THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

OPEN UNIVERSITY OF HOCHIMINH CITY

SOUTH-EAST ASIAN STUDIES FACULTY

 

 

NGUYEÃN QUOÁC DUÕNG

 

 

 

 

 

PROTESTANTISM

IN SOUTH–EAST ASIA

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                SCIENTIFIC INSTRUCTOR

          PROFESSOR

NGUYEÃN TAÁN ÑAÉC

 

 

 

HOCHIMINH CITY

1995

CONTENTS

 

4 PREFACE:

1. Reason for choosing the thesis

2. Scientific suppositions

3. Tasks of the thesis

4. Methods of research

5. Objects and basis of research

     

CHAPTER I : SUMMARY  OF THE MISSION OF PROTESTANTISM IN  SOUTH-EAST ASIA

      I.1 The mission in continental Southeast Asian countries

         I.1.1        Thailand

         I.1.2        Myanmar

         I.1.3        Laos

         I.1.4        Cambodia

         I.1.5        Viet Nam

I.2. The mission in Islandish Southeast Asian countries

         I.2.1        Malaysia

         1.2.2      Singapore

         I.2.3        Brunei

         I.2.4        Indonesia

         I.2.5        The Philippines

     

CHAPTER II : THE SITUATION OF PROTESTANTISM IN  SOUTH-EAST ASIAN COUNTRIES FROM THE EARLY 20^TH CENTURY UP TO NOW

         (The period of stabilization and development)

      II.1             Religious community and cultural harmony

      II.2             Form of organizing and building churches

II.3    The timetable of activities and the economic factor of followers' lives

II.4    Ways of persuading people to believe and join the religion

II.5    Form of activities at churches and ways of looking after followers

II.6    Socio – cultural forms

     

CHAPTER III : THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PROTESTANTISM AND  SOUTH-EAST ASIAN COUNTRIES’ SOCIETY

      III.1 Politics

      III.2            Economics

      III.3            Culture

      III.4            Education

      III.5            Health

      III.6            Society

     

CHAPTER IV : CONCLUSION

      Œ Observation on Protestantism through History

       Observation on Protestantism through Cultural and Social stand point

      Ž Observation on Protestantism on the economic aspect

       

4 MATERIALS OF REFERENCE

4 APPENDIX

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PREFACE:

1. REASONS FOR CHOOSING THE THESIS:

      Religion and Nation are great problems that are interested in nations all over the world as well as by the Vietnamese Government today. To study these problems objectively, there needs to be protection of scientific research. To obtain an objective outlook, there needs to be a concrete thesis of scientific research.

      During this time when the country is open, the exchange of culture with other countries in the area is very necessary because through this, people can understand one another more and easily develop good international relations beneficial for their economy, society and state security.

      Religion, including Protestantism, is one of the forms of culture in any country in South–East Asia. Protestantism is one of the great religions in the world and present in all of the countries in this area now. Protestantism appeared in Europe in the 16^th century on the background of the scientific and technological revolution and the renaissance of literature and art. The religion’s way of indoctrinating is moderate. Having many effects on culture and society Protestantism has changed customs and forms of superstition to create a progressive and civilized way of life as well as to heighten people’s standard of culture.

[VO1]       Protestantism was in South–East Asian countries long time ago and had many positive effects on the development in the area. This makes me want to look for materials about Protestantism in South–East Asia and to make a contribution to people who want to study about Protestantism. Those are the reasons for my choosing the thesis “ PROTESTANTISM IN SOUTH–EAST ASIA”.

