DAWN Fridayfax 1998 #27

News from Myanmar (Burma) and Indonesia

In this issue:
Myanmar (Burma): Cell churches growing
Myanmar: First multi-denominational prayer conference
Indonesia: a nation divided

Myanmar (Burma): Cell churches growing

Some 60 cell church leaders from Hong Kong and Taiwan have expressed their readiness to lead a 12-day course training Christians from Myanmar to develop cell churches. The cell church is a relatively new concept in Myanmar, according to Bill Morrison. It is a non-traditional form of church in which small groups of Christians meet in 'cells' in their houses as the foundation of church life, to encourage each other and evangelize the previously unreached. "Many Christians from traditional churches cannot imagine anyone other than a 'real pastor' being able to lead a cell," says Morrison. That's the starting point for the course led by the Hong Kong and Taiwanese Christians, training future cell group leaders. One church which changed to the cell church model last year has doubled its membership. In Myanmar, the population is under increasing pressure to become Buddhists, and Christians are quickly labeled as collaborators with the earlier colonial powers and adopters of a Western religion and hence as traitors.

Source: The Religious Media Agency, Bill Morrison. e-mail: bmorrison@codenet.net

Myanmar: First multi-denominational prayer conference

On 16 and 17 July, a prayer conference is planned (at the time of writing this report) to take place in Rangoon, with the particular aim of prayer for church planting. Around 1,000 people are expected to attend the conference in a Baptist conference center. "This is the first prayer conference in living memory, and above all the first in which all of the country's denominations and churches are cooperating," according to one report.

Source: internal

Indonesia: a nation divided

Australian missionary Jeff Hammond sent us this report from Jakarta, Indonesia on 13 July 1998: "Hunger is spreading in the country, and some provinces in the east of the country are already speaking of separation from Indonesia and the foundation of their own nation. 103 million of the country's 203 million inhabitants live below the poverty line. 80 million are starving, half of which are in acute danger of dying. One IMF official commented 'Indonesia is a hopeless case. There is no economic solution for the country.' Many people agree that Indonesia needs a miracle; it is on the edge of the largest hunger catastrophe in world history, in which between 40 and 80 million could die."

1 million Christians fast to feed 2 million others

Many Christians, probably 1 million in total, are 2 weeks into a 40-day fast for the country. They eat only one meal per day, and give the meal which they fast to the poor. In so doing, these 1 million Christians are able to feed some 2 million other people - but that is not enough. During a meeting with President Habibie on 10 June, we told him that the country's Christians would fast for the country's salvation and restoration. Last Monday, he publicly encouraged the whole country to fast on Monday and Thursday each week.

When God calls a nation to account

8 months ago, Indonesia had a blooming economy, and now it is all like a bad dream. Many Christians have the impression that God is calling the nation to account for the increasing violence and persecution of Christians in the last 6 years: in the last 2 years alone, 473 churches have been burned down and 14 Christians died as martyrs.

Church growth since the start of the crisis

1,200 pastors, elders and church staff attended a cell church conference from 22-25 June. Indonesia's cell churches are growing faster than the nation's other churches; the GYKT church (Church of Jesus Christ the Lord), for example, has grown by 1,000 since the crisis began.

Forgiveness for mass cannibalism

Immediately following this conference, from 25-28 June, another noteworthy conference took place; a 'Network conference' with the aim of reaching Indonesia with the gospel. The theme was 'A broken heart', and that was exactly what happened, with an unusual time of reconciliation between Indonesians of indigenous and Chinese descent, and between pastors who had experienced church splits. One dramatic event occurred as a pastor from the Dayak tribe, Myanmar's headhunters, wanted to confess his tribe's sins against the Madurans, a tribe which left the island Madura to settle in Kalimantan (Borneo). During the last 2 years, there were 10 cases of cannibalism; in the most recent case, 3,000 Madurans were beheaded and eaten before the Army could intervene and stop the violence by shooting 500 Dayaks. The Dayak pastor was a witness of the events, but had done nothing to try to stop what was happening, and now wanted to ask the Madurans for forgiveness. As he went forward, he was picked up by an invisible hand and thrown against the wall in full view, where he collapsed, weeping. A pastor from the Madura tribe went to him, hugged and forgave him. The country's Christians understand well that only the gospel can restore the country, and are determined to develop regional alliances and strategic networks.

Source: Jeff Hammond, Jakarta

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