History of Shan Churches in Burma 1861-2001 - Khamkoo

Baptist mission among the Shan 46
In 1904 the school had the highest enrolment of fifty-two, three teachers and five classes. Two
schoolboys were baptized. An Anglo-vernacular Buddhist school with three teachers was opened in
HsiPaw due to the efforts of the Society for the Propagation of Buddhism in Burma.
Evangelistic works
Dr. Kirkpatrick reported in 1893, “There were 306 gospel meetings and 4,791 people attended.
There were interesting services in the jail every day at the request of the SaoPha. The attendance and
interest were steadily increasing at the bazaar meetings at BweGyo, the outstation. In April, two parties
started out from HsiPaw on evangelistic tours. One party, consisting of our best evangelist and two of
the oldest and most zealous Christian boys, went towards the south. They stopped several days at
YatSauk where they were well received. One day they went to the palace and had a very interesting
service. The SaoPha seemed much interested. From there they went to MuongNai via NyaunGywe,
MuongSawk, TaungGyi, HoPong and NaungPawn. They were gone nearly two months and preached in
nearly sixty large towns and bazaars. The second party often started at daybreak going to a village for
breakfast and two or three hours of preaching the gospel and practicing medicine. At most places they
had not heard of the Christian religion but they were anxious to get English medicines. Then we would
go on to another village to spend the night. Our first night was spent at DahDay, a large Shan town. The
headman came with a present of fruit and firewood and called the people to the zayat for the evening
service. The large zayat was full and many stood outside where they could hear. Doubtless many came
from curiosity but some evidently became deeply interested for they stayed till nearly midnight
listening and asking questions and some had come to HsiPaw for tracts and to ask more questions. This
experience was repeated nearly every day. It took us about five hours to climb up the steep mountain
path and as it was very warm and there was no water on the way we were weary and thirsty. I shall
never forget how the headman came out to meet me at the entrance of the village and his followers
brought me water in a large silver cup and a bunch of plantains. Each one of our party, as they came up
to the entrance, was given water and fruit.” 26
“Soon a great crowd gathered at the zayat our evangelists spent all of the afternoon and well on
to midnight preaching to the people. The Palong did not have written language. All who could read,
read Shan. Most of the men and some of the women spoke Shan. They spent several days at NamKham.
One day they had preaching in the big bazaar, Sunday morning had a service for Christians at Brother
Cochrane’s new house when several people who profess conversion related their experience. They were
gone a little more than a month, preached at about thirty villages besides stopping over at NamKham
and the two capital cities NamSan and HsenWi.”
Rev. W.M. Young arrived HsiPaw in May 1895, five days after Lambert’s death. He baptized
two converts in October 1895 and three from the school in January 1896. Two others in the school have
requested baptism and several outsiders are asking baptism. The general interest seemed to be growing,
the attendance at bazaar meeting was lighter than usual but the house-to-house work continued about
the same and the outlook for schoolwork was much brighter. The preachers had regularly, at appointed
intervals, held meetings in the five places where they had public preaching. Also in the surrounding
villages regular preaching visits had been made. In the town visitation was also carried on. At the
funerals of acquaintances was a good opportunity to preach whenever possible. In 1904 there were
three baptized, two restored, two deaths and two exclusions from the Church.
1. Bazaar meeting
Kirkpatrick reported in 1895, “We have kept up the bazaar meetings at both BawGyo and the
HsiPaw bazaars. At each place we have had good zayats, which are well filled all day on bazaar days.
These people come in from all of the surrounding villages and in this way a knowledge of the Christian
26 The Baptist Missionary Magazine 1895, pp44-45