Joy, vision mark Taiwan Episcopalians’ visit to Los Angeles

[Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles]  A delegation from the Diocese of Taiwan is visiting the Diocese of Los Angeles through Aug. 4 to celebrate shared vision and ministry opportunities.

The delegation is headed by Taiwan Bishop Lennon Yuan-Rung Chang, and includes his wife, Hannah Chang, priests, diocesan employees and others, representing eight out of 15 congregations within the diocese. The visit, with the theme “Be the Light,” reciprocates a visit made by Los Angeles Bishop John Harvey Taylor and a delegation to Taiwan in September 2024.

In a July 30 forum on exchange ministry between the two dioceses, Taylor joined Chang in outlining the possibilities of future collaboration between the two dioceses. The panel also included the Rev. Claire Chia-Lin Wang and Sheerah Lee, both of whom work in Taiwan’s youth ministry department.

The discussions deepened the formal companion relationship adopted by the two dioceses in 2023.

“When Bishop Chang and I first began discussing our exchange of visits, the word ‘exchange’ kept coming up: exchanges of youth, summer campers, seminarians, ministry interns, theology students, language students and recently ordained clergy,” Taylor said.

Wang talked about possible exchanges between the two dioceses, focusing on two potential programs: A three- month, six-month, or one-year exchange program for clergy, seminarians, and young adults; and a summer camp program, in which youth from the Diocese of Los Angeles would co-lead a children’s summer program with youth from the Diocese of Taiwan.

She said that programs would include a focus on culture and language, service with a congregation and accommodations for the stay in Taiwan. Wang said there are three English-speaking congregations within the Diocese of Taiwan, and that there is a possibility of serving at a church in English while still learning Mandarin and being immersed in Taiwanese culture.

Lee, who is from Malaysia, said Taiwan has a rich acceptance of different cultures and is a friendly environment for people coming from different countries.

The session concluded with a video from Jeremy Fiebig, a seminary student at Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, California, who recently completed a two-month exchange in the Diocese of Taiwan, in which he thanks members of the diocese and recommends the experience, which he said was life-changing.

The day before, with an eye to a possible future youth exchange ministry, Taylor and members of the Taiwan delegation visited Camp Stevens, the diocesan camp and conference center in Julian, about 137 miles south of Los Angeles, playing basketball and gaga ball with campers in addition to discussing possible future programs.

“What a joyful group of people,” said Kathy Wilder, Camp Stevens executive director. The group toured the camp and “had lots of questions regarding how the camp operates, about how our chaplains work and how we serve kids from interfaith backgrounds.

“There are a lot of cool ideas that are coming forth from this partnership and that’s something we’re excited about pursuing,” Wilder said. “We’re a place excited about international partnerships and we want to expand on it and unique in our timeline.”

The delegation has also visited San Gabriel’s Church of Our Saviour, St. John’s Cathedral, and other sites, including the Chinese Heritage museum, San Marino’s Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, and USC, and has a special service planned at St. Thomas’ Hacienda Heights, Aug. 2.

Visiting the Church of Our Saviour on July 27, the Rev. Claire Chia-Lin Wang of the delegation offered a presentation on the history and future goals of the Diocese of Taiwan.

The Diocese of Taiwan was established in 1954, with support from The Episcopal Church, initially under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Hawai‘i, then the Rt. Rev. Harry S. Kennedy. Taylor’s visit to Taiwan last year with a delegation from Los Angeles coincided with the Diocese of Taiwan’s 70th anniversary. The diocese had a second American bishop, and then three bishops from Hong Kong. In 1988, the Rt. Rev. John C.T. Chien served as the first Taiwanese bishop in the diocese. Chang was consecrated in 2020 as the sixth bishop of Taiwan.

The diocese currently has 10 parishes, five mission congregations and two church plants. It is still growing. “We are finding more places and buildings to invite more people to join us,” Wang said. “We can feel the energy in the diocese that is moving stronger and stronger.”

Wang shared that only around 5% of people in Taiwan are Christian, and most people in Taiwan practice regional traditional faiths. Wang said that the diocese reaches out to non-Christians through their ministries and institutions, including preschools and services caring for the elderly, regardless of faith affiliation.

Part of this mission to increase outreach includes partnerships outside of Taiwan, including with the Diocese of Los Angeles, with the Anglican provinces in Japan and Hong Kong and relationships with churches in Malaysia. The diocese is a member of the Council of Churches of East Asia.

