Kyodan Newsletter - October 2014

Joint Kyodan-PCT Conference Convened in Hokkaido

Oct 28,2014

A joint conference of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan and the Kyodan was held at the Hokkaido Christian Center from Aug. 25 to 28. This was the 14th such gathering since the conference was begun, and the theme this year was “A Road in the Wilderness, Streams in the Desert” (Isaiah 43:19). The delegation from the PCT consisted of 18 members, while from the Kyodan 28 people, including 4 officers, attended.

The opening worship began at 6 p.m. with Rev. Lee Meng-Jer, a member of the Committee on Taiwan Church Relations, as liturgist and Rev. Jo Jen-Kuei, moderator of the PCT, preaching.

Following the worship service, Tanaka Fumihiro, chair of the Committee on Taiwan Church Relations, presided at the opening of the welcoming dinner, and Rev. Ishibashi Hideo, moderator of the Kyodan, gave welcoming greetings.

On the second day, we began the formal church-to-church consultations, in line with the purpose of our meeting together. During the morning session, we listened to mission reports by missionaries sent from the PCT and the Kyodan, which was followed by a time of questions and responses. Divan Suqluman, a missionary from the indigenous Bunun people in Taiwan, came to Japan in 2005. He has served several churches in Hokkai District and in his report focused on the indigenous Ainu people there. Next, Hayashida Yoshiyuki, a Kyodan missionary who served in Kaohsiung for 30 years, gave his report.

After adjourning to have lunch on the campus of Hokkaido University, we gathered again to hear reports on mission to youth. First to speak was Rev. Chou Tsou-Wei, PCTchaplain of Taipei University Student Center, followed by Sato Takafumi of the Kyodan’s West Tokyo District and Rev. Noda Taku, a member of the Taiwan Cooperative Committee. After these reports, PCT General Secretary Lym Hong-Tiong and Kyodan General Secretary Nagasaki Tetsuo jointly presided over a lively discussion of the various topics and issues mentioned in the reports, in preparation for the joint proclamation to be ironed out the following day. As they had done the previous night, the Hokkaido District Women’s Society provided a delicious dinner, which was followed by a time of fellowship.

On the third day we went by bus to Asahikawa, where we visited the Kawamura Kaneto Ainu Memorial Center, the Asahiyama Zoo, and the Miura Ayako Literature Museum. There, even though the time was short, we were fortunate to have a chance to hear a presentation by the curator, Miura Mitsuyo (the husband of Miura Ayako).

On the final day, back in Sapporo, Akiyama Toru, chairperson of the Commission on Ecumenical Ministries, presided as a joint declaration was crafted from the statements by participants from both churches. Kyodan Secretary Kumoshikari Toshimi preached the sermon at the closing worship. (Tr. GM)
—Kato Makoto, executive secretary


北海道における教団とPCTの協議会

第14回台湾基督長老教会(PCT)と日本基督教団との教会協議会が、8月25日（月）から28日（木）の期間、北海 道クリスチャンセンターを会場にして開催された。主題は「荒れ野に道を、砂漠に河を」（イザヤ43:19）、参加者は台湾基督 長老教会から18名、教団からは4役を含め28名であった。開会礼拝は18時から行われ、李孟哲台湾協約委員が司式、羅仁貴台湾基督長老教会総会議長が説教を担当した。19時からは田中文宏台湾協約委員長の司会で歓迎夕食会が開かれ、教団を代表して石橋秀雄総会議長が歓迎の挨拶を述べた。二日目は「教会協議会」のタイトルに相応しく、充実した協議が 行われた。午前中はPCTと教団から派遣されて いる宣教師の宣教報告を聞き、質疑応答の時を持った。ディバン・スクルマン宣教師は台湾の原住民 （ブヌン族）出身で、2005年に来日。北海教区内 の諸教会の礼拝奉仕に加え、特に宣教の中心課題であるアイヌ民族との関わりについて話された。続いて教団から派遣され、高雄で30年にわたり教会に仕えてきた林田義行宣教師の報告を聞いた。北海道大学キャンパス内での昼食と散策の後、午後は青年への宣教についての発題が あり、PCTからは台北大学生セン ターチャプレンの周宇緯牧師が、教団からは西 東京教区から参加の佐藤飛文氏と台湾協約委員の野 田沢牧師がそれぞれ発題を行った。17時からはPCTの林芳仲総幹事と長崎哲夫総幹事の共同司会により、そ れまでの諸報告と諸課題を総括し、翌日作成予定の共同声明のために、活発な意見交換と質疑応答がなされた。前夜に引き続き北海教区の 婦人会が中心となった手作りの夕食が振舞われ、夜は交流会が持たれた。三日目は一同バスで旭川に行き、川村カ子トアイヌ記念館を訪問 後、旭山動物園、三浦綾子記念文学館を訪れた。特に三浦綾子記念文学館では三浦光世館長から直接、短時間 ではあってもお話を伺う機会を得たことは幸いであった最終日は秋山徹世界宣教委員長の司会 により、双方の参加者の積極的な発言を通して共同声明が作成された。閉会礼拝の説教は雲然俊美書記が担当した。(加藤誠）