2. SCIENTIFIC SUPPOSITIONS:

      1. Based on a study of the indoctrination and ethics in Calvin’s religious sect a German Sociologist, Max Weber, built a model of behavior of those who belong to this sect. He called it “ Ideal–Typus” in the famous work “ The Protestant Ethics and the Capitalism’s spirit ’’. He remarked that this model was the same as a Capitalist’s model of behavior. That led Weber to draw a conclusion: that the Protestant ethics played a very important role in capitalism’s early development in Germany. (1)

      2. In the thesis of researching and lecturing on the topic “ Some thoughts about mental factors influencing the developed economy in South Korea with a view to finding a way for South Korea and Vietnam to co–operate in the field of economy ’’, student Jeong Bong Cheol belonging to Vietnamese Department, Pusan foreign languages University, South Korea, on the 25^th of January 1994, wrote:“ The demand of developing economy and renovation is to revolutionize the mind first and then put it into practice consequently, this purely  Protestant idea had a strong effect, awaking the Korean people to early opening their eyes. For an outlook, in the period from 1945 to 1961 the South Korean people seemed to be in the situation of mental hibernation, but thanks to the movement of expanding Protestantism, they quickly awoke in every field from education to production” (1)

Because the above scientific suppositions are partly classic and partly modern. I want to find out how the actual situation is like. Especially to South–East Asian countries where there have been great and long standing religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Catholicism, Islamism, and the system of oriental philosophy of Confucius, Lao etc. How did Protestant join in the countries? What effect did it have to help the development in economy, culture, education, health and society? What harm did it make in the aspect of political security?

3. TASKS OF THE THESIS:

      The thesis presents basic knowledge about Protestantism helping to enhance social and cultural exchanges and among South–East Asia countries. There are not few social cultural, economic, educational and political activists in these countries that can be under the Protestantism's influence.

      The thesis also helps researchers to discover a great deal about Protestantism: active works joining activities in the fields of society, culture, education, health and people’s life. Neither participating in political parties in governments nor acts of opposing and sabotaging government, in comparison with the countries in South–East Asia to come to a conclusion whether this is the nature on a phenomenon.

      The thesis also helps the mission of Protestantism not to be wrongly or suspiciously understood. Besides, it helps to create mutual trust and understanding from two sides: The government has bases to estimate Protestantism scientifically and Protestants believe that the government understands the religion clearly. Therefore, Christians keep their mind on contribution to society to actively promote their good points like Protestantism in South–East Asian countries.

      Lastly, the thesis helps Protestant culture to join the national culture.

4. METHODS OF RESEARCH.

      Use multi branch and interbranch methods of research: History, Geography, Ethnology, Sociology and Statistics investigate and survey for facts in Protestant, religious sects in South–East Asia: Vietnam and Malaysia.

5. MATERIAL SOURCES:

Protestant Churches in Vietnam and Malaysia.

Organizations of scientific research in South–East Asia.

Scientific materials.

Directories stored in University Malaya (UM), Library of Malaysia Bible Seminary (MBS)            

CHAPTER I

SUMMARY OF THE MISSION OF PROTESTANTISM IN SOUTH–East Asia

I.1. THE MISSION IN SOUTH East Asian CONTINENTAL COUNTRIES

I.1.1. THAILAND:

      General outline:

     Area 514.000 km² (square meter) north bordering on Burma, East bordering on Laos, South–East bordering on Malaysia. The 1995 population is 59.800.000. Population density 116 people per one square kilometer. The capital is Bangkok with 6.450.000. The average income per capita is 2.085 USD.

      Peoples:

      Thailand has four groups of great people

– Thai                                     77,7 %

– Chinese                              12,1 %

– Malaysian                           4,0 %

– Mon-Khmer                        3,7 %

*   Other groups of Thai             0,6 %

* Hmong-Dao                             0,48%

* Tiberto-Burman                       0,92%

* Other people                            0,5 % 

Including Westerners, Burmese, Japanese, Vietnamese...                                                                      

      Languages:

Thailand has 81 languages, but the first language is Thai. Besides, there are languages such as English, Chinese, Malay, Lao, Khmer, and Vietnamese...

      The rate of literacy:        93,8 %

      Economy:

      Thailand is an agricultural country. The main export products are rice, sugar, pineapple and rubber. Industry and exploitation of minerals are developing rapidly.

      Politics:

     Established in the 13^th century, the Siam Kingdom was renamed Thailand in 1939. Thailand is the country in SouthEast Asia, which was not invaded by colonialism and imperialism, now it is constitutional monarchy regime with a King and a Prime Minister. Before 1992, the majority of the congress belonged to the army but since then, the congress has belonged to the civilians.

