History of Shan Churches in Burma 1861-2001 - Khamkoo

Analysis 192
Bixby was calling Colleges, Seminaries and Churches in United States to send missionaries to
the Shan. He said that there were not enough workers in the harvest of Shan. The Baptist mission first
started in Burma among Burmese and Karen. The mission to the Shan began 48 years after Judson
began his mission among Burmese in 1813. Since native helper was very important in reaching local
people, Bixby tried to get local helper but could not get one from any mission stations in Burma.
However later we’ve seen Karen missionaries came along with American missionaries and worked
among the Shan.
In mission field, the one who worked, worked very hard. One person did many jobs at the same
time. Bixby said that if he could divide himself into a hundred parts every part would find a place to
work. How long could a man stand without physical sickness or psychological derange or nervous
breakdown in such situation? How long a candle will last if burning at both ends? We have seen many
missionaries got sick and have to return to America very often. Some had nervous breakdown.
Slower response, fewer result, low morale and disappointment in Shan work were partly due to
inadequate manpower in mission fields. There were six mission fields opened almost at the same time
for the Shan in Shan States but only four missionaries were working in the fields. Some mission fields
did not have missionary. How could the work be done without worker? If there’s no follow up, the
seeds sown will be eaten by the birds. That’s why mission among the Shan grew weaker and weaker.
Why couldn’t American Baptist Foreign Mission Board send more missionary? Bixby lamented! We
have noticed that foreign mission support was also weakening financially. That’s why some mission
fields had to be either rearranged or closed.
Present
Today the reapers in the harvest of Shan are very few. There are not more than one hundred fulltime
Christian workers working among five million Shan in Myanmar. Since 1966 there is no foreign
missionary living and working among the Shan in Myanmar any more when Burmese military
government took control of the country and asked foreigners to leave. No foreign missionary allowed to
live and do religious work in Myanmar ever since.
Since there are not enough evangelists and missionaries preaching gospel to the Shan, those
serving honestly are working very hard faithfully but not efficiently. Some dedicated God’s servants are
trying very hard and doing many things as a one-man-band among the Shan. By His wonderful grace
and assignment I have been able to produce radio program for broadcasting one hour every day,
rewriting Shan Bible, rewriting and producing Shan Hymnal, writing and publishing Shan gospel tracts
and books, traveling, preaching, evangelizing, planting Churches, giving training to evangelists and
Church leaders, recording and producing Shan gospel songs on volunteer basis and also healing the sick
as a medical doctor. It was reported by Bixby in 1861 that a local man went out preaching gospel by his
own expense in Toungoo. Today we seldom see Shan pastors or evangelists going out and preaching
gospel on volunteer basis. Instead some Seminary graduates demand better salary, better housing and
better benefit for a job at the Church. Some even threaten to resign if they were sent to other remote
places. Nevertheless there are some pastors, evangelists and missionaries working as tent-maker,
without salary or with minimal support only. We have to raise such dedicated and self-sacrificed
workers among the Shan.
Regretfully some of our Shan students going to Seminaries and Bible Schools with different
idea, planning and motive instead of fully committed to serve in missions. Some even have the idea and
motive of going abroad after graduation because it’s been claimed that it’s easier to go abroad if they
are Bible School graduates. Locally 65 Shan graduated from Bible Schools and Seminaries in 140
years. In average only one person graduated from Bible School in two years. If we are going to rely on
these graduates, by proportion, one graduate is responsible for 76,923 Shan. Moreover very few
Seminary graduates want to be evangelists or missionaries because of poverty, difficulty, hardship and
suffering in mission fields. Most of them only want to stay at well-established Churches. Some even do