Shan Missions
CHAPTER SEVEN
CONCLUSION
It is not easy to make a conclusion on Shan mission. During 140 years of hard work only 92 Churches planted with 10,792 baptized members in all Shan States.
Eastern Shan State
Mission to the Shan in Eastern Shan State is the most successful mission compared to Northern and Southern Shan State. The number of Churches and baptized members increased dramatically between 1988 and the year 2001. There are 8,500 baptized members in 70 Shan Churches with 87 full-time ministers and 21 graduated from Seminary and Bible school in 100 years. Shan Churches in the East was able to form Eastern Shan State Shan Baptist Convention on January 19, 1997. KanNaLone Shan Baptist Church with its members more than 1,900 is the largest and strongest Shan Church in the whole Shan States. Most of the leaders from Eastern Shan Baptist Churches are open-minded and willing to learn and change to the betterment. Even though they are Baptist they are willing to work with other denominations, Evangelical and Pentecostal groups. They use what they have and they put into practice what they think good for their Churches and missions. They have clear vision and good ministry planning. They are dedicated in their works. They are active and alive. They have achieved their goal. I remember late Sai Stephen said to me in 1997, “I will take responsibility of planting 100 Churches in our Eastern Shan State. Ask ShweLi Valley Shan Baptist Mission to plant another 100 Churches in the North so that the goal of our 21st Century Shan Mission Project will be achieved in the year 2001.” Sai Stephen has gone to be with the Lord on July 12, 2000. He has finished the task in the Eastern Shan State before he went to be with the Lord. The number of Churches in Eastern Shan State grows, including other racial groups.
I have a hope that Shan Churches in Eastern Shan can be the big source and major force for the future Shan Missions if the leaderships are better equipped with proper and good training.
Southern Shan State
How can we conclude the missions among the Shan in Southern Shan State? 30 believers baptized in 1912 in MuongNai after 10 years of missions. Today not more than one hundred Shan believers in MuongNai Church. But it is not Shan speaking Church but Burmese. Only three Shan-speaking Churches exist with two hundred members in 111 years of mission among the Shan in Southern Shan State. Most of the members of these three Churches are originally not from Southern Shan State but they are either migrants from Northern Shan State or Eastern Shan State. The pastors of these three Shan Churches are also not from Southern Shan State. One is from the Eastern Shan State and two are from Northern Shan State. There are some Shan believers in PangLong, MuongNai, LoiLem, MuongPon, KoLum and other places but they do not have leader, preacher or pastor to lead them into forming a Church and having regular worship service in their own language. Shan Churches in the South cannot form association. They are neither associated with Shan Baptist Association in the Eastern nor Northern Shan State. There is a Bible School in TaungGyi but it is not Shan Bible School. It is Burmese Bible School using Burmese language.
Northern Shan State
In the beginning of Baptist missions among the Shan in Shan States, ShweLi Valley Shan Baptist Association was said to be strongest and most promising mission field in 1900s. The number of Churches in 1945 was 4 and the number of baptized members in 1954 was 666. After 108 years, from 1893 to 2001, the number of Churches under ShweLi Valley Shan Baptist Association increased to 17 and the baptized membership to 1,359. Out of 17 Churches, only 13 are Shan-speaking Churches. It is growing very slowly. Total 43 people graduated from Bible Schools in 99 years but less than half of them served in the ministry. We hope that the ShweLi Shan Baptist Association will be revived when the leaderships have received proper training and inspiration.
Summery
Is the Baptist Mission among the Shan successful and satisfactory? The answer is “Yes” and “No”. Yes, because the American Missionaries had successfully brought the good news to our people, established mission fields all over Shan States and planted Churches. During the time of missionaries’ effort, it was “very successful.” No, because the successors, local leaders, pastors, evangelists and missionaries failed to keep up the success implemented by our predecessors.
I give thanks to God for His love, mercy and salvation to our Shan people.
I give thanks to God for sending wonderful American missionaries to our people and our land more than one hundred years ago.
I give thanks to all missionaries who dedicated their life, suffered and died for the sake of gospel, well-being and salvation of our people.
I give thanks to our fore fathers who served the Lord faithfully, teaching us the truth, leading us to Christ and giving us good examples.
