Presbyterian Church of Canada, Reformed Church of Hungary, United Reformed Church, Presbyterian Church of Wales, Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea, and Church of Christ in Thailand. Peacock, whose remarks were translated by Pastor Zheng Yangen, told the assembly that ecumenical guests had come to Taiwan not as sightseers but as pilgrims to learn from the PCT. He pointed to the church’s long-standing solidarity with the marginalised, its prophetic courage, and its willingness to pay a price for justice. President Lai Ching-te attended the meeting before the service to express his gratitude to the Presbyterian Church for its attention to Taiwan’s development and peace issues. He pointed out that this year’s theme is not only a goal but also an ongoing process. The PCT held an organisational election on the first day of the agenda. Reverend Wang Tsung-jen was elected President of the 71st General Assembly; Reverend Liu Te-hsing, Vice President; Reverend Giljgiljaw Rarangalj (Chen Ming-kuang), Secretary; and Elder Huang Chun-yang, Treasurer. The Deputy Secretary position was left vacant because the election did not reach a majority in all three rounds of voting. On April 22, a signing ceremony was held between the Taiwan Presbyterian Church and the Tuvalu Christian Church for their memorandum of understanding. During the assembly, the PCT gave a presentation on theological education in Taiwan, including a session on “Institutional Missions Year Presentation.” Presentations shared the need to streamline their education system to meet the needs in the communities and address declining numbers in the churches. They also shared about their newly opened hospital and developing education ministry. The 71st General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan concludes on April 23. Photo by Lin Wan-ting Relative News>> WCRC 【第71屆總會通常議會】再思普世公義使命 |