With choirs, Aboriginal ­cultural performances and vibrant, joyful worship, the Fellowship of Mennonite Churches in Taiwan celebrated its 70th anniversary Oct. 12-13 at the Chientan Youth Activity Center in Taipei.

More than 800 people gathered for the event, which featured performances by the Hualien New Dawn Educare Center, the Good Shepherd Center and the Mennonite Christian Hospital.

The evening was enriched by Amis tribal dances performed by Hualien church members, showcasing the congregation’s cultural diversity.

Sunday morning worship featured choirs, a sermon and recognition of pastors who have served more than 30 years. The service included the presentation of letters and gifts from mission agencies and fellow Mennonite churches in Hong Kong and Macau.

Pastor Su Rong Song, the conference chair, delivered the sermon, focusing on holiness, unity and renewal.

Marietta and Sheldon Sawatzky, former long-term mission workers who served in Taiwan through Mennonite Mission Network and its predecessor agencies, attended.

Also in attendance were former Mennonite mission workers George and Tobia Veith. Tobia grew up in Taiwan, the daughter of mission workers Han and Martha Vandenberg. The Veiths served the Mennonite churches in Hong Kong and Macau and spent several years with Mennonite Partners in China. They now live in Canada.

Pastors of the Hong Kong and Macau Mennonite churches expressed appreciation for the mutual relationship between global Mennonite agencies and the Taiwan Mennonite Church. Jeremiah Choi of Hong Kong is the Northeast Asia representative for Mennonite World Conference.

Good TV, a Christian television station in Taiwan, interviewed church leaders and international guests and showcased the festivities. Pastor Song said: “The missionaries came with hammers in their luggage, prepared to work.”

Sheldon Sawatzky expressed gratitude for how God has led the church in growth. “The percentage of Christians in Taipei City in 2014 was 5.5%,” he said. “Today, it is estimated at 10%. The Taiwan Mennonite Church has grown from 20 churches in 2014 to 24 churches today.”

A new generation of Taiwanese pastors and leaders is bringing fresh emphasis on Anabaptist principles and church planting. Recent successes include two new churches planted by a congregation in Taichung, as well as a new church in the Hualien area started by the Hualien churches.

Taipei’s oldest Mennonite church, Ta-Tung, is planning a new complex that will house a church sanctuary, social services, a parsonage, underground parking and the conference offices. The project, with a goal of raising $5 million U.S., embodies the church’s commitment to growth and service.