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Taiwan Covenant to Celebrate 50 Years of Ministry
TAIPEI, TAIWAN (April 13, 2002) - The Taiwan Evangelical Covenant Church will
celebrate its 50th anniversary in Taiwan May 16-19 with Ted Haggard as the
guest speaker.
Representatives from Taiwan's partner churches in the United States, New
Zealand and South Africa will be represented along with churches in Asia.
Activities will include seminars on how
to reach urban dwellers for Christ. The official anniversary celebration
will take place May 19.
The work of the Evangelical Covenant Church began after Covenant
missionaries were evacuated from China in the late 1940s. Dr. Signe Berg
arrived in Taiwan in March 1952 as the denomination's first missionary.
Shortly thereafter, missionaries Edward and Mildred Nelson arrived and
Bible studies began in the Nelson home. Those studies eventually led to
establishment of the first Covenant congregation, Taipei Covenant Church.
Other significant workers in the early years in Taiwan included Elsa
Hammerland, Viola Larson, Albert Dwight, Worth and Erna Pearson, Karin
Ekholm and Per Byman.
By the 1970s, Taiwan Covenant churches were self-supporting and
self-governing, according to World Mission coordinator for Chinese ministry
David Dolan. Missionaries Norman and Martha Dwight played key roles during
that time. In the 1980s, the Taiwan churches received a boost from a
denominational capital campaign and congregations grew from 13 to 31. Many
of the new church plants evolved from Hsintien Covenant Church under pastor
Nathan Chang.
Taiwan churches have had a global impact in spreading the gospel, sending
missionaries Frank and Ada Tuan to South Africa and eventually starting the
South Africa Chinese Covenant Church. Workers are also in Germany, New
Zealand, Korea, the Philippines and mainland China. Those ministries have
spawned new Covenant congregations in New Zealand, the Philippines, Korea
and the United States in Rosemead, California.
For more information about the Taiwan Covenant church and its upcoming
celebration, contact Dolan by email at djdolan@attbi.com.
Copyright © 2008 The Evangelical Covenant Church. |
