Myanmar Fact Sheet: Confusing - all the Churches there!

The Protestant Churches are surprisingly strong in Myanmar. Large Baptist and Methodist churches have been there for the last 100 years. Tamil Indians introduced Lutheranism to the country years ago but, in the overall scheme of things, they remained a small minority. 

BUT: In a needy and unhappy country where nearly 90% of the population is non-Christian, mostly Buddhist, can there ever be enough authentic and good churches? We love Buddhists – good people! – but we have a life-saving message! Each church in Myanmar faces a daunting missionary challenge! 

In the last 15 years three new Lutheran church bodies rose up, each working in particular tribal areas. This explains the divergence: different languages, different cultures, even different theologies. The latter is deplorable.

AFA has always focused on churches that fall through the cracks and receive little or no support from anyone. 

Example: the LUTHERAN CHURCH OF MYANMAR (LCM).The LCM does not ordain bishops like the Myanmar Lutheran Church (MLC), another fledgling church. The MLC was written up in THE LUTHERAN recently and is of similar size as the LCM. The MLC has been privileged to have been the recipient of funding from where much of the money comes from in the Lutheran world: Germany. 

The LCM has 14 pastors, 8 evangelists, 6 missionaries, and at least 12 congregations and 3 preaching stations with Pastor Martin Lalthangliana as Mission Director. In a short period of time he has become the most prominent representative of Lutheranism in Myanmar generally.

Beyond a shadow of doubt, this church would be nothing like it is today without AFA support. Praise God that this support by many of you readers has largely been the making of a whole church!