History of Shan Churches in Burma 1861-2001 - Khamkoo

Analysis 194
and shall labor in hope that he may yet come to Christ.” 7 “The Shan are very friendly and some listen
well but none as yet believe.” 8
Buker reported in 1935 that Buddhist monks were baptized. It was suggested in August 1936 by
American Baptist Mission, “The whole Shan work should be abandoned because of slow response. The
argument was that the Shan had come in so slowly. It might be the wisest thing to turn to other more
responsive races.” The mission board was disappointed and not very optimistic about mission among
the Shan. However Dr. Henderson, a missionary doctor to the Shan in MuongNai, defended Shan work
strongly by saying, “Except for the sadness of it, that does not affect us here in MuongNai, for we are
already abandoned and are carrying on with what we can put in and contributions from local
Christians and others who see the need and believe in the work. It is true that they have come in, for the
most part, slowly. But I am going to ask you to put yourselves in their place and try to see how you
would feel. Supposing you had been continually in the same place, shut away from the world currents
for 2,000 years, with no other place for your thoughts to rest except in the past. Would it be fair to
blame you for being conservative? Would it be just to expect all such influences to be changed in 40
years? This place in MuongNai has been in existence since before Christ. Do you wonder that we were
constantly met with the remark ‘That is not our custom’ Would it be fair to expect that in forty years the
basic nature of a race would change and that you would be one of the many who would leap up and
decide that you would break with old traditions and public sentiment? Those are the conditions under
which the Shan have been born and grown for hundreds of years. In forty years we have seen such
changes that we are amazed. I’d rather think that when we get to heaven, I would meet many who will
come forward to thank us for bringing them the message. They do not show on the Church books but
this is the sort of thing I mean.” 9
Instead of thinking of abandoning the work because of slow or poor response the missionaries
should try to find out the causes of slow response and make changes and gear up the work. Dr.
Henderson expressed that it was not fair to blame the Shan being conservative in their thinking and
behavior because they had been living in their culture for two thousand years. What a pity if the mission
work among the Shan was abandoned as suggested by mission board in 1936! Thanks to Dr. Henderson
for standing firm for the Shan mission work. It’s in fact very quick to get one convert baptized within
the first six months and another six in nine months in Toungoo in 1862. Adoniram Judson, the first
Baptist missionary to Burma, got the first Burmese convert after six years of hard work. In the
beginning, the response to Shan mission was very quick among the Shan refugee in Toungoo.
Present
Shan are neither receptive nor resistant to the gospel. Almost the whole tribe of Kachin, Chin,
Lahu, Lisu and Ahka become Christian within one hundred years. But only 0.4% of five million Shan
become baptized Christian in 140 years.
One of the main obstacles is their 2000 years old tradition in Buddhism. We need to know
HOW to…. with Shan Buddhist. Shan seldom refuse to listen to the gospel. They seldom say “Yes I
believe” on one hearing. They may ask many questions, argue, debate and challenge before they agree
to accept Jesus. I have not seen a Shan makes a decision on the spot at a crusade rally and ended up in
the Church as a baptized member. A person need to discuss with their family members and relatives
before making a decision to follow Jesus. Making decision to become a Christian is a very courageous
and sacrificial act for a Shan. It may take years to make a decision. If the evangelist is not zealous and
persistent enough in doing follow up he may easily loose a prospect. Multi-individual and corporate
decision is rare. Usually the un-believed members of the family do not agree to let one of their family
7 Letter From Mr. Bixby. November 5, 1861. Toungoo.
8 Ibid
9 Letter From Dr. A. H. Henderson, MuongNai, August 13, 1936