April 25-May 1, 2011
General Assembly News
PCT 55th General Assembly annual meeting highlights holistic evangelism
Reported by Sam Lee, Lin Yi-ying
Written by Lydia Ma
The 55th PCT General Assembly Annual Meeting took place from April 26~29, 2011, and many PCT leaders as well as foreign guests attended the assembly. Major themes covered in assembly discussions included PCT’s One-leads-One New Doubling Movement, an overall evaluation of how well PCT has lived up to its 2010-2011 theme “Let cultures flourish; Let God’s justice take root.”
PCT’s emphasis on holistic evangelism was on full display as the assembly discussed “I lift my eyes to the mountains prayer meeting” movement, continuing efforts to help and resettle victims of Typhoon Morakot, how to realize gender justice in the life of the church, etc.
When discussions turned to the upcoming 150th anniversary of the PCT in 2015, and how the new evangelistic movement fit into it, PCT General Assembly leaders reaffirmed that quantitative growth was not the only goal, for it needed to be accompanied by spiritual growth and holistic growth, so that Taiwanese society as a whole would benefit from the gospel. Hence the reason why the General Assembly believes there are 6 dimensions to holistic mission, including: Proclaiming the gospel, nurturing God’s children, serving with love, transforming the society, caring for God’s creation, and intertwining gospel and culture.
Outgoing Moderator: Pray for the General Assembly
Outgoing Moderator Lai Hsien-chang said during his speech that he had seen first-hand God’s wisdom in placing people in specific posts to accomplish meaningful tasks.
He lauded all pastors from local churches for their hard-work and also reminded them that their presbyteries and staff at the General Assembly were also essential in making all things work together.
Lai asked that PCT members remember in their prayers the General Secretary Andrew Chang as well as the work of the General Assembly offices. “For we are all like the apostle Paul. We are weak and we need strength from God to be successful in all that we do,” he said. “When we’re willing to pray for one another, PCT members will enjoy fellowship with God and one another and also become powerful vessels and witnesses for God on this earth.”
Incoming Moderator: Ready for the job
“I am very grateful for the trust placed upon me by the GA Executive Committee and I thank God for the cooperation and display of unity from all staff at the GAO,” said incoming moderator and last year’s vice-moderator Chiohh Lyiam-Syian, recalling his duties as vice-moderator this past year.
Chiohh reflected back on the past year and said since there were plenty of committee meetings within PCT, he had plenty of opportunities to serve as convener along with Lai. He stressed that many of their responsibilities were about being in the frontlines and acting as coordinator or conciliator. “Because of these roles, biblical principles are my guide in resolving issues. I search for the best solution that will benefit churches, the issue at hand, those working on the issue, etc. because if something does go wrong, the church as a whole suffers.”
He emphasized that regardless of how a difficult issue arose that needed solution or intervention, its existence is something God can use to mature Christians. “We must truthfully face our weaknesses. As a representative of the GAO, I am impartial in moderating issues. But oftentimes the result of a meeting may not bring satisfaction to all parties and I will face much criticism. But I still thank God for his help and for such an opportunity to serve.”
