Baptists are active in Taiwan, but missionary efforts I the country can be traced back to more than 400 years ago.
According to information provided by “Hokkien Harvest Taiwan” at its Web site, Dutchman Georgius Candidius was Taiwan’s first missionary, after traveling to the island nation in 1627. It was there that he wrote “Short Account of the Island of Formosa,” which chronicled the customs and religion of the inhabitants. Hokkien harvest’s Web site credits Candidius with instructing 120 natives in the Christian religion during his first 16 month in Taiwan. The site notes other Dutch missionaries and aboriginal converts gave Candidius’ name to what is now Sun Moon Lake because of how inspired they were by his work.
The Web site also chronicles the 13 years Robertus Junius spent in Taiwan from 1629 to 1641. Among Junius’ accomplishments were the conversion of several thousand aborigines and the founding of Taiwan’s first Western style school in Taiwan.
A “Christian History of Taiwan” Web site also points to the beginnings and current standings of missionary effort in Taiwan.
The site says Dutch were expelled from the island after the Chinese conquered Taiwan in 1662.
Efforts by Dominican missionaries that were initiated in 1628 were halted in 1642 when they were driven out with the Spanish traders by the Dutch. The site reports some 9,900 convert were during this time frame. Except for several visits by Roman Catholic missionaries in the second half of the 1600s and 1715, no further Christian missionary work was done until 1859 when Taiwan ports were opened once again to foreigners and the Dominicans resumed their work. The Christian History site said English Presbyterians arrived in the south in 1865 and Canadian Presbyterians in the north in 1872 and, along with the Catholics, were the only foreign missionaries on the island until after World War II.
In 1895 Taiwan was ceded to Japan as part of the treaty that concluded the Sino-Japanese War, according to the site.
A few independent missionaries along with several Japanese denominations established churches in Taiwan for the Japanese-speaking population. The increasing militarism of Japan in the late 1930s forced Western missionaries to leave. By 1940, with the Pacific War approaching all missionaries, with the exception of a few old Spanish Catholic priests, had left.
The history of missions in Taiwan continued in 1945 with the conclusion of World War II, when Presbyterians led the re-entry to the island. Unsettled conditions following the war made both islanders and mainlanders receptive to the gospel.
Many new missionaries came to take part in opportunities during this period, with rapid church growth during the 1950s.
The Christian history site notes that, for the most part, missionaries have separated themselves from church administration. While mainline denominations have continued to reduce their missionary force, some evangelical missions are still sending more missionaries to Taiwan. The site said the Presbyterian of Taiwan is being assisted by missionaries from six reformed missions agencies, the largest number from the Presbyterian Church in the United States.
Southern Baptists are the largest denomination working in Taiwan, with the first worker arriving there in 1948 to establish churches among existing Baptist members. Missionaries are there today to help in theological and Bible training, along with evangelistic work through student centers, literature distribution, radio and television. The mission has started two junior college level schools, a seminary and two Bible schools.
Other groups involved in evangelism, church planting include Assemblies of God, Conservative Baptists, Free Methodists, Friend, Finnish and Canadian Pentecostals, Lutherans, Mennonites, Nazarenes, Oriental Missionary Society and Baptist Bible Fellowship.
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