“Then Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other so that his hands remained steady until the sun went down.”
Pastor Jam Let (second from left) and the elders of Joljam Christian Church with Dr. Nehkholal (center).
Some of the leaders from the Tamu area gathered for a prayer meeting.
Local pastors and elders are on the “front lines” of the spiritual battle for souls in rural Myanmar. Unlike in America where Christian churches and congregations are able to support their leaders financially, most congregations in rural Myanmar villages are tiny and the people are living in extreme poverty. The pastors and elders need our help. We need to come along side them and “hold up their hands” as they direct and lead in the the spiritual battles around them.
Many church leaders in northwest Myanmar live a very difficult life. Not only do they carry the burden of leading their flocks, they also have the challenge of doing so while trying to provide for their own families. The congregations of many of the churches in northwest Myanmar are made up of families living in extreme poverty. They cannot afford the luxury of paying their pastors a salary.
One of our priorities at Myanmar Hope Christian Mission is to build up the local church so that they can stand on their own without need of western aid. But many of the pastors and elders are uneducated, biblically illiterate, and have no time to study the Bible, to prepare sermons, or to visit their members. They do not have access to abundant and varied Christian resources like we have in the West. How will they ever be able to lead their people into spiritual maturity and to expand the Kingdom of God?
One of the ways we can help is to provide the poorest pastors with monthly help, similar to our Family Support Program. Helping their families with food, medical care, clothing, and other resources gives them some extra time during the week to actually do the work of ministry. We do not provide for the entirety of their needs, but we are able to give them some much-needed margin in their lives so that they can study, prepare sermons, visit their flocks, and so on. Additional resources like bicycles, motorcycles, Bibles for their congregations, and so on, are provided on an as-needed basis and as we have funds available.
There are many more pastors that need help. Please pray about partnering with a local pastor to enable him to better minister the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the people of northwest Myanmar. Thank you.
Most local pastors live in extreme poverty and need our help. This is Pastor Neng Kho Thang and his family from Kanan Village.