Preface | Origins | Embarkation | Persistence | Currently | Anticipation
Charles made a world tour in the spring of 1967 to acquaint Reformed Presbyterian (RP) and Chinese Churches with the RTF. RTF Boards were established in Scotland, Ireland and Australia. For years the Scotch RTF Board has provided funds to publish the Faith and Life Quarterly in Chinese. The Quarterly has been appreciated by Chinese Christians all over the world. Charles and Pearl, along with youngest daughters Lois and Rose, moved RTF headquarters from Los Angeles to Taipei, Taiwan in 1968. Secretaries there were better able to help Charles edit translations, arrange Chinese printing and with correspondence. Charles and Pearl’s 1976 world tour, added friends in Holland, and Japan to those already part of the RTF ministry. A Doctor of Divinity degree was bestowed on Charles at Geneva College’s graduation in 1977. Dr. Vos, Chairman of the Bible Department, who played a vital part in RTF’s ministry, introduced Dr. Chao and bestowed the academic hood on him. After Lois and Rose graduated from the Taipei American School they returned to California, earned college degrees, married and continue to live there. Charles and Pearl accompanied Mr. and Mrs. Minjers, from Holland, to Mainland China in 1983 where they saw RTF books in House churches. During that trip they visited Rev. and Mrs. Wang Ming-Tao influential in Charles’ decision to serve Christ full time. Rev. Wang had just been released after 22 years in prison because he refused to join the Communist controlled Three Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM). The Wangs were praising the Lord because He had matched them so well in their later years. Prison beatings left Pastor Wang deaf and his wife almost blind so they were perfectly matched to serve Christ. Wang Ming-Tao died July 28, 1991. In the Fall of 1989 Rebecca Chao accompanied Simon Bax editor of a Reformed Daily Newspaper in Holland, on a tour of Mainland China. He was so impressed when he saw RTF books in the small libraries of House Church leaders, that he provided US $25,000 for publication of A Dictionary of Theological Terms edited by Dr. Chao. Rev. Stephen Tong, a well known multilingual Chinese evangelist from Indonesia, held the Dictionary up in front of 800 Chinese at a Christian Conference in the USA, saying that it is the most concise and informative book of its kind in any language. When Charles and Jonathan Chao needed US$37,000 (the equivalent of one million New Taiwan Dollars) in the bank to establish a Chinese Reformation Translation Fellowship Board in Taiwan, Simon Bax provided that amount also. Charles edited and published the sermons he had preached during the past 42 years. He taught at Christ’s College, Taiwan in 1990 to fill in for an American whose health forced him to return to USA. While doing all of this, Charles continued his daily translating. The Chaos celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in 1992 with a family reunion including their 10 children, in-laws and grandchildren. In 1989 Jonathan Chao was inaugurated President of Christ’s College, a position he held for 2 years. This gave RTF additional distribution, as well as recognition for the value of the publications available in Chinese. All Christian seminaries in Taiwan use RTF publications in their courses, as well as many seminaries in Hong Kong, Singapore and a new seminary in Indonesia started in 1991 by Rev. Stephen Tong. During the summer of 1990 Ted Chao and his wife Wendy took his parents on a tour of Europe where Charles and Pearl renewed their friendships in Scotland and Holland. During the last 7 years while Charles and Pearl lived in Taipei they invited 8 to 10 Chinese scholars to their apartment each Sabbath afternoon for translation and tea. These scholars came faithfully every Sabbath and translated excerpts from well known Reformed writings which were published as a booklet each year, for free distribution to appreciative Chinese Christians. This was in addition to Charles’ daily translating. The faithful scholars meet to translate one Sabbath afternoons a month even after the Chaos left Taipei. At its start in 1948 RTF claimed the scripture, ‘But the word of God is not bound”. This motto is still being blessed. It comes from 2nd Timothy 2:9-10 “Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound. Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory”. This scripture verse is prophetic of the trials and blessings of RTF’s founders, and many other Christians as they proclaim the Truth of God’s Word, despite all attempts God’s Word has never been bound in China or any part of the world.