History of Shan Churches in Burma 1861-2001 - Khamkoo

Shan Bible, Hymnbook, Radio, Literature 177
to print into Shan words since Shan typewriter was not available. The quality of the paper and binding
was so poor that it was torn apart in a few months. It is no longer used in Shan Churches.
Because of the need of Shan Hymnal in Shan Churches I produced new Shan Hymnbook with
addition of some new songs and musical notes in new Shan writing system with computer fonts in
1993. It was printed in Northern Thailand and sent to Shan Churches in Burma. This is the first Shan
Hymnal to be produced with musical note in new Shan writing with computer fonts. New Shan
Hymnbook in new Shan writing with computer fonts without musical note was also produced by OMF,
Thailand, in 1995. Shan Hymnal with staff notes written by hand in old Shan writing was also produced
by MuSe Church in the year 2000. It is interesting to see MuSe Church to produce Shan Hymnbook
with old Shan in hand writing while almost all Shan people all over the country are using new Shan
writing in computer fonts. The writer of this Hymnbook, my cousin, explained to me that it was
published just for fund raising purpose. The publisher reduced the size of the book and making the
letters become too small to read.
Sai Htwe Maung and Anna Capon at FEBC radio
broadcast, Manila, Philippines
Shan Gospel Radio Broadcast
5 million Shan live in Shan States and other
parts Myanmar. Almost all Shan are Buddhist.
About 0.2% are Christian according to report in
1990. Most of the Shan have never heard the
Gospel. There are several reasons for not being
able to hear the Gospel.
1. Not enough preachers preaching gospel to the
Shan.
2. Preachers are not eager to preach gospel to the
Shan Buddhist.
3. Difficult access to the Shan living in remote high
mountains.
4. Expensive traveling cost.
5. Shan Churches do not have priority in preaching
to Shan Buddhists.
Romans 10:14 “How, then, can they call on the one
they have not believed in? And how can they
believe in the one of whom they have not heard?
And how can they hear without someone preaching
to them?”
Radio Gospel Broadcasting in Shan
language was first started by a missionary from Holland, Miss. Anna Capon, in 1987. It was
broadcasting from Far East Broadcasting Company, Manila, Philippines every morning for 15 minutes.
Because of lack of resources Miss. Anna Capon was not able to produce the program and had to stop
broadcasting in 1989. I was then introduced to Mr. Frank Gray, the Executive Director of Far East
Broadcasting Company (FEBC) by Miss. Anna Capon when I was attending World Evangelization
Congress, Laussan II, in Manila in July 1989. Frank Gray asked me, “Can you produce Shan program
for us?” Actually this is what I’ve been praying for ten years since I come to Hong Kong in 1979. I
don’t have money to pay for airtime. Frank Gray said, ‘Don’t worry about money. God will provide.
Please produce Shan program for us if you can.’ After returning from congress hall to hotel room in
Manila, I was filled with joy. Mr. Robert Morse, a missionary to Lahu, Northern Thailand, who was my