Taiwan Church News
3846 Edition
Nov 10 ~ 16, 2025
Weekly Topical
Connecting PCTSCFS and Offshore Fishery, Kaohsiung Presbytery Hosts Marine Camp to Showcase Church’s Mission Toward Oikoumene
Jointly Reported by Wang Zi-heng and Lin Wan-ting from Kaohsiung
Following the fishing season of Pacific saury came to an end, many offshore fishing boats registered at Kaohsiung City returned to Cianjhen Fishing Port one by one. The PCTSFSC (Seamen and Fishermen’s Service Center of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan) held a feast party at the Plaza of Cianjhen Fishing Port in the evening on November 7 to cater and entertain migrant fishermen who left their beloved family and home for a long period of time.
In the event, various specialty snacks, traditional musics and dancing and karaoke songs from Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and many other countries were arranged at site. Migrant fishermen from different countries gathered together to spend a pleasant night.
At the opening of the event, Rev Chen Wu-chang, director of PCTSFSC, gave a welcome speech. As convener of the event, he gave his gratitudes to many patronizing units from public sector, civil groups and enterprises, including the Fisheries Agency of the Ministry of Agriculture under Executive Yuan, Marine Bureau of Kaohsiung City Government, Kaohsiung Fisheries Association, Migrant Workers Office of Kaohsiung Extension under Manila Economic and Cultural Office and Taiwan Fisheries Industry Association.
Representatives of those participating groups were invited to deliver speeches, affirming migrant fishermen’s perseverance and resilience in their hard works on the sea and paying tributes to for their colossal and indispensable contributions to Taiwan’s fishery economy.
Rev Wu Dian-lin, chairman of Taiwan Council for the Protection of Rights and Interests of International Seamen and Fishermen and pastor of the Yan-Cheng Church of Kaohsiung Presbytery, mentioned in his speech that migrant fishermen had created an offshore industry close to NT$ 10 billion for Taiwan in the past, and remarkably PCTSFSC had faithfully cared and supported migrant fishermen for nearly 40 decades.
To stand by PCTSFSC, Rev Wu pledged to carry on PCT’s role of companionship and support. “Just like the recent relocation of PCTSFSC to the new building with an obvious update of hardware facilities,” he said, “our software services to facilitate migrant fishermen’s daily lives, recreation, and accessibility to public service will be updated in the same vein for sure!”
For such charity ministry to care and support migrant fishermen is impossible to be accomplished by PCT alone, Rev Wu gave his special thanks to Fisheries Agency, Marine Bureau and other government institutes, as well as private enterprises, civil groups and many local churches for their joint efforts to improve the living standard and working environment of migrant fishermen in Taiwan.
Sponsored by FCF Co., Ltd and several Taiwan fishery companies, all invited fishermen were offered with a total of 1,000 free coupons to enjoy barbecue, fried food, chicken cake and other Taiwanese night market delicacies in the feast party.
During the interview, Rev Chen Wu-chang introduced a radio program named “Voice of Fishermen”, which was jointly supported by PCTSFSC and FCF Co., Ltd since 2022 and independently operated as a third party online platform for migrant fishermen to speak out their voices during their jobs on the sea.
Rev Chen indicated, “this radio program hopes to detect the problems and difficulties encountered by migrant fishermen at sea and ensure that their working rights and interests are monitored and safeguarded.”
Sincerely he hoped that local churches could continue to care, pray and support the ministry of PCTSFSC, and jointly protect the dignity, rights and interests of migrant fishermen.
In the meantime, the Education Ministry Committee of the Kaohsiung Presbytery held the second “Marine Camp” again on November 8 this year. Entitled with the theme of “Offshore Fisheries”, about 100 Sunday school teachers, students and their parents from 11 churches were invited to visit PCT Seamen and Fisherman’s Service Center supervised by Peace Foundation.
Through many interesting games, exciting activities and informative curation, Rev Chen Wu-chang, director of PCTSFSC, introduced the participating adults and children to learn kinds of challenges and hardships of migrant fishermen and appreciate more about Taiwan offshore fishery as a critical carrier (oikoumene) to sustain our church and society in daily lives.
Quoting biblical verses, Luke 5:1~11, Rev Tsai Yong-hsin, director of Education Ministry Committee of Kaohsiung Presbytery, specially preached a sermon with the theme as “Jesus called fisherman as disciples” to stress the ecumenical spirit of Christian mission and respond to the educational significance of Marine Camp.
Translated by Peter Wolfe
