What Does Grace Mean To You? -- A Story of TAFPC

“In the bulb there is a flower, in the seed, an apple tree; In cocoons, a hidden promise, butterflies will soon be free! In the cold and snow of winter, there's a spring that waits to be, Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.“ --Natalie Sleeth

It has been 30 years now. So it helps, now and then, to step back and take the long view of the history of TAFPC. This enables us to recall our heritage, to reaffirm who we are, much of what we believe, and what God calls us to do, and contemplate our future. “This is what we are about. We plant seeds that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capabilities. We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the God's grace to enter and do the rest. We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker. We are prophets of a future that is not our own. “ --Archbishop Oscar Romero, San Salvador

It all began in a humble beginning when seeds were planted.

In late 1960s and early 1970s, numerous Taiwanese immigrants came to America in search of higher standard of living and education, pursuing a better life for their children, or seeking freedom from political prosecution. Many felt there's a sense of spiritual absence amid the daily challenge of adapting to a new life in a different political, social, economic, and cultural environment. Scattered Taiwanese-speaking Bible study groups organized by Christians from Taiwan sprouted up to provide fellow Taiwanese immigrants with an opportunity of making friends, finding support, and developing a relationship with Jesus Christ through singing, prayer, Bible study, and sharing foods and life experiences. In December 1971, Taiwan Christian Fellowship in Central Jersey, led by Rev. Englaam Hsieh, started in United Millstone Presbyterian Church, Perrineville, NJ. Monthly gathering had an attendance of 10-15 people. A family Bible study groups, led by Rev. Andrew Kuo, started at the time in Kendall Park, NJ area. And the little moments, humble though they may be. Seeds were watered. In 1973, the two Bible study groups were combined. The attendance increased to 20-25 people. Then on April 14, 1974, Formosan Christian Fellowship of Central Jersey was formed. The Fellowship held service in the afternoon of the second and fourth Sunday of the month at Nassau Presbyterian Church in Princeton, NJ. The foundation was laid. The yeast was provided.

步若初學   漸趨穩固

By God’s grace and hard works of numerous people from Taiwanese immigrant community as well as New Brunswick Presbytery, on July 20 1980, Taiwanese/American Fellowship Presbyterian Church (TAFPC) was established. Rev. John Heinsohn of Kingston Presbyterian Church was appointed by New Brunswick Presbytery as moderator of the session because there was no church pastor at the time. It joined The United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America and became a congregation member of the New Brunswick Presbytery.

A Pastor Search Committee (PNC) was formed in July 1980 to start searching a church pastor. Rev Ying-chi Kuo was installed as first church pastor on April 17, 1983. But he left five months later. During the years between 1980 and 1986, TAFPC, an young immigrant church trying to learn how to walk, faced a tremendous amount of challenges of calling a permanent pastor who was fluent in Taiwanese and understood its unique cultural heritage as pool of available pastor at the time was very limited. It was a long period of waiting and full of uncertainty. During those challenging years when TAFPC was in its early years, by God’s grace, Rev Te-hsiung Chang, Rev. Wu-Tung Huang, and Rev Martin Wang frequently came to minister by serving as temporary supply for a period of time until November 2, 1986 when Rev. Ben Hsieh was installed as second church pastor.

On July 16, 1989, TAFPC moved to New Brunswick to share the facility with First Reform Church of New Brunswick because of the need of a church location that was geographically central to where majority of church members and friends lived. It also could accommodate growing numbers of church attendance,

By early 1990s, anticipating the need to minister and nurture the growing population of high school and college aged second generation Taiwanese Americans who were assimilated into mainstream American culture and adopted English as their primary language, the English Ministry was established. Rev. Angela Ying, a second generation Taiwanese American, was called and installed as first Associate Pastor on August 25, 1991 to focus on developing and then ministering the English Ministry. She left on July 19, 1993.

一九九0年代下半期，Kenneth Liu與Jimmy Huang先後為本會英語部主任與Student Assistant Minister，二0 0 0年的三月二十六日，林天仁牧師就任本會第二任英語部副牧。英語部在轉型中逐漸壯大。他於二零零三年的七月三十一日離去。接著是來自普林斯頓神學院的學生Erica/Mark Elsdon夫婦與Erik Wiebe續任，他們的任期先後為二0 0三到二0 0四與二0 0四到二0 0六。 二0 0六年到二0 0九年，甫畢業於普林斯頓神學院的Samson Tso(曹仲恆)傳道接棒發展英語部。

分設教會    開花結實　

On August 26, 2002, to facilitate the growth, TAFPC moved again to the Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick to share the facility with New Brunswick Presbyterian Church.

