TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) attended a ceremony in Kaohsiung on Sunday morning commemorating the 160th anniversary of missionary work by the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan.

In his speech, Lai quoted from Ecclesiastes 4:12, “A cord of three strands is not easily broken,” a passage generally interpreted as the vulnerability of the individual, with strength coming from family and faith, per CNA.

Lai was accompanied by Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) and several DPP legislators and city councilors. The event was held at Fengshan Stadium with an estimated 6,000 church members in attendance.

Lai said the church was started when James Laidlaw Maxwell came to Taiwan to preach in 1865. Since then, the church has penetrated many areas, including remote villages, promoting faith, education, culture, and medicine, and becoming an important force in society’s transformation.

He said that during Taiwan’s authoritarian period, the Presbyterian Church made three important declarations: “Statement of Our National Fate by the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan” in 1971, requesting the KMT government to give Taiwanese people the rights to decide their own future; “Our Appeal by the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan—Concerning the Bible, the Church, and the Nation,” in which the church proposed five ways it could assist the government; and finally, the “Declaration on Human Rights by the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan” in 1977, which set forth concrete actions to promote democracy and justice in Taiwan.

Lai said Taiwan is facing many challenges at home and abroad, especially the threat of annexation from China, making the church’s message of unity, cooperation, and tolerance increasingly important.

According to Lai, all participants shared a common concern about national security and the importance of unity. He expressed gratitude to the church for supporting government policies and working together for Taiwan’s future so that future generations can continue to live on this land.