Mara Evangelical Church (MEC) in Myanmar

A Short History of the Mara Evangelical Church in Myanmar
Rev. Vako

Introduction

Mara people are living in the Southern part of Chin State in Myanmar and Eastern part of India. They were known as Lakhers to their neighbor Lusheis in India, Shadus to Arakans and Mirams to Hakha in Myanmar in many years ago. It is difficult to explain the meaning of Mara which can denote the meaning Mara. However, the Greek word for mara is understood as “eternally beauty,” therefore, the word Mara may mean, “The people of eternally beauty.” They have their own literature, culture, social settings, and Church government. The population of Mara people is 25000 in Myanmar and 30000 in India. In India, they have their own autonomous District council. This means they are able to be the subjects of their own land. Unfortunately, the Maraland in Myanmar is under the Military government and therefore, they are the objects to the Myanmar government.

A. The Coming of Christianity to Maraland

The Maraland is located in a very remote area in both countries in India and Myanmar. Many years ago, as hill dwellers, the Maras used to fight their neighbors for extending their kingdom, and killed their enemies and revenged for themselves. While the Maraland was in such dark situation, God (Khazoh, Mara term for God) spoke to Reginald Arthur Lorrain and his wife to come to the Maraland. To respond that inner calling of God Lorrain and his wife decided to sail into the Maraland which was thousands of miles far from their comfortable place. They left their home and their love ones for the Maraland in 1907 and arrived there in September 26, 1907. By the help of the Spirit of God (Khazohpa Thlahpa) after 50 years of their settlement in the midst of the Maras, the river of the Good News of salvation flowed into the whole mountains and plains even in the hearts of all the Maras. How a great salvation they brought for the Maras. Therefore, the Mara church celebrated her Golden Jubilee in Sabawngpi village in Myanmar in 1957, and they shouted out that “Let Jesus only must reign in our land.” Here is 1957 50th anniversary report: over 10,400 Maras baptized, 6000 babies dedicated, 8 local pastors, 2 pastor-evangelists and 1 Probationary Pastor. And they are going to celebrate their centenary Jubilee in September 2007.

B. Mara Evangelical Church

Mrs and Mr Lorrain established the Mara church in 1907. Up to 1960, the church in Maraland was still called the Mara church. However, from 1961, the name of Mara church was changed into the Mara Independent Evangelical Church in Myanmar It was not because of the church in Maraland had some connection with other Evangelical churches in the world so it bears the name “evangelical,” but it is believed that it bears the name “evangelical” because of her enthusiastic in mission and being a self supporting church. Although R. A Lorrain was a Congregationalist of (Anerley Congregational Church in London, but this church was no more after the Second World War, (letter from Penge Congregational church on March, 2007), he did not force the Mara church to bear the name of his mother church. Rather missionaries together with native church leaders adopt the centralization system of church government (probably) of the Presbyterian Church in Mizoram in India in those days. It is believed that using the centralization system forms all the Maras in one spirit.

But in 1972, Mara Independent Evangelical Church was split into two churches 1) Mara Independent Evangelical Church (former) and 2) Mara Independent Church (later). The headquarters office for the Mara Independent Evangelical Church was located in Sabawngpi village and Lailenpi village was the headquarters office of Mara Independent Church. However, by the effort of the Myanmar Council of Churches and church leaders from both sides, these two churches could unite as to be one church government in 1987. In this year the church in Maraland was named as the “Mara Evangelical Church” and so also it has two headquarters as in Sabawngpi village and in Lailenpi village.

The general Assembly was the highest representative body of the church and under which several committees are founded. There are twenty thousands members, in 103 local churches with 50 ordained ministers. Today, there are twenty thousand members in the Mara Evangelical Church in Myanmar.

C. Three Figure Church Leaders in Mara Evangelical Church

In the history of the Mara Evangelical Church, there were some great church leaders who sacrificed their lives in building the Kingdom of God in the Mara community. Under such people’s leadership; the Mara Church even grew up as a self supporting church till today. In fact, they were unforgettable church leaders for the Mara Evangelical Church in Myanmar. Here, I would like to mention them at least three leaders such as Rev. R. A Lorrain, Rev. Mathao and Rev. K. Teitu.

Rev. R. A Lorrain (1885?-1944)

The first missionary to the Maraland

He asked a question for the Maras “What about the future of these Maras tribe, what are the need and what are our plans?” (He is the father of the Maras).

Before he came to the Maraland, R. A. Lorrain, was a Congregationalist in Anerley Congregational Church in London, is the founder of the Mara Evangelical Church in Myanmar and Evangelical Church of Maraland in India. He had a vision to found a Mara country so that the Maras will be known by other nationals which surround them. He created the Mara alphabets: A AW Y B Ch in 1908. But some people said, “It was created by Tickle in 1850? His translation of the Bible into Mara language was completed in 1953 and but released in 1956.

Rev. Mathao (1918-1990)

When he was forbidden to preach the gospel to the Maras by Choza landlords in Sabawngte village in 1945, he said, “Unless I died, I must preach the gospel to every Mara in this land.” He was a brave preacher, evangelist and pastor. He broke the wall of the kingdom of Satan down in the Mara community as Paul and Peter did in the first century. Through his efforts, Christianity, known as a religion of poor people in those days, became a lovely religion in today through Jesus Christ in the Mara society. His contribution is very much for the Maras. His motto for Bible text is Jeremiah 31:3.