因為教會的繼續增長，於二0 0二年八月二十六日，我們搬到New Brunswick 長老教會。謝敏川牧師在本會牧會十九年及服務教界四十五年後於二0 0五年盡程退休，為表示對他的尊敬，本會封立他為台美團契長老教會榮譽牧師。二0 0七年一月二十一日，董俊蘭牧師就任為本會第三任牧師。

董牧師在職六年多,教勢穩定成長,期間董牧師及牧師娘(胡淑貞牧師) 耐心栽培, 成立了TKC青年團契,讓從台灣來的留學生以及在職年青人有一個追求信仰的基地與歸宿,人數大約25-30人. 當時每週主日禮拜聚會人數，大約是英語部40-50 人，兒童5-10，台語部約100-110人。教會不僅提供了紐澤西中部台美人的靈性需要，更在台彎人社團裡扮演著交誼與文化中心的角色。董牧師在2012年底選擇離任回台前往玉山神學院任教.

教會再一次聘請謝敏川牧師為臨時牧師. (1/1/2013-8/31/2014.)

Today, with God’s blessing, TAFPC has transformed itself into a congregation with Sunday worship attendances of about 100 -110 in Taiwanese service, 40-50 in English service, and 5-10 in children Sunday School.

從2014年9月起，年青1.5代的黃景彬牧師受聘為本會主任牧師，負責台語部及英語部講道及事工。 隨後並聘 Paul LaMontagne牧師為英語部副牧師， 並於2019年9月增聘蔡佳君牧師為臨時副牧師，負責發展TKC青年事工並協助台語部事工。黃牧師並於2017年擔任New Brunswick 中會議長(Moderator)。本會並於2017年3月由New Brunswick, NJ 搬到Hillsborough, NJ， 繼承原有的Hillsborough Presbyterian Church教會建築物，繼續經營該地區的信仰傳播事工。

2020 年1月，在不確定且艱困的疫情期間，黃牧師決定離任回加州與家人團聚。Paul牧師也相繼在2022年7月盡程退休。在2022到2023年期間，蔡牧師帶領同工團隊恢復舉辦為期一週的兒童夏季學校，並且在聖誕期間藉由兒童聖誕劇的表演向社區傳播好消息，為教會的兒童事工注入一股新氣象。 蔡佳君牧師於2023年12月期滿離任。

疫情後本會每週主日禮拜聚會人數，英語部約15人，兒童約7人，台語部約45人。

Church here isn't just for Sunday worship and Sunday school. We have

• Bible studies in English for junior youth, senior youth, and college students, young adults as well as in Taiwanese for adult and seniors (Evergreen).
• Christian education, theology, and culture seminars to strengthen our belief and to broaden our worldviews.
• Adult Choir, junior youth choir, and children choir that praise through voices as well as hand bell choir that celebrate through bells. And our second generation praise team weekly leads the English Ministry worship.
• Fellowship groups for women, men, families with children (Full House), families with empty nets, and seniors (Evergreen); vital and growing Taiwanese Christian Young Adult (TKC) fellowship (in Taiwanese) group as well as English Ministry Youth Fellowship (in English) group.
• Taiwan Students Ministry supports Rutgers Taiwanese-speaking students by providing activities and services. Campus Ministry outreaches to English–speaking Taiwanese American college students through Bible study and fellowship
• Spiritual retreats for adults, women fellowship group, Taiwanese Christian Young Adult (TKC) fellowship group, and English Ministry.
• Sunday morning prayer services for healing and for peace.
• Taiwanese language school
• Church mission and community outreach programs
• Church-wide sports and hiking recreation events.

四十多年來，台美團契長老教會這趟路走來漫長中點綴著彎曲小徑，逢路口卻也轉折恰當。我們播種時，無法預知那一顆種子會結果實，那一棵不會。我們永遠無法預料人生的下一站是什麼？事實上，從過去的一切，可尋找將來的痕跡，所有的一切，都是無可透視的奧秘，只有當上帝允許的時間到，才可顯露清楚。

本會於2024/03/24舉行會員大會批准聘任賴懿文牧師擔任本會下一任主任牧師，任期由2024年9月5日起生效。願神帶領看顧。