Shan Missions
Preaching Gospel
21st Century Shan Mission Project (21st CSMP)
In the year 1986 I have not heard from any one talking about 21st century mission planning. It seems still far away. But one day when I was reading the words and praying in a small room at Queen Mary Hospital in Hong Kong for my three-year-old daughter who was seriously ill and lying on hospital bed, God has revealed to me “21st Century Shan Mission Project” on September 14, 1986.
What does it mean?
What does God want me to do?
How can I do it?
After much prayer I feel that God has graciously given me full responsibility to reach out and preach the gospel to millions of Shan people in Burma who are my own people who have not heard about Jesus. They all need Jesus. Trusting in God I started working out a plan for this project without knowing much about mission. I praise God for His guidance and provision. This vision is the beginning of “Great Commission to the Shan.”
The Vision
Goals for 21st CSMP
By the year 2001; I want to achieve
Goal One: 201 Shan Evangelists trained for the harvest
Goal Two: 201 Shan Churches planted among the Shan
Goal Three: 21,000 Shan believers saved
Only about 6,000 Shan have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior in 124 years. How can I get 21,000 Shan believers within 14 years? Impossible? Wishful thinking? Day dreaming? Discouraged by Satan but encouraged by the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 17:20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you”
Matthew 19:26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
I have decided TO GO, TO DO, TO LIVE, by FAITH.
“Trainings” for Shan believers will be conducted and produce more evangelists and send them out for “Evangelism” and “Planting Churches” among the Shan.
Vision in action
The first step is to put vision into action. I went back to Burma in December 1986 from Hong Kong, for the first time in seven years after leaving the country and had a meeting with Shan Churches’ leaders from Eastern Shan State, Northern Shan State and Southern Shan State from 12 to 13 December in Rangoon at Daw Mya Nu’s home. I sponsored all 13 leaders for their expenses in traveling and meal with Kyat 14,777.
In attendances were; Dr. Sai Htwe Maung, Sai Hsai (Eastern Shan State), Daw Mya Nu (Yangon), Rev. Sai Shwe Htun (Northern Shan State), Rev. Sai Nyunt Tha (Northern Shan State), Rev. Sai Tip (Eastern Shan State), Rev. Sai Aung Htun Shwe (Northern Shan State), Sai Myint Lay (Eastern Shan State), Sai Thein Aung Kham (Northern Shan State), Sai Htun Khaing (Southern Shan State), Kyaw Hla (Northern Shan State), Kyaw Win (Northern Shan State), Daw Shwe Sein (Northern Shan State), David Hsam (Eastern Shan State).
Meeting Shan Churches’ Leaders
Decisions made as follow;
1. Sai Htun Khaing will organize Shan Baptist Fellowship in TaungGyi.
Sai Htwe Maung will support him 100 Kyat monthly for his traveling expenses for one year.
2. Sai Stephen will evangelize the lepers in MuongPya, WanKum village, E.S.S.
Sai Htwe Maung will support him 100 Kyat monthly for one year.
3. Sai Htwe Maung has donated 2 sleeping bags, 1 camera, 1 slide projector, 2 master keys and Kyat 15,000 toward Shan Baptist mission works.
4. Sai Htwe Maung has donated Kyat 46,158 toward the Shan Baptist Ministry.
5. Sai Htwe Maung has helped getting financial support from Asian Outreach International total 64,363 Kyat for the Shan Mission in supporting Shan Bible Students.
6. Sai Htwe Maung and Asian Outreach International have sponsored 18 Shan students to study in Theological Seminaries and one student in University for four years.
7. Sai Htwe Maung put forward his vision, 21st Century Shan Mission Project for future Shan Mission.
In order to work out this project the following committee was formed.
General Director; Dr. Sai Htwe Maung
Co-coordinator; Sai Hsai
Hon. Treasure; Daw Mya Nu
Members; Rev. Sai Tip, Rev. Shwe Htun, Sai Htun Khaing, Sai Myint Lay, U Kyaw Hla, Rev. Sai Stephan, Sai Thein Aung Kham, Rev. Sai Nyunt Tha.
