History of Shan Churches in Burma 1861-2001 - Khamkoo

Baptist mission among the Shan 75
was a surprise to Bible Schools in Insein to see such big number of Shan students attending Bible
Schools in one year. Normally the Bible Schools seldom have one Shan student in a year.
Sai Myint Lay was the first student from Eastern Shan State to graduate from Myanmar Institute
of Theology in 1969 with B.Th degree. He served as General Secretary of Eastern Shan State Shan
Baptist Conference for one year and moved to LaShio in 1971. There he got marriage to a Shan woman
and had two sons. He later got addicted to heroin and completely left the ministry. He was rehabilitated
and returned to serve in Burma Baptist Convention drug rehabilitation department in 1980. He was then
sent to Hong Kong in 1982 by BBC to study drug rehabilitation program at Wu Oi Drug Rehabilitation
Center for two months. He spent one month staying at my home. We had an opportunity of discussing
about Shan missions. Sai Myint Lay went back to Burma in January 1983 and got involved with Shan
mission work again. He left BBC and went back to serve Eastern Shan State Baptist Convention as fulltime
secretary in 1986. He later married to a Kachin woman on May 19, 1989. He had severe
motorcycle accident in 1992 and damaged his right shoulder. He was sent to New Haven. CT, USA, by
BBC, in 1996 for a few months study tour. After returning from U.S.A. he had a severe sickness and
was admitted to hospital. He passed away on September 3, 1997 in Yangon.
Sai Stephen was a second Shan student from Eastern Shan State to graduate from Myanmar
Institute of Theology in 1977 with B.Th degree. He served the Lord as pastor of Calvary Baptist
Church, NaungPha, KengTung, since graduated from Bible School until he served full-time as Assistant
Director of 21 st Century Shan Mission Project in 1992 responsible for Eastern Shan State. He also
served as General Secretary of Eastern Shan State Shan Baptist Convention since its inception from
1997 to 1999. He was the pioneer of formation of Eastern Shan State Shan Baptist Convention. He was
sent to New Haven, CT, USA, by Myanmar Baptist Convention for study tour from September 1999 to
May 2000. He returned to Myanmar in June 2000. He unexpectedly got stroke and passed away on July
12, 2000 in KengTung. I had an opportunity of talking to him by phone from Yangon two days before
he passed away while I was conducting Shan GCI in Yangon. It was a shock to Shan Churches. I was
able to go to KengTung and joined his funeral service on July 17.
Bible School gradates in one century (1901-2001) 76
Name Diploma School Remark
1. Naw Mi L.Th MICT (deceased)
2. Philip L.Th TaungGyi Bible School
3. Sai Hsam L.Th TaungGyi BS
4. Sai Seng L.Th TaungGyi BS (deceased)
5. Shwe Pui L.Th MICT
6. Seng Tip L.Th MICT
7. Myint Lay B.Th MIT (deceased)
8. Stephen B.Th MIT (deceased)
9. Kham Yung L.Th MICT
10. Seng Arm L.Th MICT
11. Stephen Ping L.Th MICT
12. Kya Yung L.Th MICT
13. Khin Htun Hein L.Th MICT
14. May San Oo B.Th MIT
15. Zan Leng B.Th MIT
16. Myint Myint Pyu B.Th MIT
17. Tha Han M.Div MIT
18. Saw Tip Lao B.R.E MIT
76 As reported in 2001 at E.S.S. Centenary by Eastern Shan State Shan Baptist Convention