#AdventWord #messenger

‘God is the MESSENGER. Ask God’s world to speak. Let the MESSENGER be the voiceless one on the margins. In the quiet hear the One who will be with the dead when they rise from the grave.’

Visit to the Taiwan Episcopal Church 台灣聖公會 of Bishop John A. Pinckney from Taiwan’s Companion Diocese, the Episcopal Diocese of Upper S. Carolina (EDUSC), October 1965.

This photo was taken of Bishop Pinckney (centre) with 2 of his group outside St. Michael’s House, Tainan (note the angel!), then a student hostel, run by Rev. Patric Hutton (left). On the right is Rev. Michael T. H. Liu 劉定華牧師, then a seminarian at Tainan Theological College. It was Bishop James C. L. Wong who gave him the name ‘Michael’ after St. Michael’s House, where he served for a year after graduation from seminary in 1966. In January 1967, Michael and his wife Grace were married at Grace Church, Tainan by Bishop James Wong, followed by ordination as deacon in May, and as priest in November, 1967.

Fast forward to 2006 and Michael retired from a lifetime of full-time service in the Taiwan Episcopal Church. Now nearly 80, and still helping in St. John’s Cathedral, Michael is now retiring as monthly preacher at Advent Church. Yesterday was his final sermon at the place where his beloved Bishop Wong is buried under the altar. He remembers Bishop Wong with great respect and in thanksgiving for his life and leadership; and now, even after 50 years, Michael still remembers Bishop Pinckney’s visit, and the wonderful companion diocese partnership established between Taiwan and EDUSC at that time.