Taiwan Lutheran Church
Encyclopedia
The Taiwan Lutheran Church (Chinese: 台灣信義會) was started by the work of former LCC members and expelled missionaries from China who had worked with the LCC. In April 1950, Chin Chung-an, a medical doctor from Xian conducted family meetings in his residence in Kaoshiung. On June 3, 1951, the Kaoshiung congregation was established and 59 people were baptised. On November 1, 1954, the church was officially established. While missionaries had played a role int his church, it had been a self-governing body from the start with the Chinese serving as president and members of the administration. By 1960, twenty Lutheran congregations had been established in Taiwan
including a theological seminary and Bible school. There, Chinese were trained to work in the congregations, in preaching stations and in church reading centres. The Taiwan Lutheran Church had experienced solid growth within the mainlander community during the early and mid-1950s, but in 1957 the growth rate declined. A year later, membership increased once again, and Lutheran churches continued to gain new members until 1962. Currently, there are 15,948 baptized members.
, the Lutheran Church also established itself in Taiwan during the 1950s. Both American and Scandinavia
n Lutherans had been active in China since the final decade of the 19th century .
The Norwegian Lutheran Mission
Association of the Norwegian Lutheran Church in America had sent its first representatives to China in 1890. The missionaries established themselves in Hubei
and, later, Henan
provinces. Some five years later, in 1896, the Danish Lutherans
began their own mission station in Manchuria
.
The years following the Boxer Rebellion
saw a dramatic expansion of Lutheran efforts. The Norwegian American
Lutherans sent ten additional missionaries to China. Belgian Lutherans from The Hague
worked closely with their American co-religionists and considerable progress was made during the years from 1902 to 1914. Other Lutheran societies from the United States and from the Scandinavia
n nations sent their personnel to various parts of China. Most of these bodies - the American Lutheran
Brethren Mission is one example - settled in with the earlier arrivals in Hubei
and Henan
. Other missionaries, auch as those serving the newly revived Norwegian Missionary Society
, moved into cities in Hunan.
By 1914, the Lutherans had been able to establish new mission stations and plant new churches. They had also been gaining new converts. Their total membership reached 24,422 in 1914. Finally, because they stressed self-government, they had been able to set up a seminary
in Shekou
, in Hubei
, where they could train Chinese Lutheran clergy and church workers.
The coming of World War One hurt German Lutheran efforts, but missionaries from other nations helped out their brethren. The war did have its positive side for the Lutherans in China: It was during these years that preliminary steps were taken to unite their various groups, representing six different nations, into a Lutheran mission union. A preliminary constitution for this union was drawn up and this proposal was accepted by the different Lutheran bodies in 1917.
The 1920s and 1930s saw trhe steady evolution of a Lutheran presence in the face of the anti-missionary campaign and the anti-imperialist movement. Only the Communist victory brought to an end the almost sixty years of Lutheran development.
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
including a theological seminary and Bible school. There, Chinese were trained to work in the congregations, in preaching stations and in church reading centres. The Taiwan Lutheran Church had experienced solid growth within the mainlander community during the early and mid-1950s, but in 1957 the growth rate declined. A year later, membership increased once again, and Lutheran churches continued to gain new members until 1962. Currently, there are 15,948 baptized members.
Historical background
Like the Southern Baptist ConventionSouthern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
, the Lutheran Church also established itself in Taiwan during the 1950s. Both American and Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n Lutherans had been active in China since the final decade of the 19th century .
The Norwegian Lutheran Mission
Norwegian Lutheran Mission
The Norwegian Lutheran Mission is one of several independent Lutheran organisations in Norway. They are often considered one of the most conservative Christian Evangelical organisations in Norway. They consider themselves committed to the inerrancy of the Bible as the Word of God...
Association of the Norwegian Lutheran Church in America had sent its first representatives to China in 1890. The missionaries established themselves in Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
and, later, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
provinces. Some five years later, in 1896, the Danish Lutherans
Reformation in Denmark
The Reformation in Denmark–Norway and Holstein was the transition from Roman Catholicism to Lutheranism in the realms ruled by the Copenhagen-based House of Oldenburg in the first half of the sixteenth century...
began their own mission station in Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
.
The years following the Boxer Rebellion
Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion, also called the Boxer Uprising by some historians or the Righteous Harmony Society Movement in northern China, was a proto-nationalist movement by the "Righteous Harmony Society" , or "Righteous Fists of Harmony" or "Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists" , in China between...
saw a dramatic expansion of Lutheran efforts. The Norwegian American
Norwegian American
Norwegian Americans are Americans of Norwegian descent. Norwegian immigrants went to the United States primarily in the later half of the 19th century and the first few decades of the 20th century. There are more than 4.5 million Norwegian Americans according to the most recent U.S. census, and...
Lutherans sent ten additional missionaries to China. Belgian Lutherans from The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
worked closely with their American co-religionists and considerable progress was made during the years from 1902 to 1914. Other Lutheran societies from the United States and from the Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n nations sent their personnel to various parts of China. Most of these bodies - the American Lutheran
American Lutheran Church
The American Lutheran Church was a Christian Protestant denomination in the United States that existed from 1960 to 1987. Its headquarters was in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Upon its formation in 1960, the ALC designated Augsburg Publishing House , also located in Minneapolis, as the church publisher...
Brethren Mission is one example - settled in with the earlier arrivals in Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
and Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
. Other missionaries, auch as those serving the newly revived Norwegian Missionary Society
Norwegian Missionary Society
The Norwegian Missionary Society is a Norwegian missionary organization.It was started by a group of approx 180 people in the town of Stavanger in Norway in August 1842. The goal was to spread the Christian religion to other peoples, mainly in Africa...
, moved into cities in Hunan.
By 1914, the Lutherans had been able to establish new mission stations and plant new churches. They had also been gaining new converts. Their total membership reached 24,422 in 1914. Finally, because they stressed self-government, they had been able to set up a seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
in Shekou
Shekou
Shekou is an area at the tip of Nantou Peninsula in Shenzhen, Guangdong, southern China, south of Nantou and facing Lau Fau Shan of Hong Kong across Deep Bay.It was formerly a customs station in Bao'an County and now belongs to Nanshan District of Shenzhen...
, in Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
, where they could train Chinese Lutheran clergy and church workers.
The coming of World War One hurt German Lutheran efforts, but missionaries from other nations helped out their brethren. The war did have its positive side for the Lutherans in China: It was during these years that preliminary steps were taken to unite their various groups, representing six different nations, into a Lutheran mission union. A preliminary constitution for this union was drawn up and this proposal was accepted by the different Lutheran bodies in 1917.
The 1920s and 1930s saw trhe steady evolution of a Lutheran presence in the face of the anti-missionary campaign and the anti-imperialist movement. Only the Communist victory brought to an end the almost sixty years of Lutheran development.