| Chin Baptist Convention, Chin State, Myanmar | |
|---|---|
 Logo | |
| Classification | Evangelicalism |
| Orientation | Baptist |
| Associations | Myanmar Baptist Convention |
| Headquarters | Falam, Chin State |
| Origin | 1953 |
| Congregations | 915 churches (2020) |
| Members | 200704 (2020) |
Chin Baptist Convention (formerly Zomi Baptist Convention) is a Baptist Christian denomination Myanmar. The headquarters is in Falam, Chin State, Myanmar. It is a member of the Myanmar Baptist Convention.
Rev. Arthur E. Carson and Laura H. Carson from the American Baptist International Ministries with the support of Karen missionaries arrived in Hakha, Chin Hills on 15 March 1899. After five years, Mr & Mrs Pau Suan and Mr & Mrs. Thuam Hang of Khuasak were converted to Christianity from animism in 1904. Christianity slowly spread through Chin Hills and the Chin Hills Baptist Association was formed in 1907. [1] The Chin Hills Baptist Association comprised Baptists from Falam, Hakha and Tedim subdivision. From the arrival of the Carsons in March 1899 to March 1948 the Chin Baptists were solely under the guidance of the Missionaries stationed at Tedim and Hakha. In March 1948, the Association held a meeting at Satawm village and the Falam, Tedim and Hakha decided to run their own business. Thus, March 1948 was the beginning of Falam Baptist Association, Tedim Baptist Association and Hakha Baptist Association. The three associations run their own affairs until 1952. [2]
In March 1952, the mission secretary Rev. E. E. Soward paid a survey trip to Chin Hills. Rev. S.T Hau Go was in charge of the Chin Baptists works while the Johnsons of the Hakha and the Nelson of Tedim were on holiday. Revd. E.E Sowards went to Tedim Baptist annual meeting at Laitui village on 14–17 February 1952. Then he went on tour to Falam and Hakha area with Rev. S.T Hau Go. After the survey, he proposed the followings for Baptist in the Chin Hills:
For an organization, the Constitution drafting committee was led by the Rev. S.T Hau Go together with the most senior and revered Pastors Rev. Sang Ling from Hakha, and the second eldest and most respected pastor Rev. Sang Fen. [1] The committee held a meeting at Falam Baptist Church on late October and early November 1952. The meeting decided to form one Baptist organization and the organization was named Zomi Baptist Convention (ZBC) which comprised Falam Baptist Association, Tedim Baptist Association and Hakha Baptist Association. On March 5–7, 1953 Zomi Baptist Convention was officially and universally adopted by the general meeting in Saikah, Thantlang township. The general meeting was attended by 3,000 Chin Christians. The constitution was also approved in 1954 at the general meeting held in Khuasak, Tedim township. [2]
Rev. S.T. Hau Go was the first general secretary of ZBC. He received MA from Madras University in 1946. He was also a 1950 alumnus of Eastern Theological Seminary in Philadelphia with Master of Religious Education (M.R.E). [1] He returned to Chin Hills and played a key role in forming Zomi Baptist Convention, Tedim Baptist Association and Kale Valleys Baptist Association. He later retired as a professor of English Department at Rangoon University.
In accordance with recommendation from Rev. Soward, the Bible school began at Tedim in 1953 under the supervision of Rev. S.T. Hau Go with Saya Lun Cung Nung and others. When Rev. S.T. Hau Go served as ZBC Secretary, the Bible school was moved to Hakha under the supervision of the Johnsons (Rev. Robert Johnson). Then, the school was moved from Hakha to Falam in 1959. The name of the Bible school has been changed throughout history and as of 2013, it was named Chin Christian Institute of Theology. The college was accepted as a member institute of the Association for Theological Education in South East Asia, in 1982. The bible school Bachelor of Theology (B.Th) was accredited by the Association for Theological Education in South East Asia in 1991. [3] The Bible school now offered Agricultural studies in to their course.
