Wung Tien-Min (b. 1905) and Chuang Chang Wung
Wung Tien-Min, born 8 October 1905, the son of Wung Yi and Wung Chen Mo, was born in Changhua, Taiwan. His father died when he was 12 years old. Although he was the best student in the class, he could not continue with his high school education but left home to work on a farm to support the family. He was married on 19 November 1925, to Chuang Chang. To them were born 12 children—six sons and six daughters.
At the age of 27 Wung opened a mill for husking rice and the economic situation of the family improved. With the outbreak of World War II, the Japanese government did not permit anyone to own a private mill. He gave up the mill and became a civil servant while at the same time farming two acres (one hectare) of rice.
At age 24 he turned from worshiping idols to worship God. The Japanese tried to force Christians to worship the emperor, but Wung and Chuang refused. He and his family were insulted and abused by neighbors as well as relatives. Inspired by Dr. John Soong's life and testimony, Wung witnessed to his relatives and some of them became Christians.
In the 1950s the Presbyterian church in Taiwan needed more pastors and Wung answered the call from God. Three years later he was asked by the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) workers to assist them. (MCC came to Taiwan in 1948.) After working with them for a short time, he opened his house to begin worship services. The Hsi-tun Mennonite Church, located in Taichung, Taiwan, had its beginning in the Wung's home.
During his 17 years in the pastoral ministry, Wung served four Mennonite churches. His most significant experience was to see many people converted to the Lord from the worship of idols and also to see four of his sons enter the pastoral ministry. His most traumatic experience was to see some church members leave the Lord and go back to idol worship. He believed more Mennonite youth should be encouraged to enter seminary to prepare themselves for the gospel ministry. His wisdom and counsel were much appreciated by the younger pastors.
| Author(s) | Peter Kehler |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 1989 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Kehler, Peter. "Wung Tien-Min (b. 1905) and Chuang Chang Wung." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1989. Web. 19 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Wung_Tien-Min_(b._1905)_and_Chuang_Chang_Wung&oldid=93953.
APA style
Kehler, Peter. (1989). Wung Tien-Min (b. 1905) and Chuang Chang Wung. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 19 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Wung_Tien-Min_(b._1905)_and_Chuang_Chang_Wung&oldid=93953.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 5, p. 948. All rights reserved.
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