History of Shan Churches in Burma 1861-2001 - Khamkoo

Analysis 229
Present
When we talk about quality of leaders we should focus on spiritual, moral, educational and
intellectual quality. The past leadership in Church ministry was in fact unexpected, self-given, when the
Burma military government asked all foreigners to leave the country immediately in 1966 military
coup. All local Christian leaders had to take all the responsibility and leadership role in the Church and
association without having any training and preparation.
On July 15, 2000, at the funeral service of late Rev. Sai Stephen, senior pastor Rev. Seng Tip
lamented in tears, “I don’t understand why God has called our leaders back home so soon. We don’t
have capable leadership now.” A man gave a testimony at KengTung GCI in 1997, “My father is an
ordained pastor in MuongYang. Even though I’m the son of a pastor I used to fall into bad habits. I got
married and have four children. In our Church we have cell groups to go and evangelize young married
couples. I was selected as a group leader. There are 15 members in the group. But nobody knows how
to pray and nobody attends Church. I have to lead them to go for evangelizing, so I have problems! I
asked the Lord to help me to lead them and be a good example. I started visiting every home and
praying for people. I found no change in their lives. One day I visited two of my cell members. I said,
‘we have nowhere to go today so what shall we do.’ They said, ‘let’s enjoy ourselves.’ They got drunk
and they cared about nothing.” How can such group of people become leaders of the Church? It is
important to choose and appoint the leaders who are spiritually qualified, not just to fill the post.
Churches use to have many posts and positions in Church ministries. There is not set requirement and
qualification to be elected to the position. When some one is going to be elected for spiritual position
he/she should have spiritual qualification.
The leaders are sometimes assigned to do what they do not understand and know how to do.
They are sometimes posted to the department which they have no knowledge of it. For example; a man
is elected to be treasurer of the Church, association and convention without knowledge in accounting. A
woman is elected director of mission and evangelism without having understanding and knowledge of
mission and evangelism. Leadership training and development among the Shan is not adequate. Most of
our Shan Churches’ leaders do not have opportunity of receiving training in leadership. Some of the
pastors are Bible school graduates but some are not. Some pastors are either retired army officers or
retired schoolteachers. Some become pastors without proper pastoral training. There are about twelve
Baptist Theological Seminaries in Burma in different languages but no Seminary or Bible School
teaching in Shan language for the Shan. It requires three to four years to complete study in Seminary.
No short course training programs are available. Seminars and conferences are seldom held. Without
proper knowledge and training, some leaders do not know how to lead the Church. Shan Churches are
under leadership of either Church Council or pastor. Even though the pastor may have physical or
spiritual problems, the members seldom take action against him. They use to say, “God will settle the
account with him. We do not want to do anything against pastor.” They consider dismissing or taking
action against a pastor is a great sin. They will allow the pastor to keep on going and doing until or
unless he resigns voluntarily or dies. Pastor use to serve until they die even though they are physically
become disable. They call it “faithful servant.” I have seen a senior pastor who has hearing defect. He
cannot hear what the people said. One day a lady came to him and told him about her dying mother and
asked him to pray for her mother. Then the pastor laid his hand on her head and prayed for her in tears,
as she was the one who was terminally ill. The lady then said, “Pastor. Not me. My mother.” Then he
stopped praying. A pastor’s resignation because of inability to lead is very rare. Some pastors refuse to
retire even when he reaches the age of seventy or become disable. Some pastors are really very honest,
sincere and faithful. They served until they died in the Lord with sound mind, sound doctrine and sound
teaching without dictatorial mentality.
Some selfish leaders in association and convention switch their position from one to another
when the term expires just like taking musical chairs among Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer to be in
the board of executive members. Some may have served in the board for several years in different