Filipino Adventist Network: Dr. Rouland H. Tauran: February 11, 1927

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Dr. Rouland H. Tauran: February 11, 1927 - January 10, 2017

Bachelor of Arts - Philippine Union College, 1957

LIFE SKETCH

by Corazon Tauran Tetelepta

Rouland Herman Tauran, born in Indonesia on February 11, 1927 was the youngest of four children. According to the doctors he was not expected to live a long life due to his poor health condition at birth. Growing up he was very quiet and didn’t have much to say within his family circle until he joined the military and became a young freedom fighter for the Revolution of Independence in Indonesia.

One day his group had to seek refuge in an abandoned house for several days. Rouland who inherited the love for reading from his father read everything and anything printed in that house. He finally came across a book written by Ellen G. White in Dutch entitled Testimonies to the Church. He read the entire book and was convicted and convinced that God has a plan for him. Not just for the freedom of his nation but the freedom of mankind from the bondage of sin. He decided to go to school, submitted his request and was granted educational exemption from the military. Rouland applied at the Adventist Seminary in Netherlands. His application was denied since the school was closing their doors permanently. Instead, he was told to apply at a Seminary that was recently opened in West Java, Indonesia. He found the school and enrolled at the Indonesian Union Seminary in 1948-1951. IUS was then still a junior college.

Following graduation from IUS, he served the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Indonesia and soon recommended to complete his baccalaureate degree at Philippine Union College in Baesa, Caloocan, Philippines where he lived on campus during the 1954-1957 school years. He then went back to Indonesia to marry his bride, Christine Matusea, on August 5, 1957. Together with wife Christine, Rouland returned to the Philippines in 1960-1961 for their Master of Arts.

When his second Sabbatical came in 1984-1986, Rouland and Christine chose to spend it in further study and research together with their former friends and professional colleagues in the Philippines on the new campus of their alma mater situated in Puting Kahoy, Silang, Cavite. Subsequently, he was offered the opportunity, which he accepted gladly and without hesitation, to serve as a Research Consultant for the Philippine Union College Graduate School from 1986-1993.

Rouland and Christine finally retired after dedicating their career to the Lord for 42 years. For Rouland Tauran, however, the word RETIRE only meant RE-TIRE or CHANGE of TIRES. He continued to teach Research and Statistics in private schools in Indonesia many years after his official retirement from the SDA denominational employment. But most of all he never retired from sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ until his last days. He was 89 years old, one month and one day before his 90^th birthday, when he took his last breath after praying to His heavenly Father on January 10^th, 2017 at 7:45 am, Colton CA. His wife Christine and daughter Corazon were at his bedside.

Rouland Herman Tauran, a faithful and devoted husband to Christine Tauran of 59 years, a loving and dedicated father to 5 children and 9 grandchildren, a friend to many. May his life bring special blessings to many as he did for his family. To God be all the glory. Amen.