Ms. Evangeline Y. J. Dai and Professor Annie Y. P. Tsai were ordained as deacons by the Rt. Rev. Lennon Y. R. Chang, Bishop of Taiwan at St. James’ Church, Taichung, at 10:30 am on Saturday, June 6, 2026. The church was completely full, with a group also watching the livestream downstairs on the ground floor. Well done to Rev. Lily Chang and everyone at St. James’ Church for hosting such a wonderful event. We had readings in Mandarin Chinese, Taiwanese, and English, and Bishop Chang preached a lively sermon, which brought lots of laughs!

A little introduction about our lovely new deacons, from articles they wrote for our Friendship Magazine last year…

Rev. Evangeline Dai was born and raised in Taipei. She writes, “My family practice Chinese folk religion mixed with Taoism and Buddhism. In 2013, I visited my grandmother in Houston, Texas, and went to a Chinese church. There, I felt moved by the Holy Spirit and opened my heart to learn more about Christianity. I returned to Taiwan and soon got a job in a tutor center, where most staff members were Christians who actively shared the Good News with students. After experiencing fulfilled prayers, I converted to Christianity and was baptized on March 2, 2014.  I moved to Houston in July 2014 and joined Faith American Lutheran Church. After serving as a lay leader for 2 years, I became a candidate for Word and Sacrament ministry in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and went to Berkeley to pursue a Master of Divinity degree at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary. After I finished, I visited my parents in Hualien in summer 2022 and attended worship services at St Luke’s Episcopal Church; this was my first encounter with the Taiwan Episcopal Church. Thanks to their hospitality, which prepared the path for me to join the Episcopal family in Taiwan. I moved back to Taiwan in fall 2023, and in 2024, I married my husband Gavin in Good Shepherd Church.” 

For the past few years, Evangeline has been serving at St. Peter’s Church, Chiayi, especially at the Chiapei Mission Center.  Rev. Simon Tsou led a large group from Chiayi to the service, including St. Peter’s Choir, who sang a beautiful anthem (see photo below).   

Rev. Dr. Annie Tsai is a member of St. James’ Church, Taichung, particularly the English Congregation, and St. James’ Choir also sang an anthem during the service, dressed in their blue St. James’ T-shirts with the St. James’ logo….

Annie is a Psychology Professor at Tung-Hai University (THU), Taichung, and will serve in a non-stipendiary role. A large group of THU faculty and students attended the ordination service, which was great to see. Annie writes, “I am Taiwanese-American, born in Taiwan and raised in California. While my Chinese reading level is around second grade, I speak at a high school level. I grew up with Catholic parents, but struggled with gender-based discrimination in the church. At 11, I began exploring Protestant communities and was baptized in a conservative Evangelical Chinese church in Southern California. After Graduate school at Stanford, and 13 years as a professor at Azusa Pacific University, I returned to Taiwan seven years ago.  The Taiwan Episcopal Church has profoundly shaped my spiritual journey and vocational discernment. I took classes at Trinity School for Christian Ministry, but found the reading in Chinese challenging, so I studied at CDSP (Church Divinity School of the Pacific). The Episcopal Church’s blend of liturgical tradition and Protestant theology resonates deeply with me, especially its affirmation of women in ministry. Serving at St. James, I get to preach in both Chinese and English. Building relationships in both languages has also been a blessing. I cherish our church’s ability to hold unity amid diversity, fostering love despite differences.”

Please pray for our new deacons, Evangeline and Annie, and the churches they serve. Check out the photos of that very special day…

The service was followed by lunchboxes kindly provided by Annie’s parents – so delicious, thank you!

After the service and group photos, the clergy walked around the side of St. James’ Church to the neighbouring Mu-Teh Building for a short Service of Blessing. This building was purchased a few years ago by St. James for their expanding Education Ministry, particularly for after-school classes for elementary school children. The building was originally let as individual apartments, and all have now been converted into classrooms. The new building connects to the main kindergarten building on the ground floor, and work is ongoing to connect via the 6th floor for access to the elevator or in an emergency. The clergy and church members visited every floor for prayers ~ we had had a tour on arrival from my good friend, Yu-Mei, supervisor of the Education Institute. The classrooms are spacious and all ready for the classes to start. Congratulations to St. James on their expanding children’s ministry, and thanks be to God!

And big congratulations to Evangeline and Annie, and to everyone in the Taiwan Episcopal Church ~ and thanks be to God!