Presbyterian Church in Taiwan
The fate of Taiwan dramatically changed in the 1970s because of the gradually global recognition of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), which was under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s control. The KMT government in Taiwan felt extreme pressure, especially when the PRC replaced the ROC as the representative of China in the United Nations in 1971. Considering the global situation and diplomatic challenges, the PCT between 1971-1977 released three important documents in PCT history. Led by General Secretary Kao Chun-Ming, the PCT released the "Statement of Our National Fate by the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan" in 1971, which asked the KMT government to give Taiwanese people the rights to decide their own future. Reverend Daniel Beeby was expelled from Taiwan in 1972 due to his support of Taiwan independence. Following the confiscation of the church's Hoklo materials in 1975, the PCT published a second statement, which stressed the importance of religious freedom. The statement is called "Our Appeal by the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan-Concerning the Bible, the Church and the Nation", in which the PCT proposed 5 ways that the PCT could help the government in that time. The PCT did not formally advocate for the Taiwan independence movement until a third statement was released in August 1977, "A Declaration on Human Rights by the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan". It asked the KMT government to declare Taiwan as a novel and independent country. These three documents brought much tension between the PCT and the KMT government, but at the same time they also reflected the PCT’s deep involvement in Taiwanese society beyond the religious community.