WEEKLY TOPICAL

During the Sunday mass in the Catholic Church of Shu-lin District in New Taipei City, the police entered the church and arrested the illegally run-away migrant workers.

The Council for World Mission (CWM) held its first physical annual meeting and management board conference in Taiwan from June 10 to 13, after the pandemic lockdown was lifted world-wide and mutual visits between local churches becomes available.

Organized by the Gender Justice Committee of the PCT’s Chi-Hsin Presbytery, a seminar entitled as “The Prevention of Sexual Harassment in the Church" was held at the Chi-Nan Church on June 3. Chaired by Dr Chiu Kai-li, assistant professor of Taiwan Theological College and Seminary, Dr Luo Chan-ying, professor of Graduate Institute of Gender Studies of Shih Hsin University, and Ms Guo Yu-shin, a PhD candidate at the Doctoral Program of Gender Education of National Kaohsiung Normal University, were invited to share their opinions in the seminar.

In the morning on May 25th, to honor the PCT’s MacKay Memorial Hospital for sending Taiwan's warmth and love to Ukraine via medical action and services, and pledge that the Taiwan government will continue to provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine and assist her devastated cities to rebuild, President Tsai honors and pays tribute to MacKay Medical Mission as the first medical team from Taiwan to go to Ukraine.

The unsuccessful election and failed ordination of the pastor for the Taipei Student Campus (Ministry) Center in March 2023 by the Central Standing Committee of Chi-Hsin Presbytery sparked many discussions among the PCT churches and its affiliated communities. To care for the development of the PCT campus ministry related to this issue, members of the PCT Evergreen Fellowship, PCT members and some pastors formed the "Caring Association for PCT Campus Ministry".

In the morning on May 4th, a workshop on the theme of "Love’s Sweet and Sour" was showcased at Fuh-Hsing Church of the Pingtung Presbytery. Presented in the model church cooperated for years, the Senior Citizens Ministry Team of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan designed a course of "Life Story Book" with teaching plans and teaching materials, in order to accompany senior citizens to review their life stories, make interesting handicrafts, and complete artworks of their own life stories.

In March 2023, Mr Li Yan-he, whose pen name is "Fucha" and the founder of the Gusa Press, went to visit family in China and was never heard of ever since. Later, it was confirmed that he had been arrested by the Chinese government. People in Taiwan expressed strong protests against this weird arrest of China, and started to rally for Fucha.

After more than 30 years of hard work by the PCT’s Ngudradrekai (Rukai) Presbytery, with the help of Korean Yong-Le Church and the Bible Society in Taiwan, the Ngudradrekai Bible was finally published in 2017. This year, Ngudradrekai Presbytery, the Taiwan Bible Society (BST), and Wycliffe Taiwan officially launch the recording ministry of the "Rukai Audio Bible".

It is 14 years passed and still has an enormous social impact after the Typhoon Morakot devastated at southern parts of Taiwan in 2009. Since then, local people and aborigines who were forced to evacuate from their hometowns and moved into the "permanent housing" communities built by charity organizations. However, disputes related to land ownership and residential rights have continued to arouse debates and discussions in these years.

The 68th PCT General Assembly was held from April 18 to 20 at the Caesar Hotel in Taipei City.