History of Shan Churches in Burma 1861-2001 - Khamkoo
History of Shan Churches in Burma 1861-2001 - Khamkoo
History of Shan Churches in Burma 1861-2001 - Khamkoo
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Analysis 254<br />
gospel and mission works are the works <strong>of</strong> paid pastors and evangelists only. They don’t need to<br />
participate. Some are reluctant to participate <strong>in</strong> God’s work without pay. There are very little<br />
cooperation among Eastern, Southern and Northern <strong>Shan</strong> <strong>Churches</strong>. They use to do th<strong>in</strong>g separately and<br />
sometimes competitively. <strong>Shan</strong> believers and <strong>Churches</strong> <strong>in</strong> Southern <strong>Shan</strong> State are small and weak <strong>in</strong><br />
all aspects but the strong <strong>Churches</strong> from the East and North seldom go to help.<br />
God has given us a wonderful opportunity <strong>of</strong> preach<strong>in</strong>g gospel to the <strong>Shan</strong> <strong>in</strong> common <strong>Shan</strong><br />
(Burmese-<strong>Shan</strong>) language and DaiMao (Ch<strong>in</strong>ese-<strong>Shan</strong>) dialect to all the <strong>Shan</strong> people <strong>in</strong> Myanmar,<br />
Thailand and Ch<strong>in</strong>a through radio broadcast from Far East Broadcast<strong>in</strong>g Company s<strong>in</strong>ce 1989. I asked<br />
pastors from Eastern <strong>Shan</strong> and ShweLi <strong>Shan</strong> to participate <strong>in</strong> this m<strong>in</strong>istry <strong>in</strong> provid<strong>in</strong>g sermons <strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>Shan</strong>. However until today no one from ShweLi has contributed any. All pastors <strong>in</strong> ShweLi are<br />
DaiMao. But none <strong>of</strong> them has given a sermon for DaiMao program. Late Rev. Sai Stephen from<br />
KengTung had contributed about 40 sermons before he passed away.<br />
<strong>Shan</strong> believers <strong>in</strong> PangLong are poor. They wanted to raise money so that they could have their<br />
own Church and pastor. They wanted to go to ShweLi Valley and collect <strong>of</strong>fer<strong>in</strong>g from Christian<br />
brothers and sisters there. ShweLi is a border town with Ch<strong>in</strong>a and hav<strong>in</strong>g good bus<strong>in</strong>ess and there are<br />
some rich Christians <strong>in</strong> MuSe. But their letter <strong>of</strong> request to give them permission to come to ShweLi for<br />
fund rais<strong>in</strong>g visit was turned down by ShweLi Valley <strong>Shan</strong> Baptist Mission. No one can organize any<br />
Christian activity or collect any donation from their <strong>Churches</strong> and members without their permission. If<br />
we call one another as “Christian brothers and sisters” we should love, care, concern and help one<br />
another.<br />
1Peter 1:22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obey<strong>in</strong>g the truth so that you have s<strong>in</strong>cere love<br />
for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.<br />
1John 3:17-18 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother <strong>in</strong> need but has no pity on him,<br />
how can the love <strong>of</strong> God be <strong>in</strong> him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions<br />
and <strong>in</strong> truth.<br />
1John 4:20 If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not<br />
love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.<br />
39. Meet<strong>in</strong>g and Fellowship<br />
Past<br />
Bixby reported <strong>in</strong> November 1863, “Where could we get the fund for such an undertak<strong>in</strong>g? It<br />
was so ordered that I should arrive at Rangoon just <strong>in</strong> time to attend the second annual meet<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the<br />
<strong>Burma</strong> Bible and Tract Society, an organization which though small and young is already do<strong>in</strong>g a great<br />
and good work for the enlightenment <strong>of</strong> <strong>Burma</strong> and as the President called on me to state to them the<br />
condition and prospects <strong>of</strong> these frontier tribes I had a good opportunity to present this subject and to<br />
press upon the society the claim <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Shan</strong> to the pr<strong>in</strong>ted as well as the preached gospel.” 152<br />
Missionaries met <strong>in</strong> Rangoon for bus<strong>in</strong>ess meet<strong>in</strong>g at the Baptist mission headquarter. Most <strong>of</strong> the<br />
missionaries work<strong>in</strong>g among other people groups <strong>in</strong> <strong>Burma</strong> came to annual general meet<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
It was reported <strong>in</strong> 1894, “Arrangements had been perfected to have a meet<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> April with the<br />
MuongNai and NamKham <strong>Churches</strong> <strong>in</strong> the HsiPaw Church. Bhamo has ceased to be classed as a <strong>Shan</strong><br />
station and KengTung was not then opened. Dr. Harper <strong>of</strong> MuongNai was, by reasons beyond his<br />
control, prevented from attend<strong>in</strong>g, so NamKham and HsiPaw <strong>Churches</strong> held a two days’ series <strong>of</strong><br />
meet<strong>in</strong>gs, <strong>in</strong> which the spiritual <strong>in</strong>terest was good and the Christian fellowship was enjoyed by all.<br />
Dur<strong>in</strong>g the bus<strong>in</strong>ess portion <strong>of</strong> the meet<strong>in</strong>gs, it was decided to organize a temporary association <strong>of</strong> the<br />
152 Letter From Mr. Bixby, Nov. 23, 1863, Toungoo, The Baptist Missionary Magaz<strong>in</strong>e, May 1864.