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Taipei, Taiwan – A Christian-based hospital with over one hundred years of history in medical evangelism held a thanksgiving inauguration ceremony for the presidency position to be passed down from the 16th president to the 17th president.

On Dec. 28, Dr. Jeng He Tsai, former vice president of Taipei Mackay Memorial hospital, a hospital under the jurisdiction of Presbyterian Church of Taiwan, vowed to continue the commission of medical evangelism began by Dr. George Leslie Mackay, a medical missionary sent to Taiwan by the Canadian Presbyterian Church and founded the Mackay clinic in 1880.

In the sermon titled “In all things glorify the Lord”, Rev. Ching Jang Pan, minister of PCT headquarter, exhorted the participants that since Dr. Mackay began the clinic 135 years ago when scarcity in human resources and financial support exist, besides the dedication of the former presidents and directors, God's sovereignty has been the key factor for today’s achievements

He extended his thanksgiving to Dr. Chun Hsiung Huang, 16th president of the hospital, and expressed his hopes for Dr. Tsai to glorify the Lord with his God-given talents in leading the entire medical team in this service.

"Just as Joshua continued after Moses, no matter what kind of difficulties, challenges you may face, be strong and courageous and do not forget that God is with you," said Rev. Pan.

Beginning his career as the senior doctor and now passing down his presidency at Mackay hospital, Dr. Huang recalled the hospital's growth from a small hospital with only 200 beds to a medical center that holds approximately 3,000 beds in his 35 years of service.

He expressed his gratitude to the Lord for his good health, where he did not once have to leave work from any illness in the last 38 years of service. He also thanked his wife and coworkers for their support. He will continue to serve at the hospital as the senior doctor in orthopedics.

In his dedication speech, Dr. Tsai revealed his determination in becoming a doctor since young spurred as the result of the help that his father received for a heart illness from Chia-yi Christian Hospital active role in medical evangelism.

As the newly instated president of the hospital, he will focus in two major aspects - hardware and software. For his goals in hardware, he wants to complete the planning and structuring of newly-constructed Mackay building, located in the Dan-shuei hospital area, and assist the second period building located in the Shinju hospital area by adding 500 beds in 2009, aiming and working diligently to build a medical center; For the software goals, he wants to cultivate a hospital culture, where the medical staffs treats the patients as the arteries and vein of the hospital, complete the establishment of Mackay medical institute to train and nurture more qualifying doctors, and cooperate more actively with churches in providing spiritual care for the patients.

Dr. Tsai hopes to lead the medical teams in Mackay hospital to reveal its Christian characteristics: consideration, concern, and active evangelization.

For the closing remark, Rev. Rung Feng Hsiu, minister of Presbyterian Church of Greater Taipei, said that

The spirit of Christianity is careful consideration, sacrifice. He hopes that the newly instated president and the entire medical team can open their spiritual eyes to experience the heart of Jesus, seeing the need of the people, the church, and to respond to their expectations.

[Editor's note: reporter Ian Huang from Taiwan contributed to this article.]