The Council for World Mission (CWM) and the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) strongly condemn the organized dissemination of misleading communications, veiled threats, and coercive messages directed at TEF participants—issued under the name of the so-called “Ecumenical Watch Group on Church Integrity & Governance.” These communications are factually distorted, theologically misrepresentative, and constitute targeted intimidation aimed at manipulating conscience and undermining the TEF.
We reject allegations such as “Geopolitical Missionizing” and “Political Instrumentalization” as misleading and deliberately false. Scripture calls us to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). The anonymous, unaccountable source of these communications sows confusion and fear within the body of Christ.
The Church’s mission is inherently public, contextual, and transformative—engaged with justice, dignity, and the common good. Participation in nation-building, when rooted in justice, is faithful discipleship. We affirm the God-given right of all peoples to self-determination, freedom, and peace (Genesis 1:27). The TEF is a legitimate space for ecumenical discernment, not a “pre-packaged political platform.”
We further note with serious concern the questionable origin, language inconsistencies, and coordinated dissemination patterns of these communications, which raise legitimate concerns about their intent and credibility, as already observed by multiple recipients. At the heart of these accusations lies a fundamental theological misunderstanding: that the Church must withdraw from the socio-political realities of its context in order to remain faithful. We affirm, unequivocally, that the Church’s mission is inherently public, contextual, and transformative. The prophetic tradition calls the people of God to “seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow” (Isaiah 1:17), and to “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God” (Micah 6:8). The ministry of Christ himself was deeply engaged with the realities of power, exclusion, and injustice, proclaiming good news to the poor and liberation to the oppressed (Luke 4:18-19). To suggest that engagement with questions of justice, dignity, and the future of peoples constitutes a departure from the Gospel is to deny the very heart of God’s mission (missio Dei).
We call on all churches and partners to:
- Remain vigilant against misleading, anonymous communications,
- Reject intimidation and blackmail,
- Stand in solidarity with the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT) and TEF participants.
The so-called “Ecumenical Watch Group” lacks legitimacy. CWM and WCRC speak from longstanding commitment to justice, unity, and transformative mission. This statement is a faithful affirmation of the Gospel’s public truth.
Click here to download the statement.