Last year, the Diocese of Taiwan hosted the World Anglican Chinese Clergy Fellowship, where Chinese clergy in the Anglican communion gathered for a conference.

Despite challenges spreading Christianity in Taiwan, the diocese is growing with the goal of establishing new parishes and eventually becoming an independent province.

Speaking to the threat posed by mainland China, Wang said, “The threat from China is every day. But for us, life’s still going on. People notice, and it’s still there, but we still keep going.”

In the following service, at which Chang and Taylor served as co-celebrants, Chang gave a sermon on the power of prayer, in both English and Mandarin.

“In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus emphasizes the importance of placing complete trust in God with the following purpose: ask and it will be given to you, seek, and you will find, knock and the door will be opened. Even when all hope seems to lost, God will open his heart to give to us and provide us what we truly need,” Chang said.

The delegation performed a song during the Mass, and at the end, Chang was presented with a handmade stole as a gift from the Church of Our Saviour.

Following the service, the delegation and the parish community shared a barbecue lunch prepared by the Rev. Jeffrey Thornberg, rector of the Episcopal Church of Our Saviour in San Gabriel.

In the evening, the delegation was welcomed to the Episcopal Residence, the Pasadena home of Taylor and Canon Kathy O’Connor, for a fellowship dinner. In addition to the delegation and members of the committee that planned the delegation’s visit, the fellowship dinner included special guest Amino C.Y. Chi, director general of Taiwan’s cultural and economic office in Los Angeles.

After introducing members of the diocese present at the dinner, Taylor spoke of former President Richard Nixon’s 1972 visit to China and the need for diplomats to maintain the carefully balanced status quo so everyone can go on living their lives, as well as welcoming Chi. Taylor is a former chief of staff to Nixon, who previously served as director of the Nixon Library.

Chi spoke about the work of the Taipei Cultural and Economic Office in Los Angeles: to strengthen relationships with local governments in Southern California and Arizona; to welcome delegations from Taiwan; and to provide services for Taiwanese Americans, such as passport renewals, visas and document authentication.

Taylor and Chi exchanged gifts, and Chang offered remarks closing the dinner. He thanked Taylor for the hospitality and thanked all who were involved in planning the visit. He said the trip was a “wonderful” chance to learn, especially for nine of the delegates who are students and young adults.

Other members of the delegation performed a group dance titled “Better Together.” Sheerah Lee introduced the dance.

“This song speaks about working together, supporting one another, and showing God’s love in one family,” Lee said. “We hope it encouraged all of us here as two dioceses who come together, working side by side for a good purpose.”

On July 28, the delegation heard presentations from ministries of the Diocese of Los Angeles featuring the Rev. Francisco Garcia on behalf of Sacred Resistance, Steve Trepasso on behalf of Seeds of Hope, and Hilda Sarkisians on behalf of Interfaith Refugee and Immigration Service. Bob Williams also spoke of interfaith and ecumenical partners and projects at St. Paul’s Commons. Taylor moderated and spoke about the development of supportive housing on church property in the diocese.

Garcia detailed the rekindling of the Sacred Resistance ministry, including public witness, protests, accompaniment and raising funds for legal defense of detainees and support of their families. Trapasso addressed the success of Seeds of Hope’s programming, including studies showing improved health outcomes for participants and continued expansion to new sites. Sarkisians explained Interfaith Refugee and Immigration Service programs as well as the challenges of continuing programs following the loss of funding. Williams highlighted the collaboration of Nefesh, a progressive synagogue, The Immaculate Heart Community and other interfaith groups and events that are welcomed to St. Paul’s Commons. Taylor told the delegation about the housing projects opened on the campuses of St, Michael’s Episcopal Church in Riverside, Blessed Sacrament Episcopal Church in Placentia and St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church in Buena Park, as well as other projects in development. Presenters answered questions from the delegation and conversation continued after the formal presentations concluded.

The delegation, accompanied by Taylor, then visited the Huntington gardens.

The delegation spent the rest of the day after the conversation on exchange ministry visiting the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and church sites affected by the January 2025 wildfires. In the coming days, the delegation will visit the Homeboy Industries headquarters, return to St. John’s Cathedral and host a community outreach service at St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church in Hacienda Heights before a farewell dinner on Aug. 3.

Pat McCaughan contributed reporting.