Public Campus Ministry Makes a Difference in the ‘Silicon Valley of Taiwan’

By: Baek Joon, Northern Asia-Pacific Division, and Adventist Review

In 2019, Public Campus Ministries (PCM) was established at Hsinchu Seventh-day Adventist Church in northern Taiwan, thanks to two PCM missionaries sent to serve in the area. The Hsinchu area is called the Silicon Valley of Taiwan. The city is known as Hsinchu Science Park, the country’s hub of high-tech industry. 

The city, with a population of 480,000, has two universities, Tsinghua University and National Chiao Tung University, which rank second and third in the country. The education and living standards of the people in Hsinchu are high compared to the rest of Taiwan. 

The Korean cultural wave known as Hallyu is booming among young people in Taiwan. Going with this trend, since 2018 the church has held Korean language classes to attract young people to church. In 2019, the Korean class received approval as an official club from Tsinghua University. Many students at the university have shown interest in the club, and some of them have come to the church.

Since early 2020, the Hsinchu church has struggled due to COVID-19. The situation has evolved over the last year and a half, and church gatherings have been prohibited from time to time. From May to July 2021, the church had to conduct worships online, with on-site worship becoming possible only by the end of July. 

On August 21, 2021, a baptismal ceremony was held for the first time. Four young people were reborn. They had started attending the church earlier in the year. “There were constant invisible battles in the candidates’ minds before their baptism,” leaders said, “but God’s grace was upon them when they finally decided to proceed.”

Leaders shared that the ceremony was held at Taiwan Adventist College on a beautiful day. Two PCM missionaries, Seol Ah Park and Ji Soo Choi, actively led the new believers to Jesus Christ.

“It has been three years since the Hsinchu church was planted, and currently, about 30 people gather every Sabbath,” leaders said. “Among them, 60 to 70 percent are college students and young office workers. We hope that they will grow as leaders who endeavor to deliver the gospel of God to many young Taiwanese who do not know Jesus.” 

About Public Campus Ministries

PCM is a service of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and its regional branches around the world. It envisions inspiring and transforming Seventh-day Adventist students into campus ambassadors through intentional mentoring and discipleship. To this end, PCM provides a ministry presence and nurturing environment for students, both on campuses and in local churches, utilizing communities of mentors who are committed to caring for, mentoring, and training the students.

The original version of this story was posted by the Northern Asia-Pacific Division.