The Hudson Taylor Centre
is engaging in the following projects:

(a) Mandarin Ministries
(b) English Ministries
(c) Biblical Interpretation in the Post-Modern World
(d) Issues, Strategies & Directions for the 21^st Century Church
(e) History, Theology & Culture
(f) Pastoral Counseling & Family Ministries
(g) Evangelism and Church Planting
(h) PrimeTimer Ministry

(a) Mandarin Ministries

With the inflow of immigrants and scholars from Mainland China into North America and other parts of the world, Chinese churches face a major challenge: to evangelize and disciple a people with very unique background and a large number of new Christians. The preparation and training of their pastors is the challenge of challenges. The Centre is prepared to spearhead this venture and be the catalyst to meeting this challenge.

As many Chinese have moved into Russia in search of business opportunitiesand a new life, some have come to faith through the small churches in the bordering cities. However, church growth is sluggish and even stagnant without pastoral nurturing. There is a great need for training and spiritual feeding. The new believers lack discernment of the differences between truth and false teachings and are susceptible to cultist influences. In response to these urgent needs and upon the invitation to partnership with Send International of Canada, the Hudson Taylor Centre of Tyndale Seminary has set up a Discipleship Training program in Russia. The Mu Chiun Centre offers courses on discipleship for the local Chinese Christians. In the last 2 years, more than 35 Chinese Christians have completed one or more courses offered by the Centre, 5 have completed the whole program with eight courses. They are the first graduate class in September this year.

Go To Top Menu

(b) English Ministries

Recently, Christianity Today has documented the loss of the Second Generation Chinese churches. While attempts have been made in other seminaries to tackle this issue, a new and bold expedition has to be made for the 21st Century. The Center, with its excellent connection with both the English-speaking and the Chinese speaking ministerial, is in a strategic position to take up the challenge.

Go To Top Menu

(c) Biblical Interpretation in the Post-Modern World

Since the late 20th Century, modernity has been severely challenged from many quarters in many fields. However, as far as Biblical Interpretation is concerned, most of the influences come from the secular literary critics. It is dangerous to simply dismiss such post-modern interpretive initiatives. Biblical scholars at Tyndale Seminary are engaged in the examination of both the Modernistic and the Post-Modernistic influences on Biblical Interpretation, aiming to structure an Evangelical response to this very important area. Facing the critical need to establish the Biblical anchor for the 21st Century, the Centre will host this research, as well as the development of its results into church-usable forms. Heading toward this direction, the Centre has sponsored a series of 5 seminars in the spring of 2003, a total of 800 people attended these seminars.

Go To Top Menu

(d) Issues, Strategies & Directions for the 21st Century Church

While the Truth of the Gospel is never-changing, the manifestation of the Gospel needs to be changed with the situation (1 Cor. 9:20-23). However, the church in general has long been lagging behind in the latter. Thus far, the consequence was not detrimental, only because the changes had been relatively slow. This no longer will be the case. In the 21st Century, the church will face rapid and drastic changes, wave upon wave. The church needs to be prepared and anticipate (rather than avoid) the changes -- capture the opportunities, while overcoming the threats. The Centre will serve the role of a watchman or a light-house. We aim to help churches, pastors and leaders to be prepared for the opportunities ahead.

Go To Top Menu

(e) History, Theology & Culture

We welcome Dr. Wing-Hung Lam's new book Christian Theology in Development, volume 2: The Medieval Church. The Hudson Taylor Centre sponsors the publication of this book and serves as Dr. Lam’s homebase as he continues to work on the third volume in Reformation Theology. Another book in The Hudson Taylor Centre Series is written by Rev. Sau-Wah Leung on Christians and the Origins of the Chinese Revolution, which is in the process of publication.
Go To Top Menu

(f) Pastoral Counseling & Family Ministries

As previously stated, two vacuums in the North American Chinese exist. One is that the professional counselor and the pastor work independently with each other, and the other is the need for family ministry in the church. Towards this end, since 2001, we have incorporated a well-received course in Pastoral Counseling as a core course in the Pastoral and Chinese Ministry Major. In addition, we have held seminars and consultations for the pastors regarding issues and topics in pastoral counseling. Our hope is that future pastors will be better able to provide pastoral counseling to their congregants, and to work closer with the counseling professionals. The Centre also supported research in this area and we have published a peer-reviewed article on pastoral counseling in Toronto in the Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling (winter 2003 issue). Regarding family ministry, we have also courses that deal with youth, parents and family ministry. Our research has shown that of the 5 major areas of needs in the church (marriage problems, parenting teens, parenting young children, faith issues, friendship and relationship problems), four of them are related to family ministry. Thus the urgency of putting more emphasis in this ministry in our churches is demonstrated.

Our plan is to continue to provide resources to the churches and their pastors in these two areas. In addition, we have also sensed a need to establish a mentoring ministry, and a pastoral support network in the future. The former is an endeavor to provide mentoring and support to the individual pastors who are new in the field. The latter is to form a network among pastors interested in pastoral counseling to share and learn from each other about pertinent pastoral care and ministry issues. Let us pray that God's will be shown to us in this matter and that He will provide us with the necessary human and financial resources.

Go To Top Menu

(g) Evangelism and Church Planting

In the past few decades, the Chinese churches in North America have continuously grown with the unceasing waves of immigrants. With the shift in characteristic development of the Chinese communities, Chinese churches also need to seek out new direction both in yielding strategies for evangelism and in developing models for expansion. Churches are to respond to the needs of the communities and accept the mandate to grow. In 2005, the Centre will publish a booklet on the guidelines for Chinese church planting with the help of the students from the course “Church Planting & Evangelism?at Tyndale. It is our desire that through data gathering, survey, research and analysis, the Centre will help create interests in evangelism and church planting or church modeling among the Chinese churches so that we may fulfill the great commission and catch the waves of people for Christ.

Go To Top Menu

(h) PrimeTimer Ministry

The Baby-boomers are approaching retirement. This generation was born in peace time, and was taken care by a modern medical system. The boomers will easily have an active 10 years pass their retirement.

Consider this formula:

(life-experience) + (health & energy) + (lots of time) =?

For this reason, on September 29-30, 2006, the Hudson Taylor Centre co-sponsoring with CCCOWE – Canada has arranged for a consultation on the ministry to and the mobilization of the Baby-boomers. Besides, PCM program is starting a new course “PrimeTimer Ministry” in Fall 2006. Both of the above items are explorations into uncharted waters. Please remember us in prayers.

Go To Top Menu