History of Shan Churches in Burma 1861-2001 - Khamkoo

Analysis 213
had built other hospitals in HsiPaw, MuongNai, KengTung and TaungGyi. Helping people in their
physical needs is as effective as preaching gospel. People see Christ not only by our words but also by
our deeds. Helping people in natural disaster or physical sickness are very effective way of evangelism.
People see the love of God in our help. Christians should take such opportunity to show Christ’s love.
Present
J. Herbert Kane said, “Salvation includes the whole man – body, soul and spirit.” 54 Helping
people in their physical need is very important in missions. That is why foreign mission use to have
hospital, clinic, school and institution. Charitable work and social work are very important to develop
friendship and acceptance of the people. But unfortunately Shan Churches do not involve very much in
charity and social work in the village or town as a Church. When the charitable work and community
work are organized by the village or township community on Sunday, Christians refused to go and join
the work. They believe that Christian must not work on Sunday. They call Sunday “Sabbath day” and
claim that God prohibits Christian to work on Sabbath day. A Christian lady has written a letter to me
asking, “There is a charitable and community work organized by our villagers at a Buddhist monastery.
Should I go and help? I was told that I must not go and do anything that is in Buddhist monastery. Is it
true?” Some Churches do not want to involve with social and charity activities of the village, town or
city organized with other religious groups. They want to stay away from non-Christian groups. Without
involvement in society how can we be accepted by society? In fact Churches must involve as much as
possible in social work and charity work together with people of other faith so that people may see
Christ through our love and concern. Most of Shan Churches do not have community work. They seem
like isolating themselves from others. A Shan Church in the north has a nursery education and primary
health care clinic in ZonZaw village but not free of charge. The Eastern Shan State Shan Baptist
Convention has a HIV/AIDS care program for sufferers in KengTung as Christian ministry. We need to
do more. Love must be shown in action.
James 2:15-17 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him,
“Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good
is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
Luke 10:37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and
do likewise .”
13. Church Activity and Program
Past
It was reported in NamKham in 1893, “At the chapel we have a sunrise prayer meeting every
day and evening worship at our house where there a usually from twenty-five to forty present. On
Lord’s day we have a prayer and praise service at 8 A.M. At 11 we have a sermon by the pastor.
Sunday-school at 12 o’clock. At 3 P.M. wife has a meeting for the children and mothers while at the
same hour there is a meeting at the house of one of the recent converts. Every weekday a service at the
hospital and every fifth day the bazaar meeting.” 55
Activities were going on every Sunday and weekdays. The missionaries were very busy in
teaching at school, healing the sick in hospital, preaching gospel at bazaar and Church, conducting
Bible Study, leading prayer in early morning every day.
54 Christian missions in biblical perspective by J. Herbert Kane, publisher by Baker Book House, Michigan, 1979, p190
55 79th Annual Report, 1893, American Baptist Missionary Union, report from Dr. M.B. Kirkpatrick, M.D., Mrs. Kirkpatrick