19/10/2021

Update on Myanmar – our prayer and support is vital at this time.

The difficult situation in Myanmar is changing all the time and currently is not improving. We have 44 Chin and Karen congregations, originally from Myanmar, in our Union, who are extremely concerned and distressed for their loved ones still in Myanmar. They are often sending money to family and friends and desperately crying out to God on their behalf. 

Last Friday 15 October at our Nourish event for pastors we shared an interview with Rev Daniel Bullock and pastors from Werribee Karen Baptist Church and Melbourne Chin Church.  You can view this interview by clicking here

We invite you to continue to pray for our BUV congregations from Myanmar, for the country of Myanmar and its people.   

20/9/2021

As you may know, in February this year a military coup began resulting in many deaths, arrests and oppression of civilians. The situation in Myanmar/Burma continues to be diabolical with people gripped by fear and fatigue as they flee violence and are unable to access everyday items, including food, shelter and medical supplies. At present, there is continued fighting and attacks by the military with many people being hurt or killed.  Many are taking refuge and hiding in the mountains or fleeing to bordering cities like Mizoram, India.  The possibility of a full-scale civil war is very real.  All this comes on top of the toll that Covid infections are also having on the population. 

Excerpt from Baptist World Alliance Statement  Click to view the full statement: bit.ly/BWAMyanmar

Recently there have been two events in Chin State of Myanmar that demands our strongest condemnation and concerted prayer. Over the weekend, a young Baptist Pastor Cung Biak Hum was shot and killed while attempting to help a church member whose home had been set on fire by military forces. He leaves behind his wife who is pregnant with their third child and two boys. 

Baptist Pastor Thian Lian Sang was robbed and arrested last week. At around 11 am on September 16th he was arrested in front of his house between 40th and 41st Streets by armed men in plain clothes. At the time of the arrest, three military vehicles and about 20 armed men on three motorcycles were involved.  After that, members of the SAC entered the house and checked the phones. Five phones were confiscated, including his mother’s as well as his wife.

“They also took 400,000 kyats. That 400,000 kyats was the money they received for the funeral of his father as of 25th of last month,” said a family member. The family members said he has just recovered from Covid19 and still not well yet. It is not yet known why he was arrested and but people close to him say the pastor is politically neutral.

We call for the immediate release of Rev. Thian Lian Sang.

We also call for those who killed Rev. Cung Biak Hum to be held legally responsible, and we ask for restoration of the homes burned by the military.

 A joint press release has been issued by the BWA, APBF and the Women’s Ministries. We call upon the military junta to restore religious freedom, human rights, and peace through dialogue across Chin State and Myanmar as a whole.

Here at the BUV, we are a union, Together on Mission.  We have 44 local Chin, Karen and other Burmese congregations, originally from Myanmar, in our Union, who are extremely concerned and distressed for their loved ones still in Myanmar.  They are often sending money to family and friends and desperately crying out to God on their behalf. 

We invite you to please pray for our BUV congregations from Myanmar, for the country of Myanmar and its people.   

A way of standing in solidarity is to reach out to a neighbouring BUV congregation from Myanmar and ask how you can pray specifically or support them.  We have a listed below and have indicated on a Google Map where our BUV Burmese congregations are located in relation to all of our BUV churches. If you have a congregation from Myanmar in close proximity to your church or your home, why not reach out to them and see what support you can be to them.  If you don’t have a congregation nearby, feel free to talk to your Regional Pastor about how you can be support Burmese congregations in our Union.