January 15thIn the Right Timing – Exploring Connections in Myanmar
“God is good and has opened the way for this ministry,” says Jehu Lian, Assistant Director of Myanmar Mission International (MMI). “If God does not open the way, we cannot open it ourselves.”
Mission AnaBaptist Church in Hakha, Chin State, Myanmar, has grown to 300 members and is bursting out of their church building. “They can no longer use chairs as there is not enough room to set them up,” says Jehu. “They simply use mats so they can fit in more people.” Mission AnaBaptist Church recently became Mennonite and added the prefix “Ana” to their congregation’s name to reflect their new family of faith. They have purchased land in Hakha for a new facility to provide them a place for worship as well as a training centre and guesthouse for pastors and missionaries throughout Myanmar.
MMI has 86 churches and supports 169 missionaries in Myanmar. Some churches are small faith communities and others are church plants. Yoel Masyawong, MCEC Mission Associate, has travelled to Myanmar with Jehu, former pastor of Chin Christian Church in Kitchener. “The main thing right now is to bring training in the area of pastoral care,” says Yoel. “Many of the leaders are new Christians and know how to evangelize, but they don’t have pastoral care skills – they don’t know how to maintain a congregation or how to make disciples.” The training centre is in the beginning stages; the land has been bought but the work has not yet begun. “After we have the training centre in Hakha we will invite pastors and professors from North America to come and train church leaders in Anabaptist theology,” explains Jehu.
MCEC has participated in past training weeks with missionaries and pastors in Myanmar and Yoel Masyawong has been an important part of this. “I can be a bridge between cultures,” he says. “The work of Jesus Christ brings unity among all races and nationalities. We are all one family.” Christians in the Chin State no longer need to worship in secret as they have done in the past. “It is time for evangelism in Myanmar,” says Jehu. “In ten years we will not have this opportunity but right now people are open to hear about Jesus.”
“God brings all things together in the right timing and in the right moment,” says Yoel. “I see God’s hand at work. Jehu was pastor at Chin Christian Church and many years ago met Pastor Dan Yang at First Hmong Mennonite Church who offered worship space to the Chin. Through their friendship, Pastor Dan taught Anabaptist theology to Jehu who has since stepped into Myanmar Mission International as Assistant Director. MMI provides an avenue for the Chin to share Anabaptist teaching in their home country. It is a growing and extending ministry. No one could have made that happen except for God!”