The mission hospital never materialized. Although, there was a medical doctor who wanted to come and work in the Chin Hills. The allotment for equipment of $30,000 had to be diverted to other place. [1]
In 1995, the four Associations namely Tonzang Township Baptist Association (TTBA), Tedim Baptist Association (TBA), Kale Zomi Baptist Association (KZBA), and Tamu Valley Baptist Association (TVBA) walked out from ZBC triennial meetings at Khuasak during 5–9 April 1995 and formed an organization called Zomi Baptist Convention of Myanmar (ZBCM). Out of the four-Associations three of them went on and decided to join Southern Baptist Convention and Tedim Baptist Association alone withdraws from ZBCM and decided to remain in the Myanmar Baptist Convention [1]
The name of the organization was changed from 'Zomi Baptist Convention' to 'Chin Baptist Convention' with effect from 1 April 2013. The agreement was reached during Zomi Baptist Convention's 21st Triennial Conference held in Kalaymyo of Sagaing Division from 21 to 24 March. During this meeting, the Association namely Kalay Valley Baptist Association (KVBA) walked out again and formed an organization called Kalay Valley Baptist Convention (KVBC). There, the rest of other 25 associations, a unanimous agreement was reached for the new designation of the Chin Baptist organization. The meeting was attended by more than 400 representatives from its 28 associations with special guests from Myanmar Baptist Convention and Kachin Baptist Convention.
In addition to Myanmar Baptist Convention, the convention is affiliated to Asia Pacific Baptist Federation and Baptist World Alliance and has a fellowship and works with the ecumenical organizations like Myanmar Council of Churches, Christian Conference of Asia, World Council of Churches and World Association for Christian Communication.
In 2013, the Chin Baptist Convention reported 202,991 members in 38,145 households in 893 churches. [4] The current general secretary is Rev. Stanley Hlawn Hmung . The church's motto is Faith, Unity and Witness.
Chin State is a state in western Myanmar. Chin State is bordered by Sagaing Division and Magway Division to the east, Rakhine State to the south, the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh to the west, and the Indian states of Mizoram to the west and Manipur to the north. The population of Chin State is about 488,801 according to the 2014 census, and its capital city is Hakha.
The Chin people are an ethnic group native to the Chin State and Rakhine State of Myanmar. Strictly speaking, the term "Chin" only refers to the 53 sub-tribes of the Chin ethnic group, divided and recognized by the Burmese government. They speak the Kuki-Chin-Mizo languages, which are often mutually unintelligible but are closely related.
Hakha is the capital of Chin State in Myanmar.
Protestants in Myanmar make up 5% of that nation's population in 2023. Most Christians are from the minority ethnic groups such as Karen, Lisu, Kachin, Chin, and Lahu. An estimated 0.1% of the Bamar population is Christian.
Tedim (Burmese: တီးတိန်မြို့; MLCTS: ti: tin mrui., pronounced[títeɪ̀ɰ̃mjo̰], (Zo: Tedim Khuapi, pronounced ; is a town and the administrative seat of Tedim Township in Chin State, Myanmar. It is the second largest town in Chin State. The town's four major boroughs are: Sakollam, Myoma, Lawibual and Leilum. The population primarily consists of Chin people.
Falam is a town in north-western Burma (Myanmar) near Burma's western border with the Indian state of Mizoram. The town was founded by Taisun tribe. The British arrived to Falam in 1892, and became an important base for British rule of the Chin Hills. After the formation of Chin State, it was the capital city until the administrative offices were moved to Hakha in 1974. It is still the regional governor of Falam District and of Falam Township. Falam is the headquarters of several important organizations, such as the Chin Baptist Convention (CBC). The population, as of 2014, is 9,092.
The Zou people Is are an ethnic group, that is an indigenous community living along the frontier of India and Burma, they are a sub-group of the Kuki people/Zo people. In India, they live with and are similar in language and habits to the Thadou people and Paite and the Simte peoples. In Burma, the Zou are counted among the Chin people. They are a hill people, "Zou" may plainly means "Hills" denoting the Zous are "people of the hills" or "of the hills", and "Zou" has also a different meaning in Zou language that is "complete" or another word for it is "finish". But, the Zou people believed that they incepted the name 'Zou' from their forefather 'Zou' or 'Zo', believed to be the progenitor of the broad Chin-Kuki-Mizo people.
