==White Russian era (1949-19701980's)==

In 1949, some 5000 Russians arrived from China (e.g. Shanghai, Harbin, Xinjiang) in the wake of the Chinese Civil War, and began gathering in Taipei's Cafe Astoria. Mention is made of a Korean War-era funeral led by Bishop (later Archbishop) [[John (Shahovskoy) of San Francisco]], then a U.S. army chaplain en route from Korea to the USA. Archbishop [[Ireney (Bekish) of New York|Ireney (Bekish)]] of Tokyo (later New York) made annual visits to Taipei between 1957 and 1959, celebrating divine liturgy in a the private homeof [[Gleb Rahr]] and his family, called the Church of the Forerunner. In 1960 he Archbishop Ireney ceded these duties to an American military chaplain, Fr. Nikolay Kirilyuk. 1965 saw a visit by Metropolitan [http://orthodoxwiki.org/Vladimir_%28Nagosky%29_of_San_Francisco [Vladimir (Nagosky) of San Francisco|Vladimir (SagoskyNagosky)]] of Japan (later San Francisco), American military chaplain Archpriest Peter Zurnovich, and Fr. Kirill Arihara. The number of Orthodox faithful in Taiwan has been variously estimated at 50 (in 1960), 100 (in 1958), and 200 (in 1965).<ref> http://www.orthodox.cn/localchurch/taiwan/1958-1959ireney_en.htm http://orthodox.cn/localchurch/taiwan/glebrar_en.htm http://www.orthodox.cn/localchurch/taiwan/19650120vladimir_en.htm </ref> The Russian community's most famous member, ROC President Chiang Ching-kuo's Belarussian-born wife Chiang Fang-liang (née Faina Ipat'evna Vakhreva), did not attend services (, and may have nominally affiliated with her husband's Methodism).

Sources differ as the whether to how much contact this predominantly Russian church had any contact with the earlier wave of Japanese-era believers. By the 19701980's the church had again dwindled into inactivity, in part because of a canonical rule requiring the closure of any parish which goes more than fifty years without a resident priest.

In 2005, INTERPOL contacted Taiwan authorities in an attempt to apprehend drug smuggler / [[Christodoulos (Paraskevaides) of Athens|Christodoulos]] aide [[Apostolos Vavylis]], notorious for his role in the church scandals which made worldwide news that year. <ref> http://www.greeknewsonline.com/?p=3113 </ref> Vavylis had been traveling on false identity documents obtained through the assistance of church leaders, including Fr. Jonah, who traveled to Greece to testify to his lack of criminal intent (but was ultimately not called to testify). Vavylis indicated that he had traveled to Italy via Thailand with the help of (unnamed) "Taiwanese friends." <ref> http://barthsnotes.com/2008/02/03/byzantine-jerusalem/ </ref> <ref> Prof. Andr. Demetropoulos, ''Personal Life of Clerics.'' National Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Law, 2004-20055. http://www.greeklaws.com/pubs/uploads/1216.pdf </ref>

In 2012, Archbishop Mark of Yegorievsk, head of the [[Russian Orthodox Church|Russian church]]'s Office for Institutions Abroad, "reactivated" the (1901) Christ the Savior parish, apparently in response to numerous requests from Russians living in Taiwan. The following year, the Church of the Elevation of the Cross, aka the Taiwan Orthodox Church, was formed as a [[metochion]] of the Moscow Patriarchate, with Russo-Canadian hieromonk Fr. Kirill (Shkarbul) as its first resident priest. It meets in first-floor apartment in Taipei's Xinyi District, off the Hulin Night Market. Liturgy is conducted in Russian, and translated into Chinese , and English.(Fr. Kirill alternates between these three languages during the chanted portions, and delivers his sermon several times, translating himself.)

Most of Taiwan's population follows the Chinese folk religion (which is known by various names, including both "Buddhism" and "Daoism"). Unlike Western religions, participation in the Chinese folk religion does not usually involve required beliefs or behaviors, or a formal group identity, and is difficult to separate from such borderline religious phenomena as fortune-telling, qigong practice, holiday observances, or ancestor veneration. A minority (perhaps 5 or 10 percent) are "Buddhists" in the more international sense of having taken refuge with a Buddhist monk or nun. Christians apparently comprise 4 or 5 percent of the population, and are roughly half one-third Presbyterian and one-third Catholic.  Dutch Calvinist and Spanish Dominican missionaries arrived on "Formosa" (as Taiwan was then called) within a few years of each other in the 17th century, but failed to establish permanent congregations before the expulsion of them Protestant the Spanish (by the Dutch) and Dutch (by the Ming loyalist / pirate lord Koxinga). During the 1860's, Dominicans (from the Philippines) and Presbyterians (from England and Canada) established relatively successful missions, with Presbyterianism by far immense consequences to the island's culture and development. For example, one Canadian Presbyterian missionary, George Leslie Mackay, founded Taiwan's first university and hospital.  New foreign missions were forbidden entry during the Japanese era, indirectly benefitting the Catholics and Presbyterians, who were already present on the island. After 1949, a wave of missionaries from various denominations (including the largest denominationBaptists, Episcopalians, Lutherans, and Adventists, among many others) arrived in Taiwan from China, and established churches representing those denominations. The Presbyterians enjoyed further growth during the 1950's and 1960's, when the church took an outspoken stance in favor of human rights and Taiwan independence. The end of martial law in 1987 has also liberalized the religious environment, with Pentecostalism and half Catholicthe House Church movement being important new trends.

Dutch Calvinist and Spanish Dominican missionaries arrived on "Formosa" The Orthodox Church (as Taiwan was then calledrepresented by Fr. Jonah) within is a few years member of each other in the 17th century, but failed to establish permanent congregations before the expulsion National Council of Churches of the Spanish (by the Dutch) and Dutch (by the Ming loyalist Koxinga). During the 1860's, Dominicans (from the Philippines) and Presbyterians (from England and Canada) established relatively successful missions, with immense consequences to the island's culture and development, including Taiwan's first university and hospital, as well as a script for the Taiwanese language (a Minnan dialectNCCT). New missions were forbidden entry during the Japanese eraIn addition, indirectly benefitting the Catholics and Presbyterians (who were already present)Fr. After 1949, a wave of missionaries from various denominations (including the Baptists, Episcopalians, Lutherans, and Adventists, among many others) arrived Jonah has participated in Taiwan from China, and established churches representing those denominations. The Presbyterians enjoyed further growth during the 1950's annual National Prayer Breakfast and 1960'sother dialogue events, when the church took an outspoken stance in favor of human rights and Taiwan independence. The end of martial law in 1987 has also liberalized the including inter-religious environment, with Pentecostalism and the House Church movement being important new trendsfora.

*[http://orthodox.cn/localchurch/taiwan/glebrar_en.htm Gleb RarRahr, "Historical Notes about Orthodox Church Life in Taiwan during 50-60 years of 20 cent."]