Reflections on Myanmar
Dear Friends,
I hope you found the last five weeks’ worth of Devotions on the Five Marks of Mission – as reimagined by Graham Adams – interesting. We’ll return to these ideas later on. Now we turn to two weeks’ worth of material reflecting on Myanmar and the work of the Presbyterian Church of Mynamar – a partner church with us in the Council for World Mission.
This series ties in with an awareness – and fund-raising – campaign from the URC’s Global and Intercultural Ministries, so please do look out for more information and ways to help on the website and social media.
The URC has a long and rich history with the Presbyterian Church of Myanmar (PCM) (until 1989, Burma). Presbyterianism gradually came to the country during the first half of the 20th century from the people of Mizoram in northeast India, whose community had been founded by the Presbyterian Church in Wales.
The PCM was established in 1956 and constituted in 1962, making it 10 years older than the United Reformed Church. Both are active partners in the Council for World Mission (CWM). There are currently 245 congregations and around 33,000 members, many in remote parts of the country, which borders Bangladesh, India, China, Laos and Thailand. We have good personal relationships with colleagues there, having received two visits in 2023 from the new General Secretary the Revd Pek Muan Cuang, and we receive regular updates about the challenges and joys of current mission and ministry. The country – and subsequently the Church – face many challenges, particularly since the military coup in February 2021 and Cyclone Mocha in May 2023.
We have asked a number of URC and international friends and partners to reflect on their experience of the country and the church, and how we can support our fellow Christians at this time.
With every good wish
Andy
The Rev’d Andy Braunston
Minister for Digital Worship