History of Shan Churches in Burma 1861-2001 - Khamkoo

Analysis 234
managing and leading the Church and organization are not so considerate to their pastors. They are
eager to spend millions of Kyat to build a big and beautiful church building but reluctant to give one
hundred Kyat more to support their pastor. Their wrong concept is “pastor must be poor.” Four hundred
Kyat a month (in 1985) for the pastor with family of four is far from enough. At least one thousand
Kyat is needed. Today a pastor is paid between Kyat 5,000 to 15,000 a month when low-quality rice is
Kyat 5,000, high-quality rice is Kyat 20,000 per bag and one catty beef is Kyat 3,000. An ordained
pastor from the South said, “Oo ma ma thaung, thi la me zaung naing” literally means “If stomach is
not full, no one can be righteous” “It is very difficult for us to remain righteous. We have to do what
they do just for our survival.” Is this corrupt motto infiltrating the mind of our Christian leaders? If so
what is the difference between Christian and non-Christian? Do we have to lie as the others lie? Do we
have to cheat as the others cheat? Do we have to steal as the others steal?
Some pastors do not want to go to the rural area, small towns, or remote places to serve in
ministry or mission. They want to live and work in the big town or city at a well-established Church for
the sake of their family and children. They want to work in the office but not in the mission field for
comfort and opportunity. If someone is commissioned to go out or sent out to remote area, they would
resign. Going abroad is one of the dreams that Christian leaders are always dreaming of. Whenever the
opportunity has arisen for Christian leaders to go abroad for training or seminars or conferences or
study tour, many may apply but only a hand full of Christian workers who are working in the office or
convention have more opportunity. Some may have made the trips for more than five times but the
others may have to wait for ten years for the opportunity. More over, the most suitable persons are not
selected for foreign trip but the most favorable people are. Why do they want to go abroad even only
for three days? Some tried to go even when the conferences, seminars or meetings are already over.
Going abroad is the most blessed opportunity. They don’t have to pay for their air tickets, or hotel fee.
All are sponsored by foreign organizations or Churches. They have a chance of seeing the outside
world. They have a lucrative opportunity of bringing TV set, video recorder, camera, watch etc. back
to Burma. Importation of such electrical appliances must get prior approval from government in
normal circumstances. But those who come back from abroad are allowed to bring in without permit.
When a man leaves Burma, he is allowed to carry foreign currency only US$15 (in 1980s) out of the
country. However, when he returned, he would bring several things back with him worth US$500. Isn’t
it amazing?
Some local evangelists are being labeled “opportunists” because in some occasions they gave
some wrong information to the foreign mission boards or foreign mission organizations in order to get
financial or material supports. Some got foreign support for the Church or mission but it was misused
for their own benefits. I have seen a pastor whose salary is Kyat 10,000 per month but he owns a car, a
motorcycle, a big house, he can support his daughter to study in University, which cost about Kyat
100,000 a month. How can he afford it? Isn’t it a miracle or a misery? Some pastors’ wife has to do
secular work to earn money for their family. Some Seminary graduates, even though they were sent to
Seminary by the support of the Church, they don’t serve in the Church after graduation. Some quit the
ministry after serving for a while and do their own secular business. Pastors don’t have medical,
housing or educational allowance like other pastors in developed country. Some cannot stand the
poverty and hardship and they quit the ministry. Some fall to temptation.
We should not allow this poverty to be used by Satan as his weapon to make our Church
workers down, committing sin or not serving God. Faithfulness is very important in the life of leaders
and pastors. Without faithfulness there is no credibility. As poverty striking the economy and livelihood
of the people, some leaders and pastors acted unfaithfully to the Church, organization and to God. I
have heard and seen some leaders and pastors have acted unfaithfully especially concerning money. A
former treasurer of Myanmar Baptist Convention warned me repeatedly not to use a Shan leader who
was not trustworthy and un-faithful in handling association’s money. A leader misused Church’s money
by lending the association’s money to a businessman and take the interest from it for himself, a leader