Pastor Chou Lien-hua's memorial service was held in Huaien baptist church in Taipei, Aug 19th. 7 lifetime friends of Rev.Chou recalled this Lord's servant-- "Serving the Lord until the last moment." Around 2000 people attended this memorial service.
Reported by the Taiwan Christian media that during the meeting, at the gate of Huaien church there was a white board which wrote: "Service for Lord's servant Pastor Chou Lien-hua." There were also a white board wrote the Bible Verse 2Tim4.7-8. The arrangement were very simple.
Wang Shiping, pastor of Huaien Church, said that Rev.Chou's died all of a sudden, causing many people‘s regret with the feelings that "Can't say one more sentence to him" or "Couldn't accompany with him in the last minute". He also comforted the congregation that God knows the sadness in those people who love Rev.Chou's, and the Holy Spirit will comfort them.
Li Yaobin, the senior pastor of Huanen church, stressed that God will remember Rev. Chou Lien-hua's sweat and tears in his faithful serving during all his life. We people who still remain in the earth should take his "relay baton" while memorizing his good example and beautiful feet.
During the service, Chou Qiu-guo, the eldest son of Rev.Chou, and the third son Chou Qiu-en read the Scripture, 1 John 1.25-26: " I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies", hoping God's words to comfort the people who still alive.
The Central News Agency of Taiwan released the message from the Zhenxing hospital, on the afternoon of August sixth, pastor Chou didn't feel very well when driving and fell on the the steering wheel, there was a co-worker accompanying him at that time. At 5:20 that afternoon he was sent to hospital for first-aid, at 6:10pm he passed away, at his age of 96. The people in the hospital told that, his death was caused by "arrhythmia" and "heart disease." The Chinese Baptist Convention affirmed it.
Pastor Chou's serving has crossed half century, as a senior pastor, doctor of philosophy and theologian. He used to be formoer chairman of Taiwan World Vision, the dean of Asia Baptist seminary, vice-president of the Aide printing limited company in Nanjing. He was also the reviser of the original manuscript of Revised Chinese Union Version and the author of Theology Outline. He has been the "emperor's pastor" for Chiang Kai-shek and Sone Meiling, and have hosted memorial of Ms.Zhao si( Married Zhang Xueliang when she was 51).
Rev. Chou has been united the Hong Kong, Taiwan areas and the mainland, and began his work in Bible-translating. In 2015, he took part in the seminar of "Memorizing Bishop Ding Guangxun's 100th Birthday and the Sinicization of Christianity" and invited the National CCC group to visite in Taiwan. He tried his best to unite the church, insisting that Christianity shouldn't be divided into many sects and the younger generations should be diligent in studying the bible and live according to God's words.
