Monday, April 28, 2008
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A Sad Misunderstanding
By Philip Nicholson
A common misconception amongst many overseas Chinese Chirstians is that Taiwan no longer has need for missionaries. In North America, there seem to be many Taiwanese believers and churches. Many Chinese praise songs originate from Taiwan. We know of Taiwanese seminaries, Chirstian books, videos, and gospel organizations.
The gospel appears to be going out from Taiwan. Why should overseas Chinese churches invest money or personnel into taking the gospel into Taiwan?
Unfortunately this impression is based on a misunderstanding of the true spiritual condition of Taiwan's 23 million people.
What are the facts?
1. Spiritual darkness: Almost all Taiwanese people are in bondage to idolatry and the worship of false gods. According to "Operation World," Taiwan is the only major Chinese population in which there has never been a spiritual breathrough. Traditional Chinese religions, superstition, and ancestor worship have a hold on the hearts of Taiwanese people in a way not found anywhere else in the Chinese world. Agressive "evangelism" and social work by groups like Tzu Chi are winning the hearts of millions to Buddhism.
2. Few believers: This darkness is reflected in the small size of the church in Taiwan. Only about 2.5% of Taiwanese people are Protestant Christians. Proportionally, there are twice as many Christians in China and four times as many in Singapore. And it is estimated that about one third of Chinese in the US are Christian. That is over 10 times more than Taiwan! All of Taiwan remains spiritually needy. The Christians are a small minority. One in four churches lacks a pastor and most ministries are understaffed and overwhelmed by the size of the task. So why the perception that Taiwan is reached?
3. A middle class church: The vast majority of Christians are middle class and well educated. As a result the church is wealthy and a relatively small number of believers are able to fund significant Christian organizations and develop innovative media. Unfortunately these resources have not resulted in significant growth in the number of believers in Taiwan itself. The middle class nature of the church also means that more Christians are able to study and work overseas. There is a "brain drain" of believers from Taiwan into overseas Chinese communities. The high percentage of Christians amongst Taiwanese migrants to the West gives many overseas Chinese a false impression of how many believers there are in Taiwan.
4. The unreached working class: However, the greatest need for help is not in the established middle class churches. Two thirds of Taiwan's population is working class. These are the laborers, farmers, shop-workers, drivers, market sellers, etc. Amongst the 15 million working class people only about 0.5% are Christian. In many areas it is even less. The existing church is focused on the task of reaching their own peers, classmates, and colleagues. Most churches are not involved in reaching the large working class population. And since different methods are needed to communicate the gospel and plant churches amongst these grass-roots people, many churches do not know how to begin. Reaching the majority of Taiwan's people will only be through a significant cross-cultural missionary effort to enter working class communities.
What can you do?
Ministry in Taiwan is a challenge. It requires humility and patience. Overseas Chinese need to be willing to listen, learn, and adapt to the specific cultural needs of Taiwan. What works at home may not work in Taiwan. This is especially true amongst the working class.
However, overseas Chinese churches and believers are in an ideal position to make a difference for the gospel in Taiwan. With common languages (Mandarin & Hokkien), close culture, and similar appearance, overeas Chinese are more easily able to adapt to Taiwan and connect with the people in order to share the gospel.
There is a great need for people to invest their lives in Taiwan as church planters, evangelists, student workers, or in other ministries amongst the urban poor and working class.
If you are interested in ways that you can either pray for Taiwan or get involved in ministry here, please contact OMF Taiwan or visit our website. We have resources in both English and Chinese that can help to get you involved.
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I hope this information will encourage you pray hard for Taiwan. And if you're heading back to Taiwan, please be open to God using you. :)
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