Support From Burma Baptist Convention
We need help in organizing training for the Shan. Not many Shan Christian leaders are well equipped and qualified to be trainers. I thought BBC could offer help in our effort in training our Shan leaders, helping us doing evangelism and Church Planting among the Shan. Therefore I sent a letter to the General Secretary of Burma Baptist Convention on June 16, 1987 asking them to help by sending some teachers and trainers from BBC and also to give some support. However BBC refused to give any help by giving reason that this 21st CSMP did not come from any Baptist Convention, which was under their recognition. According to BBC’s policy they would not give any support to any ministry if it did not come from Baptist Convention.
Letter from Rev. Zau Yaw, General Secretary, Burma Baptist Convention.
July 8, 1987 (translated from Burmese)
Dr. Sai Htwe Maung,
I have received your letter concerning 21st Century Shan Mission Project. I have heard that you have held a meeting with Shan Churches’ leaders regarding Shan Missions when you come to Rangoon. As BBC we only have opportunity of discussing with you about Macao Mission but we don’t have opportunity of talking about 21st Century Shan Mission Project.
When you write to BBC about our help we have to think about our policy. In our BBC we have 13 racial and regional conventions. Among these conventions, Southern Shan State Home Mission, Northern Shan State Baptist Convention, Eastern Shan State Baptist Convention and ShweLi Valley Shan Baptist Mission are responsible to do mission work in their own area (In Shan States). They also have joint mission work with BBC. For example, joint mission among Ahka people in Eastern Shan State, Southern mission work with ZBC. We have to think about which convention is going to take responsibility of 21st Century Shan Mission Project. There is no “Shan Convention” in Shan State. In all the mentioned conventions in Shan States they all are multiracial convention, not pure Shan Churches.
We can only consider ShweLi as pure Shan Churches group.[1] That is why it will be good if you form “Evangelism and Mission Committee” under ShweLi Valley Shan Baptist Mission. However when doing mission work (among the Shan in other region) you still need to negotiate with other regional or racial conventions (which control the region). On the other hand, in order for us to consider about it (about help), it has to come to us from a convention. The 21st Century Shan Mission Committee should write to us officially under a convention, otherwise we cannot consider about it.
In His Service,
Signed/ Rev. M. Zau Yaw,
General Secretary, Burma Baptist Convention.
It is very much regrettable because Shan Churches do not have convention to represent them. ShweLi Valley Shan Baptist Mission is only representing a few Shan, Palong and Chinese Churches in ShweLi valley. It cannot own this project for the whole Shan Churches and Shan people all over Shan States. It is also regrettable that we cannot go and do any mission work among our own people in our own Shan States without their regional convention’s permission under BBC policy. In other words we cannot go and save our own people in our own home. Whatever it is, I am determined to go ahead and do it in His name with His powder, under His grace.
Goal # 1 Training
How are we going to produce 201 Shan evangelists in 14 years? The following plans are made.
1. To invite young and old people from Shan Churches who are dedicated for Shan missions to attend three months evangelist training. After graduation they will be given certificate of achievement to work as evangelists.
2. To choose suitable places for training.
3. To choose appropriate subjects for training.
4. To send those who have committed for missions to the chosen mission fields.
5. To invite trainers from local and abroad, who are qualified and spiritually matured, to train our people.
6. To raise support from local and abroad for training, evangelism and Church Planting programs.
Sending students to Seminaries and Bible schools
The founder and President of Asian Outreach International was Rev. Dr. Paul Kauffman. By His divine appointment I have opportunity of knowing and meeting Rev. David Y.P. Wang, Vice-executive President of Asian Outreach International, in Hong Kong in 1984. I met with him, talked to him, discussed with him and worked with him about reaching the Shan people of Burma. The first step is to raise more workers for the harvest.
Invitations were sent out to all Shan Churches in all Shan States to choose and send their young people to go to study at Seminary and Bible School and prepare for the future work among the Shan. Asian Outreach and my family would sponsor them for four years, as students had to study for four years at Seminary. The response was very good. We had 19 students including one who was going to University and then would go to Seminary later. Sending 18 Shan students to Seminaries in Rangoon in 1985 was the first of its kind in history of Shan Mission. Some students were already at Seminary but need financial support. Never before such a big group of Shan students going to study in Seminaries. A Seminary teacher acclaimed, “We seldom have one Shan student in one year. What happen this time such a big group of Shan come together?” We expected that after their four years study they would be able to serve among Shan people as evangelists who bring “Good News” to the Shan and plant Churches.
