Even civil war doesn’t stop the global family from supporting one another. For the Indonesia 2022 Assembly, Amos Chin from Bible Missionary Church, Mennonite (BMC), came to participate in the MWC General Council. A military coup followed by civil war had broken out in his country a year earlier, destroying the livelihoods of people there. 

That year and also in 2023, BMC received a Global Church Sharing Fund (GCSF) grant from Mennonite World Conference. “We used the fund for food, medicine and basic necessities for the Mennonite refugees in the Chin state,” said Amos Chin. 

“Many of us, especially young men in the families, have to live in hiding to prevent being conscripted in the military. During a civil war like this, there’s no question that conscription would mean killing our neighbours and friends. We do not want to take part in this,” said Amos Chin. 

However, these young men may be financial providers for their families. “Under such pressure, these gifts have allowed us to help our church members and war refugees obtain basic needs,” said Amos Chin. 

The MWC family has also responded on a member-church basis. 

In 2022, Assembly host conferences GKMI (Gereja Kristen Muria Indonesia)* and JKI (Jemaat Kristen Indonesia)* sent aid to refugees, both to displaced peoples and those who want to return to their hometowns. 

During the 2024 Executive Committee meetings in Curitiba, Brazil, Andean region regional representative Pablo Stucky passed a special offering from his home church in Colombia to Myanmar. "Members of my church follow the situation of Myanmar keenly because they too have endured years of mandatory military service, internal armed conflict and forced displacement,” said Pablo Stucky.

“These connections were made possible because all our churches were connected to Mennonite World Conference and because MWC raised the issue of Myanmar. For this, I thank you,” said Amos Chin. 

Bruce Campbell-Janz, MWC Chief Development Officer, said, “Everyone in MWC is called together to follow Jesus, and in this there are many opportunities to practise generosity as MWC amplifies the voices of churches around the world facing challenges. This mutual sharing in suffering and joy is core to MWC’s vision.” 

Since the civil war broke in 2021, about half of the country is controlled by rebel forces, causing military bombing and raids on a daily basis. Death tolls continue to rise, now numbering 50 000 according to The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED). This makes Myanmar the most violent among the 50 wars ACLED tracks globally. 

About 30 percent of Myanmar’s population is facing food insecurity, according to the 2023 World Food Programme report. 

Since the civil war broke in 2021, BMC had to close three refugee camps due to food scarcity and lack of medicine. One Mennonite church has been destroyed. The Mennonite church in Myanmar has 47 congregations, 21 of which exist in locations severely impacted by the war. 

“Myanmar is facing many problems, from war, food scarcity, high inflation to high unemployment. But, on the other hand, God is opening a great door for us to continue spreading the gospel. In fact, church attendance is growing, and many of our youth made a pledge not to partake in the civil war because they understood the Anabaptist teaching of peace. Some have even chosen to go to prison rather than taking up arms,” said Amos Chin. 

“Please continue to pray for us, the more than 200 Mennonite families whose livelihoods have been totally destroyed by war. Pray for peace in Myanmar,” said Amos Chin. 

About MWC national member church Bible Missionary Church, Mennonite 

Established in 1997, Bible Missionary Church, Mennonite, in Myanmar has 47 congregations with around 2 000 baptized members and 3 500 regular attenders. The church has been following Jesus in the context of state violence for decades, with escalation into civil war after a 2021 coup. 

*Today, there are three Anabaptist-Mennonite groups in Indonesia: 

• Gereja Injili di Tanah Jawa (GITJ –Evangelical Church in the Land of Java) 
• Gereja Kristen Muria Indonesia (GKMI –Muria Christian Church of Indonesia) 
• Jemaat Kristen Indonesia (JKI –Indonesian Christian Congregation)