A TAFPC History 台美團契基督長老教會歷史
作者 林茂清/黃文秀翻譯
肇基之始謙卑撒種
一九六〇晚期與一九七〇初期，爲了追求較高的學歷、提升生活水準、充實子女的生命，以及對政治自由的憧憬，台灣移民潮湧入美國。在面對新的政治、社會、經濟、 文化的環境與挑戰中，許多人心靈深處頗覺寂寞、空虛。台灣來的基督徒於是萌生組織查經班的構思，從唱詩、禱告、查經、分享 美食與生活經驗中，讓離鄕的移民能有交友及得到扶持的機會。一九七一年，謝穎男牧 師在紐澤西中部的United Millstone Presbyterian Church, Perrineville 開始每月一次聚會的查經班，當時差不多有十到十五人參加。同時在Kendall Park，郭得列牧師也組織了一個查經班。
他們謙虛播種，並努力澆灌。一九七三年，兩個查經班合倂在一起。出席者增加爲二十到二十五人。一九七四年四月十四日，紐澤西中部福爾摩莎基督團契成立，他們每 兩個禮拜的下午在Princeton Nassau教堂聚會。基礎奠立了，酵母也加上了。
一九七四年一月底，聚會改到 Kingston教堂，仍是每月兩次。同時增設主日學、聖歌隊、青少年樂團、球類比賽如網 球、壘球、乒乓球等活動，想藉此接近台灣移民的社會。一九七五增加了兒童音樂活動， 更在那年負責籌辦美東夏令會，加強與台灣 移民各社團的互動與友誼。一九七七年，開 始每週聚會。一九七八年，在上帝的恩典中人數增加到60-70人左右，設立教會的可行性被提出，蒙上帝恩典於一九七九年十月十五，正式成立設教委員會。
在上帝的恩典中，經過台灣移民多數人的努力及New Brunswick中會的幫助，台美團契長老教會於一九八〇年七月二十日正式成立。因爲還沒有牧師，當時Kingston教會的John Heinsohn牧師被指派爲小會議長。並加入美國長老會成爲New Brunswick中會的一員。
步若初學漸趨穩固
一九八〇年成立聘牧委員會，徵聘牧師，一九八三年四月十七日郭應啓牧師被封立爲 第一任牧師，但他在五個月後辭職。自一九 八〇到一九八六，本會如幼兒學步，但卻面臨許多的挑戰，步履顯得搖晃，因爲那幾年要找到一個能講流利台語又了解台美人文化背景的牧師實在很難。
終於謝敏川牧師於一九八六年十一月二日就任爲本會第二任牧師。在他還未到任的歲月裡，還好上帝差派張德香牧師、黃武東牧師、王成章牧師來牧養本會，實在非常感謝他們。
因爲New Brunswick地區是會友住家的中心點，爲了方便會友的交通，一九八九年 七月十六日，我們租了第一歸正教會爲聚會之處。
一九九〇年初期，第二代青少年人數骤增。因考慮他們將以美語爲生活主語，並以此溶入主流社會，所以成立了英語部，於 一九九一年八月二十五聘請Angela Ying爲本會第一任副牧。她於一九九三年七月十九離去。
一九九〇年代下半期，Kenneth Liu與 Jimmy Huang先後爲本會英語部主任與 Student Assistant Minister，二〇〇〇 年的三月二十六日，林天仁牧師就任本會第二任英語部副牧。英語部在轉型中逐漸壯大。他於二〇〇三年的七月三十一日離去。接著是來自普林斯頓神學院的學生Erica/Mark Elsdon夫婦與Erik Wiebe續任，他們的任期先後爲二〇〇三到二〇〇四與二〇〇四到二〇〇六。二〇〇六年到二〇〇九年，甫畢業於普林斯頓神學院的Samson Tso(曹仲恆)傳道接棒發展英語部。目前，我們的副牧徵聘委員會，正在努力爲英語部，尋找一位適當的牧師。
開花結實分設教會
爲了讓新澤西州南部與賓州東部的居民，免於奔波之疲累，於一九九九年四月四日復 活節分設教會於Lawrenceville的Slackwood 長老教會，該會後名爲聖恩長老教會，並成爲New Brunswick中會的一員。
因爲教會的繼續增長，於二〇〇二年八 月二十六日，我們搬到New Brunswick長老 教會。謝敏川牧師在本會牧會十九年及服務教界四十五年後於二〇〇五年盡程退休，爲表示對他的尊敬，本會封立他爲台美團契長老教會榮譽牧師。二〇〇七年一月二十一日，現任的董俊蘭牧師就任爲本會第三任牧師。
主賜恩典繼續帶領
目前本會估計每週主日禮拜聚會人數，大約是英語部四十到五十，兒童五到十人，台語部約一百到一百一十人左右。我們的教會，不僅提供了紐澤西中部台美人的靈性需 要，更在台彎人社團裡扮演著交誼與文化中心的角色。
除了每週固定的主日禮拜外，尙有許多其他的活動，如下：
*青少年、大學生英語查經班、社青查經班及長春台語查經班。
*成人主日學，內容涵蓋神學與文化教育，以深化會友的信仰並拓展視聽。
*用美妙的歌聲讚美上帝的各種詩班：如兒童、少年合唱團，成人聖歌隊，手鐘團，青年交響樂團及每週帶領英語部做禮拜的敬拜讚美詩班。
*配合年齡層需要的各種團契：如婦女團契、家內有幼子的親子團契、空巢期的家庭團契、長春團契、正在成長的社青團契與英語部的青年團契及少年團契。
*台灣留學生宣教事工：爲贊助來自台灣的留學生，舉辦各種活動與服務。
並爲第二代的英語部大學生舉辦查經與社交友誼活動。
*各種靈修會如：除了每年全教會與其他教會的聯合靈修會外，個自主辦的靈修會有婦女靈修會、社青及英語部的靈修會。
*主日禱，爲心靈軟弱及身體欠安的人禱告。
*台語學校。
*社區宣教與服務的活動。
*教界球類友誼賽與野外交遊。
三十年來，台美團契長老教會這趟路走來漫長中點綴著彎曲小徑，逢路口卻也轉折恰當。我們播種時，無法預知那一顆種子會結果實，那一棵不會。我們永遠無法預料人 生的下一站是什麼？事實上，從過去的一切，可尋找將來的痕跡，所有的一切，都是無可透視的奧秘，只有當上帝允許的時間到，才可顯露清楚。
A TAFPC History
Mou-Ching Lin
It all began in a humble beginning when seeds were planted.