18 Students to Bible Schools and Seminaries.
1. Nang Kham Yong, M.I.C.T. (Eastern Shan State)
2. Nang Kya Yung, M.I.C.T. (Eastern Shan State)
3. Nang Seng Am, M.I.C.T. (Eastern Shan State)
4. Nang Shwe Htwe Lay, M.I.C.T. (Northern Shan State)
5. Sai Aung Win, B.I.T. (Northern Shan State)
6. Sai Keing Kham, M.I.C.T. (Northern Shan State)
7. Sai Maung Lay, M.I.C.T. (Southern Shan State)
8. Sai Maung Khaing, M.I.C.T. (Northern Shan State)
9. Sai Stephen, M.I.C.T. (Eastern Shan State)
10. Sai Aung Than, M.I.C.T. (Northern Shan State)
11. Saw Ah Po, M.I.C.T. (Northern Shan State)
12. Sai Maung Than, TaungGyi Bible School, (Northern Shan State)
13. Sai Hla Oo, M.I.C.T. (Northern Shan State)
14. Ma Kya Doi, M.I.C.T. (Northern Shan State)
15. Nang Hla Khin, M.I.C.T. (Northern Shan State)
16. Sai Htun Myat, M.I.T. (Northern Shan State)
17. Sai Ai Myat, TaungGyi Bible School, (Northern Shan State)
18. Sai Noon, M.I.C.T. (Eastern Shan State)
Including Nang Thi Da Htun, (Northern Shan State) (University), who promised to go to Seminary after University.
They all are now graduated from Seminaries and Bible Schools. One of them died, two are not serving in ministry and the rest are serving in Churches as pastors. Many of them have been ordained. Regretfully none of them goes out and serves as missionary or evangelist to the Shan where there are no Churches. They all stay in well-established Churches. Some even threatened to resign if they were sent out to other remote places. Kyat 91,750 was spent for training 19 Shan students from 1985-1989.
Training leaders
Shan Churches do not have opportunity of getting training abroad since 1966. This is the first time we have opportunity of sending our potential leaders to get training abroad.
We sent Sai Thein Aung Kham from NamKham whom we considered to be a leader of Northern Shan State, to Great Commission Institute Training in 1988 in Singapore for one month by sponsorship of Asian Outreach. After one month training he traveled to Hong Kong and we had discussion about future Shan mission. He agreed to work with us in 21st CSMP, as Hon. Assistant Director responsible to Northern Shan State. All expenses for his travel and training in Singapore were paid by Asian Outreach. We sent Sai Stephen from KengTung whom we considered to be a leader of Eastern Shan State, to Great Commission Institute Training in Thailand in December 1990 for one month by sponsorship of Asian Outreach. We expected that after graduating from GCI he would be able to work with us and conduct local training for Shan Churches in the East and produce more evangelists. In 1988, Sai Thein Aung Kham was appointed Hon. Assistant Director of 21st Century Shan Mission Project responsible for the Northern Shan State and Sai Stephen was appointed Hon. Assistant Director of 21st CSMP responsible for Eastern Shan State and I would be acting as Hon. General Director. We would work together. All were on part-time volunteer basis. We expected that Sai Stephen would lead in the Eastern Shan State and Sai Thein Aung Kham in Northern Shan State. Later Sai Stephen joined us in 1993 as full-time paid Assistant Director of 21st CSMP responsible for Eastern Shan State. We planned to conduct local training in KengTung, TaungGyi, MuSe, NamKham, MayMyo and Rangoon to produce more evangelists to meet our target. We planned to conduct GCI training with foreign trainers for Shan leaders in Maesai, TaungGyi, KengTung, MayMyo and Yangon.
[1] ShweLi Valley Shan Baptist Association comprises of Shan, Chinese and Palong Churches
Evangelism
Building Church
Helping the Poor