19th October 2021
Prayer and support for our Brothers and Sisters from Myanmar
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.
Congregation Name | Billing Address Line 1 | Billing City | Postal Code | Website |
Australia Zophei Church Inc | Western English Language School, 46 South Road | BRAYBROOK | 3019 | |
Australia Zotung Church | 618 Melbourne Road | Spotswood | 3015 | |
Australian Gospel Baptist Church | c/ Hansen Park Pre School | Kilsyth | 3137 | |
Chin Baptist Church Inc | 11-15 Hampton Ave | SUNSHINE | 3020 | |
Chin Baptist Church Pakenham | 1 Bentley Court | Pakenham | 3810 | |
Chin Christian Church Melbourne | 178 Lincoln Road | CROYDON | 3136 | |
Cloverdale Karen Baptist Church | c/- Cloverdale Baptist Church, 230 Purnell Rd | Corio | 3214 | |
Croydon Hills Baptist Church | 6-8 Bemboka Rd | CROYDON HILLS | 3136 | www.chbc.org.au |
Ebenezer Karen Baptist Church | 156 Purnell Road | Corio | 3214 | |
Falam Baptist Church Melbourne Inc | 31 Russell Street | Werribee | 3030 | |
Gospel Baptist Church Melbourne | 57 Wantirna Rd | Ringwood | 3134 | |
Grace Baptist Church of Melbourne | 21 Cooke Ave | Sunshine North | 3020 | |
Htoo Moo Plaw Baptist Church | Bendigo Baptist Church, 757 McIvor Highway | Junortoun | 3551 | |
Kachin Baptist Church | Footscray Baptist Church, 60 Paisley Street | Footscray | 3011 | www.facebook.com/KBCMelbourne |
Kangaroo Flat Karen Baptist Church | 32 – 38 Church St | KANGAROO FLAT | 3555 | |
Kilsyth South Baptist Church | 382-388 Liverpool Road | KILSYTH SOUTH | 3137 | www.ksbc.org.au |
Kingsville Zotung Baptist Church | 381 Geelong Road | YARRAVILLE | 3013 | |
Lai Christian Church Melbourne | Mitcham Baptist Church, 8-12 Simla St | MITCHAM | 3132 | |
Lutuv Baptist Church | 66 Cornwall Road | Sunshine | 3020 | |
Mara Christian Church of Victoria | 17-19 Ormond Avenue | SUNSHINE | 3020 | |
Matu Immanuel Church | 1/26 Devonshire Rd | Sunshine | 3020 | |
Melbourne Agape Baptist Church | 17-19 Falconer Rd | Boronia | 3155 | |
Melbourne Chin Church | 315 Mason St, (rear of St. Leo Catholic Church) | ALTONA NORTH | 3025 | www.melbournechinchurch.com |
Melbourne Immanuel Baptist Church | Heathmont Baptist Church, 78 Cuthbert St | HEATHMONT | 3135 | |
Melbourne Karen Baptist Church | 152-154 Bellbridge Drive | HOPPERS CROSSING | 3029 | |
Melbourne Karenni Baptist Community Church Inc | C/-Christ Centred Ministry, 6 Gildan Court | Hoppers Crossing | 3029 | |
Melbourne Matu Baptist Church Inc | 3 Vule St | St Albans | 3021 | |
Melbourne Mizo Church | Maroondah Family Church, 44 Dublin Rd | RINGWOOD EAST | 3135 | |
Melbourne Siyin Burmese Mission Church | 30 Lennon Parkway | Derrimut | 3030 | |
Melbourne Thadou Baptist Church | 1 Ashton Crescent | Hoppers Crossing | 3029 | |
Nhill K’Nyaw Baptist Church | C/-Nhill Uniting Church, 16 Pine Street | Nhill | 3418 | |
Noble Park Karen Baptist Church | C/- Mordialloc Baptist Church, 48-52 Warren Road | Mordialloc | 3195 | |
Pwo Karen Baptist Church Victoria | 26 Mason St | NEWPORT | 3015 | |
Shalom Church of Melbourne | 239-241 Station Road | Melton | 3337 | |
Shepherd Centre Church | 5 Armytage Way | Wyndham Vale | 3024 | |
Victoria Gospel Baptist Church | Blackwood drive community hall | Melton South | 3338 | |
Victorian Chin Baptist Church | 55-57 Lusher Road | CROYDON | 3136 | www.vcbc.com.au |
Victorian Matu Christian Church | 116 Robinsons Road | Deer Park | 3023 | |
Victorian New Creation Church | C/- Knox Presbyterian Church, 358 Mountain Highway | Wantirna | 3152 | |
Werribee Karen Baptist Church | 225 Heaths Rd | Werribee | 3030 | wkbc.net |
Westgate Karen Baptist Community Church | 16 High Street | YARRAVILLE | 3013 | |
Zomi Baptist Church Victoria | 320/340 Wonga Road | Warranwood | 3134 | |
Zomi Mission Church | Lilydale Baptist Church, 305 Swansea Road | LILYDALE | 3140 | www.melbournezcf.com.au |
Zotung Baptist Church | c/- Hope of Life Community Church, 8 Watt St | SUNSHINE | 3020 |