I give thanks to faithful leaders, pastors, evangelists, missionaries and servants of the Lord who are serving the Lord today in Churches and missions faithfully and righteously.
As we are serving God and building His Kingdom, let us not focus on person and perishable material things but on Him alone and eternal reward. Let us learn from the past missionaries, pastors, evangelists, their strengths and weaknesses, their success and failure and apply to our present ministries and prepare for the better future. No one is perfect. However Jesus said, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)
Paul said, “We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all His energy, which so powerfully works in me.” (1 Corinthians 1:28-29)
All the servants of the Lord must dedicate their life as Paul said, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:20-21)
Hope for the Future Shan Missions
1. The Anointing of The Holy Spirit, Receiving and Possessing The Power Of The Holy Spirit in Witnessing among The Shan
Acts 1:4-5 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 1:8 “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses.”
Acts 2:1-4 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Acts 2:38-41 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off — for all whom the Lord our God will call.” With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
Eph 6:11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Let us be anointed by the Holy Spirit so that we can be the witness of Jesus Christ to the Shan.
Let us receive the power of the Holy Spirit and be His effective witnesses.
Let us not rely on our own knowledge, education, intelligence and wealth in evangelizing the Shan.
Let us not rely on the power and authority from human society or government.
Let us rely on His calling, appointment, authorization and power.
Let us be well prepared for the battle with spirit of darkness.
Let us make sure that we’ve got enough spiritual preparation, spiritual training and strong spiritual weapons before going into the spiritual battlefield.
Let us take the full armor of God and go.
Let us not go before being fully equipped and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Because Spiritual warfare are everywhere in the Shan States.
All the servants of God serving among the Shan must be filled with
the Holy Spirit and His Power
2. Going, Preaching, Teaching, Baptizing, Discipling and Serving
Mat 10:5-8 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions, “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, and cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received freely give.”
Mat 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
2 Corinthians 5:20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
Luke 9:1-2 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
Luke 9:6 So they set out and went from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere.
Matthew 28:19-20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
Let us not wait for the people to come to us to listen to the gospel.
Let us go to the people and tell them good news.
Let us not just making fun or telling joke.
Let us be serious in preaching the real truth of the word.
Let us give baptism of repentance to the believers into spiritual regeneration.
Let us teach and disciple the converts with the spiritual truth, the words, the Bible.
Let us serve, not to be served.
All the servants of God must go out and serve
3. Serve With Power In The Name Of Jesus
1 Corinthians 2:4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.
Romans 15:18-19 I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.
Ephesians 6:11-13 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Let us preach, discuss, debate, and argue not with our own intellectual knowledge but with the wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit.
Let us use miracles, signs and wonders in the name of Jesus as our most powerful evangelistic weapon in the Shan.
All the servants of God serving among the Shan must serve with the Power of the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus Christ
4. Serve Faithfully And Honestly
1 Corinthians 4:2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.
Matthew 25:21 His master replied, “Well-done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”
Revelation 2:10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful , even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.
Let us not serving for our own interest and gain but for His glory and Kingdom.
Let us not doing for ourselves but for Him alone.
Let us be faithful to Him financially, materially, morally and spiritually.
Let us be accountable to Him.
All the servants of God must be faithful and honest in words in action from the heart
5. Serve Till The End
Philippians 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
James 1:12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
Revelation 2:10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.
2 Timothy 4:7-8 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
Let us not give up.
Let us not resign.
Let us not quit.
Let us serve till the last breath.
All the servants of God must serve till the end
Words of Thanks
This book is “The Historical Truth About Shan Missions.” The information, papers, pictures and documents are authentic. Some are from personal experience and interview. The articles and writings are nothing personal. In order to protect the credibility and dignity of the person concerned, the identity of the person is not revealed. I hope this book will help us understand about the mission’s work among the Shan so that we can make necessary changes in mission strategy, which will be effective, suitable and beneficial for the Shan missions.
I want to thank Neel Roberts, American Missionary to the Shan, for giving me copies of all the reports and letters from Library Archives, American Baptist Missionary Union, USA.
Missions base on Vision,
Vision comes from the Lord,
God’s work done by the Power,
The Power from the Holy Spirit.
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9