Rev. K. Teitu (1926-2006)

“I wonder why churches didn’t want to unite each other.”

The first General Secretary of Mara Evangelical Church in Myanmar and the first theological student among the Mara pastors, and he was also known as a good leader and led the Mara church for 34 years (1957-1991), as a General Secretary and a President. In any case of problems he never responds every quickly, but he used to find the solutions for the problems very slowly. Surely, he is a good leader for the Mara society. He has a good personality and also has an ability of remembering the names of each church leader, and also tries to greet them by their names. He wrote more than twenty books.

D. Relationship with other organizations

Although the Mara church was founded by a Congregationalist missionary, Lorrain did not try the Mara church to be a sister church of his mother Congregational church. Instead they (missionaries) more preferred the Mara church to stand independently with self support. For this reason and being located in a remote area of the world, the Mara church did not have any connection with other churches in the world. She stands alone and by self support till today. But from 1980s, some church leaders afforded the Mara Church to become a member of the Myanmar Council of churches.

In 1985, the Myanmar Council of Churches allowed the Mara Church to become a member church of the Myanmar Council of Churches. When General Secretary of Mara Church, Rev. K Teitu was asked about his feeling for becoming a member of the Myanmar Council of churches, he said, “I do not wonder why Mara church was accepted as a member of the Myanmar Council of Churches, instead what I wonder is ‘Why didn’t churches want to unite each other?’ because unity is the word of our Lord Jesus.” Today the Mara Evangelical Church in Myanmar is:

* A member of Myanmar Council of Churches in 1985.

* A member of Christian Conference of Asia in 1989.

* A member of World Alliance Reformed Churches in 1993.

* An associate member of World Council of Churches in 2001.

E. Mission: The Heart of Mara Evangelical Church

Through out her long journey, the Mara Evangelical Church came a crossed four revival experiences as the whole land. These revival experiences motivated the Maras to have an enthusiastic mind for the mission. Although Mara Evangelical Church is trying to have a good relationship with the ecumenical churches in Myanmar and abroad, on the other hand, she also is trying to send more missionaries to other tribes who do not know the salvation of Christ. Mara Evangelical Church understood that the heart of the Church of Christ is the mission of God. After all the Maras became Christians, they asked a question to themselves that, “Now our nation already became a Christian nation, so what shall we do for God now?” To respond this challenge, and as a result of their Golden Jubilee experience in 1957, they started the work of mission in the following areas:

1. Khumi field in Myanmar

The Mara Evangelical Church sent her three missionaries to the Khumi tribe field in Myanmar in 1966. But today there are 15 missionaries are working in this field. Some of our missionaries had already died in the mission field.

2. Maru field in Myanmar

After three years later in 1966, the Mara Evangelical Church decided to extend her mission field in the Maru Tribe in Rakhine State in Myanmar and started her mission among the Maru tribe with two missionaries in 1969. Till today there are 13 missionaries are working there as missionaries.

3. Myo field in Myanmar

In the same year in which the Mara Evangelical sent her missionaries to Maru field, she also sent two missionaries to Myoh Tribe in Rakhine State in Myanmar. Today, there are 10 missionaries (including native workers) are working for the Kingdom of God.

4. Daai Lemro Chin field and Asho Chin field

Daai Lemro Chin field was started in 1970 by three Mara missionaries. Till today, there are 17 missionaries (including native workers) are working in this field. At the same time, Mara Evangelical Church extended her mission field among the Asho Chin people who live nearby the real Myanmar people. The mission work was started in 1994 with three missionaries. Today there are four missionaries are working for in this new field.

5. Means of Mission Fund Raises

Since the Mara Evangelical Church is a self supporting Church she has to try her best to raise the mission funds by basing local resources. Here are the means of fund-raising for mission work.

(1) Mission Target

(2) Distributing Mission Envelops

(3) Building Mission Tents

(4) Collecting Mission Firewood

(5) Mission Traps in the Jungles

(6) Portion of Meat of Mission

(7) Mission Garden

(8) Labor for Mission

(9) Handwork for Mission

(10) Mission Ark

(11) Sponsoring one Missionary

6. Mission Work Report (1968-2005)

6. Mission Work Report (1968-2005)

F. Reflection and Request

As the Mara Evangelical Church has been working as an ambassador of our Lord Jesus for 40 years, what she realizes is that it is no more possible to carry out the mission of God by herself without having any mission-partner from outside. Through out this long journey of her mission work, some of her members had already given their money, their houses and even their lives for God’s mission. As the time passed by, because of low income among the Maras (for all most of the members of the Mara Evangelical Church are farmers), although they were of the mission minded Christians, the progression of the mission work in such areas is very slow today. Therefore, our Church asks and invites you to participate with the Mara Evangelical church for extending the mission of God in Myanmar. We invite you both individuals and groups and churches to participate in this challenging mission work.

To contact

General Secretary

Mara Evangelical Church

P.O Box 366
General Post Office

Yangon: Myanmar

Or

Mission Director,

68/7, Chin Pyang Road

Sittwe, Rakhine State, Myanmar