Falam District is a district of the Chin State in Myanmar. It consists of 3 townships and 445 villages. The major towns include: Fort White, and Falam.
Fort White was a small military station built by the British Army under Field Marshal Sir George Stuart White, V.C., Commander-in-Chief of Upper Burma during their third expeditions in the annexation of the Chin Hills in 1889. Its location was on the eastern (leeward) side of the Letha Range midway between Kale and Tiddim towns in what is now the Tiddim Township of Chin State, Burma (Myanmar).
The Lai people mainly inhabit the southern parts of Chin Hills in Myanmar's Chin State, in the townships of Falam, Thantlang and Hakha. They are also found in the Lawngtlai district of Mizoram, India, where they have been granted the Lai Autonomous District Council. Outside this area they are scattered in Mizoram and in Manipur. Their languages "Laizo Lai" and "Hakha Lai" are classified as Central Kuki-Chin languages.
The Tedim people, also called Tedim Chins and Tiddim (Hai-Dim) people, are a Zo tribe, part of the Chin people, primarily inhabiting the Tedim Township in the Chin State of Myanmar. They speak the Tedim language, a northern Kuki-Chin language.
The Kuki-Chin languages are a branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family spoken in northeastern India, western Myanmar and southeastern Bangladesh. Most notable Kuki-Chin-speaking ethnic groups are referred to collectively as the Zo people which includes: the Mizo of Mizoram, the Kuki of Manipur, and the Chin of Chin State, Myanmar.
Chin Christian University (CCU) is a Christian university in Hakha, Chin State, Burma. CCU is one of the departments of Chin Association of Christian Communication (CACC). After 25 years (1990-2015), God blessed Chin Christian College's long vision: "To Transform the College into a University" and the name of the institution was changed into Chin Christian University by the 9th Triennial Meeting of Chin Association of Christian Communication, held at Hakha Khuahlun Baptist Church on April 4, 2015.
Chin Christian Institute of Theology, also known as CCIT, is situated in Falam, Chin State, Myanmar. It is a school run by Chin Baptist Convention, which belongs to Myanmar Baptist Convention.
Falam Chin is a Kuki-Chin language in Falam Township, Chin State, Myanmar, and also in Mizoram, India.
Lairawn Baptist Association(LBA) is a Baptist Christian denomination throughout Kalay Valley, Sagaing Division, Myanmar. The LBA mainly serves the Chin people who speak Falam dialect. It is one of the twenty eight associations of Chin Baptist Convention which is under the umbrella of Myanmar Baptist Convention (MBC). As of 2015, the association has 78 pastors and 21305 members. The association is divided into 12 areas and each area has their own by-law and constitution, but they work together with each other in unity in the context of LBA, encouraging and resourcing each other.
The Zomi Baptist Convention of Myanmar is a Baptist Christian denomination in Myanmar. It is affiliated with the Asia Pacific Baptist Federation and the Baptist World Alliance. Their headquarters are in Sagaing.
The Zanniat tribe are people of western Myanmar (Burma) who are a sub-group of the Chin peoples. The Zanniat tribe has fifty-seven sub-groupings and clans. The group's existence was recorded in Burma's 1931 census after being absent in the Chin Hills gazette of 1896. In 1943, the Zanniat tribal groups of eastern Falam Township were recorded by Henry Stevenson. The Zanniat may also be known by similar sounding names such as Zahnyiet, Zanniet, Zanngiat and Zannaing.
David Van Bik was the Lai Bible translator, a Chin biblical scholar, the author of Chin-English and English-Chin dictionaries, an ordained Baptist minister, and a recipient of the honorary Doctor of Divinity from his alma mater Berkeley School of Theology, USA.