In late 1960s and early 1970s, numerous Taiwanese immigrants came to America in search of higher standard of living and education, pursuing a better life for their children, or seeking freedom from political prosecution. Many felt there’s a sense of spiritual absence amid the daily challenge of adapting to a new life in a different political, social, economic, and cultural environment. Scattered Taiwanese-speaking Bible study groups organized by Christians from Taiwan sprouted up to provide fellow Taiwanese immigrants with an opportunity of making friends, finding support, and developing a relationship with Jesus Christ through singing, prayer, Bible study, and sharing foods and life experiences. In December 1971，Taiwan Christian Fellowship in Central Jersey, led by Rev. Englaam Hsieh, started in United Millstone Presbyterian Church, Perrineville, NJ. Monthly gathering had an attendance of 10-15 people. A family Bible study groups, led by Rev. Andrew Kuo, started at the time in Kendall Park, NJ area.
And the little moments, humble though they may be. Seeds were watered. In 1973, the two Bible study groups were combined. The attendance increased to 20-25 people. Then on April 14, 1974, Formosan Christian Fellowship of Central Jersey was formed. The Fellowship held service in the afternoon of the second and fourth Sunday of the month at Nassau Presbyterian Church in Princeton, NJ. The foundation was laid. The yeast was provided.
Later in November, 1974, meeting was relocated to Kingston Presbyterian Church. The Fellowship maintained twice per month gathering schedule. It started a Sunday school program, a choir，and a youth symphony orchestra as well as sports activities such as ping-pong and tennis to outreach to Taiwanese immigrant community. A children music program was added in 1975. The Fellowship even took on the responsibility of managing the 1975 Taiwanese American Conference East Coast (TACEC) to further strengthen the tie with various organizations within Taiwanese immigrant community. By 1977, the Fellowship started weekly Sunday service program. By God’s grace, the number of members increased to 60-70 people by 1978. The feasibility study of organizing a church was initiated. The Church Organizing Committee was formally organized on October 15, 1979.
By God’s grace and hard works of numerous people from Taiwanese immigrant community as well as New Brunswick Presbytery, on July 20 1980, Taiwanese/American Fellowship Presbyterian Church (TAFPC) was established. Rev. John Heinsohn of Kingston Presbyterian Church was appointed by New Brunswick Presbytery as moderator of the session because there was no church pastor at the time. It joined The United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America and became a congregation member of the New Brunswick Presbytery.
