3074 Edition
January 24-30, 2011 Headline News
Centenarian Pastor marks birthday with words of encouragement for younger pastors
Reported by Chen Yi-hsuan
Written by Lydia Ma
Born in 1912, Rev. Lai Ping-hung celebrated his 100th birthday recently as a crowd of well-wishers remembered his 75 years in ministry as a pastor and missionary. Besides ministering as a local pastor for many years, Lai was also active in several organizations, including PCT General Assembly’s “Indigenous Ministry Committee” and Christian publishing houses, and serving as the first director of Bible Society in Taiwan.
Though he officially retired as a PCT pastor long ago, Lai is convinced ministers should never retire from their calling to preach the gospel everywhere they go – and those were his words of encouragement for younger ministers on his birthday.
Lai reminisced that when he was still a seminarian in Tainan Theological College and Seminary, he took a class on the “Acts of the Apostles” lectured by Rev. Thomas Barclay, founder of Taiwan Church Press. As the president of the seminary’s student council, he would later be one of the pall bearers at Barclay’s memorial service held in Tainan.
Besides serving at various churches in Taiwan during his years in ministry, Lai went to Philippines and Brazil as a missionary. Though officially retired at the age of 70, as mandated by PCT Church Law Committee, he never retired from ministry – God’s calling for his life. At the age of 70 and carrying only one suitcase of personal belongings, he went to Penghu Island (also known as Pescadores Island, one of Taiwan’s off-shore islands) to preach the gospel in Makung, the county seat of Penghu.
It was in Makung that Lai met the then-pastor of Makung Presbyterian Church, Rev. Lin Hsien-ping, and the two bonded instantly. Now, Lai regularly attends the church Lin is pastoring in Tainan City.
Lai urged younger pastors to be brave and plunge ahead noting that younger generations of pastors lack this kind of tenacity in their ministries. As a pastor himself, he is convinced that those called into full-time ministry should never retire, but preach the gospel everywhere they go. As for lay members, he urged them to prioritize prayer and serving in church ministries so that they can become “vibrant” Christians.