Ministering to the ministers in Myanmar

Before the military coup in 2021, Pastor Myint* lived with his wife, May*, and children in relative peace. Their region in central Myanmar is predominantly Buddhist but they invested in their community for years, working hard to befriend them and help when and where they could.

It worked.

  Their neighbours accepted and respected them. Myint bought land on the community’s outskirts and moved his family into their newly built home. It grew into a haven of Christian fellowship that soon attracted intense opposition.

And yet, under the protection of the head of the village, they were kept safe.

But that all changed after the military coup in 2021. 
 

The family flee for their lives 

“After the coup began, Christians in our village became very vulnerable,” Myint remembers.  

The village head was ousted and replaced, and the family lost their protection. The Buddhist religious leaders then began to incite hatred toward Pastor Myint and his family, accusing them of worshipping a foreign religion. “They gathered some young men and offered them alcohol, instructing them to kill me and my sons,” Myint says. “Thankfully, some villagers notified me of their plan; the next moment, I took my sons and hurried out of the village.” 

May followed shortly afterwards with their daughters – but not before their would-be attackers killed two other villagers who had showed an interest in Christianity in retaliation. After the family fled, the attackers looted their house and burned it to the ground. 


 

“We are so thankful to you” 

Myint and his family have now settled in a new place where things are safer. However, like many other displaced believers in Myanmar, he has no stable source of income – and that impacts the whole family.  

Thanks to your prayers and support, local partners have been able to provide Myint and May with food aid and spiritual care, which has made a huge difference. “After we were displaced, no one else has even bothered to ask us about our welfare,” May says. “We are so thankful to you for listening to our story and helping us.” 


 

God is in control 

Despite their circumstances, Pastor Myint is confident that God is in control and continues to serve Him. His burden is for the people he has been called to serve. “I still worry about the spiritual well-being of the believers who are displaced to various places because of the conflict and oppression,” he says. 

May is equally confident in God’s power and love. “We have been in the ministry for many years, and we have seen many people come to Christ,” she says. “Because of the war and persecution, many believers are displaced, and we have lost connection with them. Please pray that God will be with them and that they will remain faithful to Jesus.” 

*Names changed and illustrative images used for security reasons