History of Shan Churches in Burma 1861-2001 - Khamkoo

Analysis 216
In ShweLi in 1967, there are 3 Churches, 1,002 members, 3 ordained ministers, 6 un-ordained
ministers. 62 (All are Shan)
In the beginning of Shan mission, Rev. Bixby reported on September 25, 1862, “The formation
of first Shan and Burmese Church of Toungoo composed of nine members.” It is amazing to see Rev.
Bixby can form a Church within one year with nine members. Bixby was very ambitious. He was going
to organize one more Church, seven months after the first one, just two miles apart. The idea was to
have a Church for the Shan since the first one was for Shan and Burman combine using Burmese
language. In May 1863, one year later, the member of the Church increased to thirty-three natives,
including three disciples from Rangoon, is a vigorous and promising body. The Church grew so quickly
to 102 membership and three Churches within 5 years in Toungoo. But all were not Shan. A Church of
101 members was reported at TaungGyi in 1910. But all were not Shan.
Present
The number of Churches is one of the measurements of the success of the missions. The
number of members is one of the indicators of Church growth. In 1988, the total number of Churches in
Eastern Shan State was 247 and 18,805 members, the total number of Churches in Northern Shan State
was 150 and 15,403 members, the total number of Churches in Southern Shan State was 26 and 4,300
members. They all are multi-racial Churches. Out of these figure Shan Churches in the Eastern Shan
State was 13, Northern Shan State was 7 and Southern Shan State was 3. 63
In the year 2001, the number of Shan Churches in the East was 70 with 8,500 baptized
members, Shan Churches in the North was 17 with 2,292 baptized members and Shan Churches in the
South was 3 with about three hundred baptized members, making total number of Shan Churches to 90
and 11092 members in 140 years. The other tribal groups whom have been evangelized by missionaries
later than the Shan have more Churches and believers.
Lahu Baptist Convention has 273 Churches and 23,496 members,
Kachin Baptist Convention has 261 Churches and 137,150 members,
Zomi Baptist Convention has 761 Churches and 82,378 members,
Lisu Baptist Convention has 110 Churches and 17,482 members.
There are groups of Shan believers in some villages and towns but are not recognized as Churches
because they don’t have a full-time pastor and Church building according to Shan Baptist’s definition
of the Church.
Mark 4:20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop — thirty,
sixty or even a hundred times what was sown.
1 Corinthians 3:6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow
15. Church Building
Past
Rev. Bixby reported on June 28, 1861, “I have selected a site for a central chapel near the
bazaar free from noise but easy of access from all quarters. When I can command I hope to build a
small chapel or zayat in each Shan village.” 64 Bixby later got a plot of land near the bazaar. He
borrowed money and built a teakwood chapel in which regular worship was begun in May 1862. Bixby
said, “At the very beginning of the year I band it impossible to labor to advantage without a chapel or
61 101st Annual Report, 1915, American Baptist Missionary Union
62 Minutes of 99th Annual Meeting of Burma Baptist Convention held in The Centennial Karen Baptist Church, Insein 7-10
December 1967.
63 Minutes of 111th Annual Meeting of Burma Baptist Convention, Dec 28 – Jan 2, 1985 held in NamKham
64 Letter From Mr. Bixby, June 28, 1861. Toungoo.