Church membership 'explodes' in Thailand

50% increase in 2 years! Urgently planning for extra staff and buildings

Some exciting news! As I write this letter to you, I feel rather overwhelmed. Today I will be effecting the transfer of monies for the purchase of the land in the village of Ban Napong so our sponsor from Singapore can commence planning construction of a new Church building. Without your financial support, this would not have been possible.

Village of Hoey Khaa.

As I anticipated, the price for the land increased from 15,000 to 20,000 Baht. All parties involved in this transaction to purchase the 1.5 rye (~2400 sq m) in Ban Napong are more than happy with the negotiated price. It is a fair, even generous, price for the land which is situated right in the village on the lower side next to the wet rice fields. The land is high enough to be above regular seasonal flooding and is accessible from the road by vehicle. There will be sufficient land for the Church building, a future manse, and for Evangelist Tawee to grow some vegetables, raise chickens and so on to augment his income.

Recently I had an extended discussion with Evangelist Amnuoy about the work both Evangelist Tawee and he are carrying out in Nan near the village of Bo Khluea. Amazingly and with thanksgiving to God, we have a problem!! I say this with a genuine smile on my face — the Church membership in this area of Thailand is, simply put, "exploding." Two Evangelists are just not enough to service, now, nine plus villages in Nan. Membership in the area is already moving toward 750 members, whereas two years ago membership was around 500. To put this in perspective, it means that our Region 5 now has about 30% of the total membership of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Thailand, with only two fulltime Thai workers and a halftime pastor.

Excluding any future growth, right now we need two additional fulltime evangelists working with Evangelists Tawee and Amnuoy. Reverend Prapan agrees with this assessment and has expressed this need to me on several occasions.

But, if the current growth rate continues (and there is no indication of a slowdown, in fact the opposite seems to be the case), then in the next 12-18 months we will seeking to employ another two evangelists just to provide minimal support to the membership in Nan alone. This does not include an additional fulltime Evangelist needed to be based at Ban Palan (near Chiang Rai). A total of five additional evangelists over the next 12-18 months!

New church at the village of Ban Den.

Currently Reverend Prapan and I are preparing a budget proposal and plan for the next five years for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thailand's (ELCT) Region 5 (the equivalent of a District budget in Australia). Region 5 includes Chiang Rai and Nan. When this budget and planning proposal are complete, we will be forwarding copies to the various missionary agencies, including you, our Australian supporters who work in cooperation with the ELCT, to solicit funds to meet our goals and future needs. There are anticipated needs for human and material resources, along with construction projects such as new Church buildings, manses, and the development of a future hoped for regional training facility, similar to the one currently being developed in Mukdahan in far eastern Thailand. This facility would be used for training evangelists and lay people for service in the Church in Region 5. From this training centre, it is envisaged those with the desire and aptitude would be encouraged to further serve the Church by continuing their theological education at the ELCT's Seminary proposed for Bangkok.

We have provided this information in advance so that you can prayerfully consider our needs and pray for God's guidance in our preparation of this buget and planning proposal for Region 5 of the ELCT over the next five years.

Never in my wildest dreams did I anticipate I'd be part of something so wonderful and so amazing as what is happening right here, right now, in and around Ban Palan near Chiang Rai and around Bo Khluea in the Nan region of Thailand.

It is with joy and thanksgiving to God and gratitude in our hearts that we share this wonderful news with you. We thank God for your generous support and look forward to seeing you here in Thailand.

Reverend Simon Mackenzie on behalf of Reverend Prapan Na Chiang Mai (Head of Region 5), Evangelist Tawee, Evanglist Amnuoy, our families, and members of ELCT Region 5

    PRAYER REQUESTS

• Please pray that this wonderful growth in Thai church membership may continue.
• Please pray for people to be moved to help us financially, most urgently with the need for three new manses in Ban Palan, Ban Den and Ban Napong. Currently Tawee and Amnuoy are living in conditions I could not endure. In the current wet season, the ants move into the house, their roofs leak, they have rats regularly visiting, mosquitoes have free reign because the walls of their dwellings are just split bamboo, and in the last storm the roof of Amnuoy’s dwelling was partly blown off. We currently have no evangelist working in Ban Palan.
• Please pray for people moved to assist personally, with health care, teaching English, and so on.
• Please pray for our sponsors in Australia to be moved to come and see for themselves what is taking place here, to fellowship with the body of Christ, and give thanks to God for what He is accomplishing here in Region 5 of the ELCT.
• Please pray for Church unity.
• Please pray that God would raise up more Thai pastors and evangelists for faithful service in the ELCT, particularly bold and courageous men (males are currently outnumbered about 6:1 in the congregations).
• Please pray for Reverend Prapan Na Chiang Mai, Reverned Simon Mackenzie, Evangelist Tawee, Evanglist Amunuoi, and our families.

Pastor Simon Mackenzie (to supporters at St Paul's)