I returned to Myanmar in January of 2024 after a four-year absence. The COVID crisis and the military coup in 2021 made it difficult, if not impossible, to travel safely to the Southeast Asian nation that I have deeply loved since my first visit in 2000. Since then, I have had the privilege of ministering in Myanmar two more times, in August of 2024 and this past January (2025).
Ministering the gospel in a conflict zone such as Myanmar is a challenge for local pastors, evangelists, and, especially now, youth workers. These challenges are not unique to Myanmar. They are shared by Christians in other conflict zones such as Ukraine, Gaza, Syria, and Lebanon. I pray that my observations in this post will encourage you to pray for our brothers and sisters in Myanmar and throughout the world.
A Violent Context
There is a violent civil war raging in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. Since seizing power in a military coup in early 2021, the now ruling junta has been confronted twice: first by massive civilian resistance, then by armed local and regional forces that now control vast areas of the country outside the major cities of Yangon, Mandalay, and the capital Napidaw.
Life in these conflict zones is often a struggle for survival. The military routinely bombs civilian villages in conflict areas that have little to no military value. They do this to induce shock, terror, and fear among the civilian population. Because the conflict zones are also predominantly minority and tribal areas and most Christians in Myanmar are members of these minority people groups, our sisters and brothers are suffering even if they’re not directly involved with the armed resistance.
A Persevering Interpreter
On my most recent visit, a colleague and I were in Yangon. My missionary friend and colleague lives in Sweden, and we’ve taught together at this annual pastor’s conference on six occasions since 2005.
We needed an interpreter, and my friend’s faithful interpreter is from the Chin people group, a majority Christian tribe whose home state is in west-central Myanmar, bordering India and Bangladesh. He has interpreted for my friend at several previous conferences and was determined to travel to Yangon for this year’s meetings, even though he lived on the other side of the country. His journey to Yangon took him more than twenty-four hours, during which he was subjected to multiple security checkpoints, interviews, and delays.
We were grateful for his perseverance. Having the right interpreter makes all the difference in communicating with brothers and sisters who do not understand English. His testimony is just one story of how challenging the work of the Gospel is in Myanmar.
The Impact of Conflict on Ministry
In the past, the conference has had over two hundred participants from churches throughout the diverse ethnic groups of Myanmar. This year, that number was cut in half, primarily because it was too dangerous for pastors in conflict zones to leave their families and churches for the arduous journey to Yangon.
Before the conference began, my friend and I were invited to speak to our partner’s home church in Yangon. As the congregation gathered, I noticed a significant absence of young men, especially in the late afternoon youth service. In my previous opportunities to minister at these Sunday services, many young men and women were always present for worship.
Our native missionary friends shared with us that the military junta was involuntarily conscripting young men, often taking them by force off the streets to fight on the front lines of the civil war. The fear of being essentially kidnapped has driven thousands of young men to leave the country. Many have fled to neighboring Thailand, where families displaced by the civil war have also sought refuge from the bombing and burning of whole villages.
Sustaining the Weary
When I returned to Myanmar in January of 2024, I distinctly remember the overwhelming sense of spiritual oppression that hung over the city of Yangon. It was palpable, even smothering in its effect. Since I had not seen my friends in four years, I immediately noticed the emotional and mental strain that the conflict was having on people whom I love dearly. There was a weariness in their faces, how they talked, and how they moved. Seeing them, my life calling was even more apparent, especially since it is summed up in the third Servant Song of Isaiah, which begins with this passage:
The Lord GOD has given me
the tongue of those who are taught,
that I may know how to sustain with a word
him who is weary.
Morning by morning he awakens;
he awakens my ear
to hear as those who are taught. Isaiah 50:4 (ESV)
Our brothers and sisters in Myanmar are weary. Every message that I brought was in prayerful reliance upon God to lift that weariness through the sustaining work of the Holy Spirit and the truth of His Word. Believers in other conflict zones around the world need that same encouragement.
The Church Is the Work of God
Reflecting on these three visits to Myanmar and meditating upon scripture, it occurred to me that God’s people have historically often lived under the oppression of hostile empires, regimes, religions, and cultures. The entire earthly ministry of Jesus and the story of the early church took place within the context of the Roman Empire. And yet, the church has survived, even thrived, despite violence and opposition.
That is undoubtedly because the church is ultimately God’s work and not man’s. Nevertheless, we are called to pray for the spread of the gospel throughout the world. Would you join me in praying for native missionaries in Myanmar and in all conflict zones?
