The
Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT; Taiwanese: Tâi-oân Ki-tok Tiúⁿ-ló Kàu-hoē; ) was planted in
TaiwanTaiwan , also known as Formosa , is the largest island of the Republic of China in East Asia. Taiwan is located east of the Taiwan Strait, off the southeastern coast of mainland China...
in the 19th century by
Dr James Laidlaw Maxwell SnrJames Laidlaw Maxwell Senior was the first Presbyterian missionary to Taiwan . He served with the English Presbyterian Mission....
of the former Presbyterian Church of England and
Dr George Leslie MackayGeorge Leslie Mackay was the first Presbyterian missionary to northern Formosa . He served with the Canadian Presbyterian Mission...
of
CanadaThe Presbyterian Church in Canada is the name of a Protestant Christian church, of presbyterian and reformed theology and polity, serving in Canada under this name since 1875, although the United Church of Canada claimed the right to the name from 1925 to 1939...
.
In Taiwan, Presbyterians have historically been active in promoting the use of the local vernacular Taiwanese, both during the
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese colonial period, as well as after the transfer of rulership to the
Republic of ChinaThe Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, is a state in East Asia that has evolved from a single-party state with full global recognition and jurisdiction over China into a democratic state with limited international recognition and jurisdiction only over Taiwan and minor islands, though it...
, during which the exclusive use of Mandarin was legally mandated. Also, the church has historically been an active proponent of human rights and democracy in Taiwan, a tradition which began during the Japanese colonial period and extended into the martial law period of the ROC. As such, the church has been somewhat associated with the
Taiwan independenceTaiwan independence is a political movement whose goal is primarily to create an independent and sovereign Republic of Taiwan out of the lands currently governed by the Republic of China and claimed by the People's Republic of China .This movement is supported by the Pan-Green Coalition in Taiwan...
movement. The PCT has also been a consistent and conspicuous proponent of Aboriginal Rights:
In terms of polity, the PCT has a general assembly, and only one
synodA synod is a council of a church, usually a Christian church, convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application...
(the Northern Synod); the presbyteries in the south of the island connect directly to the general assembly. The PCT is a member church of the
World Council of ChurchesThe World Council of Churches is an international Christian ecumenical organization. Based in Geneva, Switzerland , it is a fellowship of about 340 churches of which 157 are members...
. It is also a member of the
Council for World MissionThe Council for World Mission is a worldwide community of Christian churches. The 31 members are committed to sharing their resources of money, people, skills and insights globally to carry out God's mission locally....
through which it is linked in mission with 30 other churches around the world.
Immigrants from Taiwan to the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
have also started Taiwanese-language churches which are closely related to the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan. While most of these churches are affiliated with the
Presbyterian Church (USA)The Presbyterian Church or PC is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States. Part of the Reformed family of Protestantism, it is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the U.S...
, or the
Presbyterian Church in CanadaThe Presbyterian Church in Canada is the name of a Protestant Christian church, of presbyterian and reformed theology and polity, serving in Canada under this name since 1875, although the United Church of Canada claimed the right to the name from 1925 to 1939...
, or the
United Church of CanadaThe United Church of Canada, the second-largest Christian denomination in Canada after the Roman Catholic Church, is an evangelical Protestant denomination founded in 1925 as a merger of four Protestant denominations:...
, the liturgy and church practices are rooted in the Taiwanese Presbyterian tradition, and the pulpits are usually filled by ministers trained in the PCT.
The
Mackay Memorial HospitalMackay Memorial Hospital , established on December 26, 1912, is a private Christian hospital located in down-town Taipei. The hospital is mostly associated with the Revd Dr George Leslie Mackay DD, the first modern missionary to northern Taiwan. The hospital is deeply rooted in the Presbyterian...
is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan.
See also
- Mackay Memorial Hospital
Mackay Memorial Hospital , established on December 26, 1912, is a private Christian hospital located in down-town Taipei. The hospital is mostly associated with the Revd Dr George Leslie Mackay DD, the first modern missionary to northern Taiwan. The hospital is deeply rooted in the Presbyterian...
- Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism is the religion of a number of different Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, and organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity...
- Reformed churches
The Reformed churches are a group of Christian Protestant denominations formally characterized by a similar Calvinist system of doctrine, historically related to the churches that first arose especially in the Swiss Reformation led by Huldrych Zwingli and soon afterward appeared in nations...
- History of Taiwan
The island of Taiwan was first populated by Austronesian people. It was colonized by the Dutch in the 17th century, followed by an influx of Han Chinese including Hakka immigrants from areas of Fujian and Guangdong of mainland China, across the Taiwan Strait...
- Chun-Ming Kao
The Reverend Dr Chun-Ming Kao is a minister of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan . He graduated from Tainan Theological College and Seminary, and then studied at Selly Oak Colleges in England...
External links