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Churches in Myanmar finding adversity leads to greater unity
Episcopal News Service
Issue:
Section:
2003-059-2
Posted: Tuesday, March 18, 2003
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Cut off from the outside world for four decades following the imposition of military rule in 1962, churches in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) are finding that adversity is leading them to greater unity.
The Christian minority finds many obstacles in attempts to carry out the most routine activities. The last Christmas message from the Myanmar Council of Churches, for example, was rejected by the government's Literary Scrutiny Board, even though it had previously been approved by the ministry for religious affairs.
In a country where the media is entirely controlled by the government and access to Internet is not available, even in five-star hotels, church publications are delayed for months awaiting government clearance--and in some cases the approval is never received.
Church travel is also rigidly controlled. It can take months for church leaders to get a passport, usually valid for a single trip, and only if an application has prior clearance by the religious affairs ministry. One church leader has missed six invitations to attend international meetings outside the country because of the delays.
General Secretary Konrad Raiser of the World Council of Churches told the country's leaders during a March visit of his concern that Christians and other minority groups are facing 'intentional or involuntary discrimination.' At the same time he praised the churches, saying he was 'very impressed by the degree of ecumenical cooperation' in the country. 'Despite difficulties, they have adopted an imaginative response to the situation.'
Approximately 6.5 percent of Myanmar's 52 million people are Christian, almost half of them Baptists. The next largest denomination is Roman Catholic with about 600,000 members. 'We may belong to different faith traditions and denominations, but as Christians we are all united,' said the Rev. Jenson Rajan Andrews, president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Myanmar.
The churches are trying to serve as peacemakers between the military government and armed rebel groups who come from predominantly Christian minority ethnic groups. They are also trying to find ways to help more than 100,000 people who have been internally displaced because of the conflicts.
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