History of Shan Churches in Burma 1861-2001 - Khamkoo

Baptist mission among the Shan 51
30 people came to our revival meeting. At the beginning of our teaching program, a man came to me,
greeted me, seated next to me and wept acrimoniously. I did not know who he was and why he wept.
He said, “I am very happy to see you coming to us and teaching us. I am very happy to see you serving
Him tirelessly. I am also feeling very sorry for myself and my failure.” I later discovered that he was
one of the first graduates who graduated from Saya Ai Pan Bible School in NamKham in 1956. But he
did not serve the Lord in ministry ever since graduating from training.
The first Shan Church in Southern Shan State is now becoming a Burmese Church. Shan
language is no longer used in worship service.
Evangelistic work
Rev. W.M. Young and wife, Dr. A.H. Henderson and wife and Mrs. H.W. Mix reported in 1894,
“Many have come to the house during the entire year, and so very much preaching has been done in
that way. Much personal and house-to-house work has been done all the year in the city. The most
promising work has been the bazaar meetings on general bazaar days, i.e., every fifth day. Henderson
built a zayat in the bazaar at a cost of rupees 160, money raised in the Church collections and his own
contributions. The attendance at the bazaar meetings has always been good, seldom if ever below 100,
with an average attendance of about 200. The after part of the meetings is always devoted to personal
effort. These have been by far the most hopeful meetings held during the year. We have been unable to
sell books, but tracts have been distributed freely, also some portions of the New Testament. Men who
reside in other states quite distant often call for tracts so the seed is being scattered. We have received
no one by baptism during the year, some have applied but were put off and our hopes were destroyed
by the after walk of some of them. One I think we will baptize soon. The great need in the work is more
native helpers. I have but four men, three of them had to acquire the language but they can do good
work now in Shan. We ought to have at least ten men and two Bible-women for the work at present but
there are no resources to draw from. The only chance for recruits for the present is to get Karen and let
them study the language here. I am very anxious to get some more men.” 38
Rev. Young reported, “Our bazaar meetings, which from the first were the most hopeful
meetings, are still growing in interest and greatly to our surprise and joy the attendance continues about
the same ranging from 150 to 250 in attendance but the attention is better and most of the people seem
to be more anxious to learn. They inquire more freely about Christian doctrines.” 39
Dr. Henderson reported, “Our health, up to the present time, has been excellent. The work here
is sowing seed but we sow in great hope while superstition and idolatry meet us everywhere yet the
promises of our Master are sure. We meet the grossest superstition at every turn, once or twice we have
found them saying charms over their medicine. One old man who had been relieved when we went to
speak to him about God said he did not know God but he would worship me for he thought I must be
God.” 40 Even though Shan claimed to be Buddhist they were very superstitious and believed in all kind
of spirits. Rev. Young reported on September 6, 1894, “I think we will have our first baptism next
Sunday. We may postpone a little longer. The candidate has been asking baptism for four months and
has been quite active in speaking and preaching. I am in hope that he will be a good worker and in case
he proves faithful he will be quite a help to the work as he speaks quite well and has a good command
of Shan, Burmese and Thoungthoo languages. We have no Thoungthoo preacher and we need one very
much for most of the villages in the hills here are Thoungthoo. The villages on the plains are all
Shan.” 41 Dr. Henderson reported in 1895, “Some persons profess to have heard from one of the Phe
(spirits) saying that there was so much of this Jesus Christ being preached all over that they (the Phe)
38 80th Annual Report, 1894, American Baptist Missionary Union, p271
39 Report from Rev. W. M. Young, MuongNai, April 26, 1894, p23
40 Report from A.H. Henderson, M.D. MuongNai, July 4, 1894, p419
41 Report from Rev. W.M. Young, MuongNai, Sept. 6, 1894, p542