Taiwan Ecumenical Forum-PCT

Date: 14 October, 2019

Issue No.010

TEF Newsletter (Issue No.010)

ASIA PACIFIC KAIROS
A prophetic call to journey together with the PCT in pursuit of justice and peace for the people of Taiwan and the Asia-Pacific

“What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God” Micah 6:8

October 2019

The Taiwan Ecumenical Forum for Justice and Peace Steering Group (SG) met in Taiwan on June 17-18 in connection with the CWM DARE Global Forum that provides multiple platforms where theological and biblical scholars together with activists and interested peoples to engage creatively to critique mainline scholarships, confidently root their views upon on the ground struggles and concerns and share their radical engagements with global readerships. It seeks to discern and engage radically (DARE).

CWM selected Taiwan as venue for this year’s DARE Global Forum in solidarity with the people of Taiwan and with the PCT for their continuous struggle for democracy. The DARE invitation letter states:

Presbyterian Church in Taiwan has a long-standing history in country’s struggle for democracy and one of their General Secretaries was imprisoned for their participation in struggle of democracy. I hope you are aware that in Global politics, Taiwan is again forced to be “isolated” by imperial powers. CWM along with other Ecumenical organisations has committed to accompany the church in their struggle and form a global Taiwan Ecumenical Forum (TEF).

The SG engaged in a comprehensive reflection about the mission priority of the PCT stimulated by the presentation of the PCT General Secretary, Rev. Lyim Hong-Tiong. He pointed out that there is an increasing challenge to China’s offer to Taiwan: “One China, Two Systems”. This ideology is a contradiction with an emerging Taiwan consensus: “Taiwan is Taiwan”. Rev. Lyim emphasized that the future of Taiwan should and must be decided by Taiwanese people only, with dignity and sovereignty. The SG noted that:

There should be focus on having Taiwanese people’s voices heard with respect including people’s stories.
A clear analysis is essential to better understand the forces that are silencing the voices of the Taiwanese people.
A missiological imperative is needed to accompany the PCT in helping the Taiwanese voices to be heard.

It was also agreed that the TEF strategic focus for 2019~2020 should be “Taiwan is Taiwan: Hearing the Taiwanese voice globally, regionally, and nationally in the midst of imperial forces attempting to silence the people’s will and voice.” Therefore, these voices should be heard as an urgent priority:
*Victims, survivors and their relatives of White Terror
*Indigenous Peoples, Women and Youth

The SG established three working groups:

Deepening Analysis of Empire’s Impact in East Asia, Convenor Prof. Hwang Po Ho
Broadening TEF Alliances Ecumenically & with Social Groups, Convenor Ms. Nancy Lin
East Asia Forum of Indigenous Peoples, Women and Youth, Convenor Rev. Lian Chin-Siong

Date and Venue for the SG Meeting

March 5 – 8, 2020 in Taiwan

2018 TEF November Meeting Handbook
The final Edition of the TEF 2018 November Meeting Handbook is now available online. It includes all the presentations. You may access it with the link as follows:

2nd Edition of TEF 2018 November Meeting Handbook is now online

Seminar on the Impact of the Empire on the Mission of the Church

As this newsletter is written, a North East Asia Regional Seminar on Empires’ Impact and Mission Response was being held in Tokyo. The TEF is delighted that the UCC-J is hosting the meeting in Tokyo.

The Steering Group has repeatedly reiterated the nature of empires and their impact on Taiwan’s transitional justice and international isolation. At the same time, there are serious implications and concerns for the mission commitment of PCT partner churches in the region.

A small-scale meeting of experts was intended to deepen the solidarity of the churches in North East Asia and to provide clear pictures of the issues for the TEF members to work with PCT.

The primary purpose will be to enhance the understanding of the manifestation of the empires as the TEF engages in a quest for justice and peace in the region: (a) by discerning the nature of international conflicts and national oppressive forces, (b) in identifying their common roots and inter-related impacts, and (c) to formulate common mission strategies and mission cooperation and solidarity.

