History of Shan Churches in Burma 1861-2001 - Khamkoo

Analysis 190
CHAPTER SIX
ANALYSIS ON SHAN MISSIONS
The reports and letters from Missionaries, Baptist Missionary Union Annual Reports and Baptist
Missionary Magazines from 1861 to 1954, and reports from local Churches’ leaders from 1955 to 2001
are the main sources which have given me a good insight about Shan Churches in Myanmar.
The analysis on mission work among the Shan cannot be done properly and accurately because
most of the reports given by missionaries who worked among the Shan are not specifically telling us
about the work among the Shan people but generally about the work in the Shan States including other
people groups living in Shan States. All statistics given were also not exclusively the Shan converts. It
makes us not able to make proper assessments on Shan Churches. The records kept by Shan Churches’
associations are also not complete and some are not available. I have tried my best to get the most as
much as possible.
Our main concerns are centered on the questions “Why are there very few Shan become
Christians,” as only 10,792 baptized in 140 years, “Why are very few Shan Churches planted,” as only
92 Shan Churches in 140 years. Even though we cannot judge whether the mission among the Shan is
successful or not, we can see, study, learn and do more research on the work among the Shan and strive
for better and fruitful future.
This analysis is directly based on the reports given by missionaries in the past and the writer’s
own research and experience in present situation in Shan Churches. The analysis is divided into the
“past” and “present” situation. The past stands for the period between 1861 and 1966, and the present
stands for the post foreign missionary era between 1966 and 2001. The italic letters are denoting
original letters from the missionaries.
Please note that Burma and Myanmar are the same. The country was previously known as
Burma before Military Government changes the name to Myanmar in 1989.