Taipei, Taiwan – On 25-26 October 2014, more than 1,100 Taiwanese Mennonites attended a gala celebration to mark the 60th anniversary of the Fellowship of Mennonite Churches in Taiwan (FOMCIT). FOMCIT is a Mennonite World Conference member church. 

Held at the China Youth Activities Center in Taipei, the two-day celebration focused on the theme “Legacy, Renewal, Expansion.” The program began with a processional of pastors and church leaders of the 22 churches, accompanied by the sounding of two trumpets and 12 ram’s horns along with a “revival fire” banner dance. The banner with 72 cloth-imprinted photos will make the rounds of the churches for display. (Click here to see photos from the event.)

The first day of the celebration focused on praise and thanksgiving, and included a skit on reconciliation and a number of musical performances, including a rendition of the hymn “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee” performed by the hand chime choir of the New Dawn Educare Centre, a FOMCIT institution for persons with mental handicaps.

The Taiwan church is known as a praising church – in comparison to the Korean church known as a praying church, and the Japanese church characterized as a studying church.

The second day of the celebration included a two-hour worship service featuring testimonies, singing, and a sermon by Titus Liao, chair of the FOMCIT board of directors. “The only hope for Taiwan resides with the church,” he asserted. “We do not want to establish a mega-church, rather, like the 7-11 convenience stories in Taiwan, we need a church on every street corner.”

Contributions for the anniversary event totaled $64,502 US. After expenses were paid, the remains funds were designated for missions. The celebration concluded with a banquet spread out on 95 round tables seating up to 12 persons each.

Reflecting on the anniversary celebration, FOMCIT General Secretary Robert Chang stated, “My deepest impression is that we have faith in the Lord who hears prayer. Because of your intercession, we work together to complete the mission that cannot be completed on its own. . . . . May the Lord be glorified, and grant us His power. . . . With God’s grace, together we can change the world.”

From a report by Sheldon Sawatzky of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, a former mission worker in Taiwan.