When I read Pastor Dong’s May pastoral report, I was deeply moved. The pastoral team under his leadership is faithfully “equipping the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12). What a beautiful testimony. The goal for the 30th anniversary is “Planting Churches, Uniting Generations.” Church planting includes both nearby planting, such as the Grace Light congregation, and planting farther afield, such as Suva EFC in Fiji. It means training and equipping more co-workers to participate in pioneering and serving. Uniting generations also includes establishing an English congregation—a cross-cultural congregation that serves not only our own second generation but also people of other ethnic backgrounds. Through everyone’s unity, fifty people were baptised into the name of the Lord last year. For all these offerings of service, we give thanks and worship to the Lord.
I am reminded of 1986, when the Evangelical Formosan Church General Assembly embraced the vision, “Attempt Great Things for the Lord; Rescue a Million Souls,” and set the 90/25 mission and church-planting goal: to grow from ten EFC churches at the time to twenty-five by 1990. Through united prayer, we crossed the ocean from Los Angeles to the Southern Hemisphere. On 5 December 1989, the Melbourne church in Australia became the 23rd congregation; on 25 March 1990, the New Zealand Evangelical Formosan Church was established as the 24th; and on 1 April 1990, the Sydney church became the 25th. Thanks be to the Lord—the 90/25 goal was fulfilled, and we offered our worship to God.
We also thank God that in 1996 we set the 20/50 mission and church-planting goal, hoping to grow from thirty-seven EFC churches to fifty. Thanks be to the Lord. Within this vision, Elder Stephen Yeh received a burden in prayer. He shared it with the co-workers of the New Zealand EFC, and through prayer they reached a common understanding. With the blessing of the General Assembly, EFCCA officially began in the central Auckland area on 10 November 1996 with four families. Thanks be to the Lord. On 24 December 2000, the 51st EFC congregation was established in Xinzhuang, Taiwan, and the 20/50 mission and church-planting goal was completed. We cannot help but offer our worship to the Lord.
Thanks be to the Lord. Today, under Pastor Dong and the pastoral team, EFCCA continues to expand God’s kingdom, giving priority to prayer, equipping believers and nurturing future ministers. I believe God will bless the church even more. May this EFC spirit continue to be passed on at EFCCA in New Zealand, becoming a beautiful testimony and an example to EFC churches everywhere.
May all glory be given to God.
A servant of the Lord
Pastor Felix Liu, Logos Evangelical Seminary
