Grace on the Way

A Letter from John McCall, serving in Taiwan

Winter 2023

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Dear friends,

The past month, I have been on the road traveling to churches and conferences all over Taiwan. Thankfully, transportation here is amazingly convenient.

Taiwan is a small island about the size of Delaware and Maryland combined, and running all the way down the center of the island are tall, rugged mountains. The west coast is mostly a huge megalopolis running from the capital Taipei to another large city in the south called Kaoshiung. In the 1960s, the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan started churches in areas where there were previously no churches, so there is a church in almost every city neighborhood, town and village.

John with two indigenous church elders and two of their three sons.

I began my journey traveling to Taiwan’s north coast to a church across from a huge port. The cranes from the port cast shadows on the church’s building. In addition to preaching that day, I also baptized the baby of the two pastors. This church reaches out to young people who have not always experienced love in their families of origin. But they love to come to Jong Shan Church where they experience unconditional love. They call one of their pastors “Aunt,” because she supplies the love that they have not experienced outside of the church.

Every Monday I take the high-speed rail to a city in the south of Taiwan called Tainan. I leave my house before 7 a.m. to catch a bus down the mountain to avoid the traffic, which starts shortly after 7. It’s a long day every Monday. I teach a three-hour course at Tainan Seminary with Master of Divinity students, Doctor of Ministry students (who are all pastors), and four church elders who also take the course. It is a joy for me to see these three different groups interacting in small groups during the third hour.

Youth helping a child at Water/Forest Church with his homework.

On one of my trips, I traveled to Taiwan’s beautiful east coast with coral reefs and mountains jutting into the Pacific. I preached and taught at one of our indigenous churches. The pastor is a former student, who, when I first met him as a high school student, was battling Leukemia. He asked me to speak on Saturday night to the congregation, and it always amazes me here how folks are willing to use their Saturdays to come and grow spiritually. I met a couple who are both church elders and their three young adult sons are all serving in the church. The eldest is currently in Indonesia on a short-term mission trip, the middle son is a deacon in that church, and the youngest plays the drums in the praise band.

From the east coast of Taiwan, I traveled to the most rural county in Taiwan, to preach at the “Water/Forest” Church. The pastor and his spouse have been serving this church for 16 years. It has had an amazing renewal as 60-70 children and youth from the town are very active in the church’s life. All of these young people come from non-Christian, mostly dysfunctional families, so they love the reception they receive at the church. Principals from the three primary schools closest to the church often call Fong Jun, the pastor’s spouse, to refer a troubled child to them. One day I was buying a coffee at the 7-11 in town, and the manager asked me why I was in their town. I told her that I was speaking at the Presbyterian Church. She replied, “We love the church.”  I asked her if she was a Christian. She said, “No, but the church loves the children and youth of this town.”

Recent seminary graduates washing each other’s feet.

I then had the privilege of leading a three-day retreat for the recent graduates from the three Presbyterian Seminaries here. These graduates have only been serving in the church for three months, but I could sense the pressure they feel to be effective and faithful pastors. We studied the Bible together and washed each other’s feet. Later, we met God on a hike in nature and as we visited an art gallery. On Friday, they returned home renewed and hopeful of how God will use them.

I then traveled to the center of the island to the city of Taichung, where former students, a clergy couple, are serving a church located on the second floor above a 7-11. Their church members are busy city folks, but they came to the church Friday evening, Saturday evening, and Sunday morning and afternoon to study together.

Much of what I do on these travels is to spend a good amount of time accompanying these pastors and listening to their joys and challenges.

I returned home to the campus of Taiwan Seminary, where I live, tired in body, but not in spirit, ready for some Sabbath time. I am grateful for the 26 years I have spent in Taiwan and for the deep relationships with folks all over this island.

I am also deeply grateful for your interest and support!

With a grateful heart,

John McCall