台灣普世論壇通訊

亞太新契機：響應PCT先知性呼召、為台灣及亞太人民尋求公義與和平

「世人哪！耶和華已指示你何為善。他向你索要的是什麼呢？只要你行公義，好憐憫，存謙卑的心，與你的神同行。」
彌迦書6章8節

2019年10月

台灣普世論壇執行小組（Taiwan Ecumenical Forum for Justice and Peace Steering Group （簡稱SG））已於6月17日至18日在台灣舉行，並參與世界傳道會（CWM）的洞察辨別與激進參與研討會（Discernment and Radical Engagement，DARE）。CWM DARE全球論壇，提供多樣交流平台，讓神學學者、聖經學者、行動主義者及有興趣的人集思廣益並檢視主流論述，他們的觀點來自實地視察，並與全球分享實地參與的經驗。CWM DARE是一個尋求辨別實事及積極參與的全球論壇。

CWM選擇台灣作為今年2019年DARE全球論壇的舉辦地，以支持台灣人民及台灣基督長老教會（PCT）不斷為民主奮鬥的精神。 DARE於邀請信中指出：

台灣基督長老教會於爭取民主的奮鬥路上有著悠久的歷史，其中一位總幹事因爭取民主而被監禁。我希望各位瞭解，台灣在國際政治情勢上，再次被帝國「孤立」。在爭取民主的路途上， CWM與其他普世組織盡心與台灣基督長老教會同行，並成立台灣普世論壇（TEF）。

透過PCT總會林芳仲總幹事的報告，SG全面瞭解PCT宣教的首要任務。他表示台灣面臨中國所提出的「一國兩制」挑戰越來越大，其意識型態與當前興起的台灣共識─台灣就是台灣─是相互矛盾。林總幹事強調台灣的未來應由台灣人民以尊嚴及主權來決定。SG表示：

應著眼於尊重傾聽台灣人民的聲音及故事。
清楚分析進而瞭解壓迫台灣人民聲音的勢力至關重要。
陪同PCT幫助台灣人表達自己的聲音，宣教福音刻不容緩。

SG同意，TEF於2019至2020年間的策略重點應該是「台灣就是台灣：在帝國主義勢力企圖壓迫人民的意志及聲音中，聆聽來自全球、區域及全國性的台灣之聲。」因此，以下群體的聲音是當務之急：
*白色恐怖的受害者、倖存者及其親屬
*原住民、婦女及青年

SG成立三個工作小組：

深化分析帝國對東亞的影響，召集人黃伯和教授
拓展TEF普世聯盟及社會團體，召集人鄭明敏老師
原住民、婦女及青年東亞論壇，召集人連振翔牧師

SG會議的日期及地點

2020年3月5日至8日，台灣

2018年11月TEF會議手冊

2018年11月TEF會議手冊最終版已上線，包含TEF會議所有的報告。您可從以下連結下載：
2nd Edition of TEF 2018 November Meeting Handbook is now online

帝國對教會宣教事工影響之研討會
在撰寫本通訊時，針對「帝國影響及宣教回應」的東北亞區域研討會已在東京舉行。 TEF很高興日本基督教團（The United Church of Christ in Japan （UCCJ））於東京主辦此次會議。

SG不斷重申帝國的本質及其對台灣的轉型正義與國際孤立的影響。同時，也嚴重影響PCT夥伴教會的宣教承諾。

此次東北亞區域研討會旨在加深東北亞教會的團結，並為TEF成員與PCT合作提供明確的目標。

其目標是TEF致力於該區域的公義及和平時，藉由以下三種方式，增進對帝國表現形式的瞭解：一、辨別國際衝突及國家壓迫力量的本質，二、找出其共同根源與相互影響，三、規劃共同宣教策略與宣教合作及團結。