Update from the Bishop of the Diocese of Taiwan

Dear friends,

Thank you so much for your concern for us in Taiwan following the large 7.2 earthquake at 7:58 am this morning, which has since been followed by many aftershocks. The most recent news reports say that 9 people have been killed, over 800 injured, and 28 large buildings tilted or partially collapsed. Most of these are in the Hualien area on the east coast of Taiwan. All of Taiwan was shaken, and for those who were trying to get to work on the Taipei Metro or High-Speed Rail, there were major delays and inconveniences. Hualien announced work and school closures for the day, while in the rest of Taiwan, work and school went ahead as normal. Fortunately, Taiwan’s government and emergency services are very experienced in earthquake rescue and relief, and responded quickly, and we know that they are doing their best to help and support those affected. All schools, work and offices throughout Taiwan (including our diocesan office) are now closed until Monday due to Children’s Day and the Tomb-Sweeping Festival, held every year on April 4 and 5, during which time people visit their family tombs to pay their respects. This will also give everyone a chance to clear up after the earthquake. Although many homes and buildings have suffered minor damage, please know that there is no widespread devastation, and any support needed by those affected is being handled well by government and support agencies.

Our church in Hualien, St. Luke’s Church, received minor damage only.  The vicar, Rev. Antony F. W. Liang has spent the day checking in with all his church members and reports that all of them are fine.  We are all grateful to God for His mercy and grace, and we thank you all for your prayers.  

We particularly ask you to pray for the Taiwan Episcopal Church as we prepare to host the World Anglican Chinese Clergy Fellowship (WACCF) 4-yearly gathering next week in Taipei, from April 9-12.  The conference will go ahead as planned. We are welcoming over 110 participants arriving over the next few days from S. E. Asia, Hong Kong, Myanmar, USA, Canada and Australia. Together with our Taiwan clergy and spouses, we expect a total of about 140-150 people. Participants are all Anglican Chinese clergy and their spouses, and the conference will be conducted entirely in Mandarin Chinese. Please do pray for them all, especially those who may be worried about coming to Taiwan; we know that some of them had been planning to come a few days earlier for a short holiday, but may now change their flights. We hope and pray that their time here is a blessing for each one.

Thank you again for your concern and prayers.

Yours sincerely,

Bishop Lennon Yuan-Rung Chang

Diocesan Office 教區辦事處
Taiwan Episcopal Church 台灣聖公會