A Pastor Search Committee (PNC) was formed in July 1980 to start searching a church pastor. Rev Ying-chi Kuo was installed as first church pastor on April 17, 1983. But he left five months later. During the years between 1980 and 1986，TAFPC, an young immigrant church trying to learn how to walk, faced a tremendous amount of challenges of calling a permanent pastor who was fluent in Taiwanese and understood its unique cultural heritage as pool of available pastor at the time was very limited. It was a long period of waiting and full of uncertainty.
During those challenging years when TAFPC was in its early years, by God’s grace, Rev Te-hsiung Chang, Rev. Wu-Tung Huang, and Rev Martin Wang frequently came to minister by serving as temporary supply for a period of time until November 2，1986 when Rev. Ben Hsieh was installed as second church pastor.
On July 16, 1989，TAFPC moved to New Brunswick to share the facility with First Reform Church of New Brunswick because of the need of a church location that was geographically central to where majority of church members and friends lived. It also could accommodate growing numbers of church attendance.
By early 1990s，anticipating the need to minister and nurture the growing population of high school and college aged second generation Taiwanese Americans who were assimilated into mainstream American culture and adopted English as their primary language, the English Ministry was established. Rev. Angela Ying，a second generation Taiwanese American, was called and installed as first Associate Pastor on August 25，1991 to focus on developing and then ministering the English Ministry. She left on July 19, 1993.
In the second half of 1990s, Rev. Kenneth Liu arrived to serve as Director of the English Ministry. Rev. Jimmy Huang came to serve as Student Assistant Minister. Later on, Rev. Tony Lin, was called and installed as second Associate Pastor, on March 26, 2000 to continue the development and transformation of the English Ministry. In subsequent years after Rev. Tony Lin left on July 31, 2003，Princeton Theological Seminary students, Erica Elsdon/Mark Elsdon from 2003-2004, and Erik Wiebe from 2004-2006, served in a capacity as part-time Directors of the Ministry before Samson Tso from 2006-2009, a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary took over the Directorship of the Ministry. Currently our associate pastor nominating committee is actively searching for a new associate pastor for English ministry.
Then On April 4, 1999，TAFPC established a Slackwood branch in Lawrenceville, NJ to better serve people who lived in south of Princeton NJ and eastern Pennsylvania areas. The Slackwood branch subsequently became Grace Taiwanese American Presbyterian Church in 2001 and became a member congregation of New Brunswick Presbytery.
On August 26, 2002, to facilitate the growth，TAFPC moved again to the Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick to share the facility with New Brunswick Presbyterian Church.
On August 21, 2005，Rev. Ben Hsieh retired from TAFPC after serving 19 years as senior pastor and 45 years as devoted God’s servant. He was honored and elected as TAFPC Pastor Emeritus.
On October 10，2006, Rev. Dr. Chun- Lan Tung arrived to serve as third church pastor. He was installed on January 21, 2007.
Today, with God’s blessing, TAFPC has transformed itself into a congregation with Sunday worship attendances of about 100 -110 in Taiwanese service, 40-50 in English service, and 5-10 in children Sunday School. It has been providing spiritual needs to many Taiwanese Americans in central New Jersey, active in community services as well as serving as a social and cultural center for the Taiwanese American community.
There are many church programs and activities beside weekly Sunday worship and Sunday school such as:
*Bible studies in English for junior youth, senior youth, and college students, young adults as well as in Taiwanese for adult and seniors (Evergreen).
*Christian education, theology, and culture seminars to strengthen our belief and to broaden our worldviews.
*Adult Choir, junior youth choir, and children choir that praise through voices as well as hand bell choir that celebrate through bells. And our second generation praise team weekly leads the English Ministry worship.
*Fellowship groups for women, men, families with children (Full House), families with empty nets, and seniors (Evergreen); vital and growing Taiwanese Christian Young Adult (TKC) fellowship (in Taiwanese) group as well as English Ministry Youth Fellowship (in English) group.
*Taiwan Students Ministry supports Rutgers Taiwanese-speaking students by providing activities and services.
*Campus Ministry outreaches to English- speaking Taiwanese American college students through Bible study and fellowship.
*Spiritual retreats for adults, women fellowship group, Taiwanese Christian Young Adult (TKC) fellowship group, and English Ministry.
*Sunday morning prayer services for healing and for peace.
*Taiwanese language school.
*Church mission and community outreach programs.
*Church-wide sports and hiking recreation events.
It has been 30 years. The journey of TAFPC has been long and winding. It had its twists and turns. We could not look into the seeds of time and say, which grain would grow, and which would not when seeds were sown. We never know what will be our next destination either. Indeed, from the past will come the future, what it holds is a mystery, unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.
摘自 台美團契長老教會 三十週年紀念 2010