      Religions:

National religion: Hinayana Buddhism   93,4 %

Islamism                                                         4,0 %

Chinese religion                                          1,6 %

Christianity                                                    1,0 % (Protestantism 0,43 %)

      Outline of mission history:

      Catholicism came to this country in 1554, nearly 3 centuries later, Protestantism came here. On the 23^rd of August 1828 a German missionary belonging to the Holland missionary organization, Carl Gutzlaff and an English man belonging to London missionary society, Jacob Tomlin came here. Six months later, they translated four Gospels into Thai and copied the English–Thai dictionary up to the alphabet “R ”. In 1831, they completed the translation of the whole Bible into Thai and a part of the Bible into Lao and Khmer.

      The North American Baptist missionaries came here in 1933 and built the first church in Thailand called Chinese Matri Chit Baptist Church in 1837.

      Presbyterian missionaries came to Thailand in 1840. They began to preach the religion in the North and Chiangmai. Today, the Presbyterian Church has built here a village to treat leprous people a school to train nurses, a primary and secondary school, a hospital and a Theological seminary.

      The CMA began to open a mission in Ubon on the 1^st January 1929. In 12 years’ time. There were only 85 people turning to the Christians and accepting Baptism.

      Nowadays, there are many denominations in Thailand and 0,43% of the population embracing the Protestantism.

      Today, Thai Protestant is carrying out their mission by the following ways:

– Carry on translating the Bible into 21 languages.

– Make traditional and cultural plays.

– Broadcast programs.

– Preach with cassettes to rural areas.

– Publication: more than 1,000 books were printed.

– There are over 20 bookshops.  Holy Bible is the best seller.

– Make a film about Jesus Christ.

– There are 17 Bible schools.

– The Bangkok Bible college (initiated by CMA and OMF, with 140 graduates).     Phayao Bible Training Center (OMF) and many denomination Bible colleges.

      The majority of the followers are Thai of Chinese origin and mountain ethnic minorities. The target in 2000 is 600,000 members, 6,000 pastors, 600 in home missions and 60 overseas missionaries.

      Rate of growth: 7%

 

Church	Cong	Members	Affiliated
Church of Christ in Thailand	380	45,308	82,400
Karen Baptist Covenant	182	11,079	19,000
Seventh-day Adventist	33	8,780	16,800
Lahu Baptist Convenant	76	6,000	15,000
Churches related to OMF	188	6,200	12,400
Finish Free Mission	58	3,500	8,750
Thai Baptist Churches Association	39	3,203	7,120
Hope of Bangkok	100	3,000	6,000
Full Gospel Church Foundation	21	2,846	5,690
Gospel Church of Thai	107	3,153	5,148
Evangelical Covenant Church	74	3,000	5,000
Full Gospel Fell Church	35	2,040	4,080
Bonds of Fellowship (WEC)	60	1,200	3,000
All other (43)	463	17,604	36,115
Denominations (56)	1,816	116,873	226,503
Evangelicals  0,3% of pop		82,000	162,000
Pentecostal / charis 0.08 %		10,800	46,300

      Missionaries:

To Thailand 1,293 (1:43,100 people) in 104 agencies.

From Thailand 117 (1:2,000 Protestant) in 10 agencies  4frn 14xcul   103dom.1                            

1.1.2. MYANMAR:

General outline:

      The country’s name at present is Myanmar with the area of 677.000 km²  (square meter). North bordering on China, West bordering on Pakistan, East bordering on Laos, South bordering on Thailand. The 1995 population is 46.275.000. Population density 68/km⁴. The capital  is Rangoon with 2.674.000 people.

      Peoples:

– Burmese are in the majority        63,1%

– Minor groups                                 19,3%

– Tai                                        8,4%

– Mon-Khmer                                    4,4%

– Other people                                  4,8%

– Chinese, Bangladeshi, Indian, Malaysian...

      Languages:

      The first language is Burmese. Besides there are languages such as Shan, Karen, Kuki chin, English, Chinese and over 100 ethnic minorities’ languages.

      The rate of literacy         :           78%

      Economy:

      Myanmar is an agricultural country, exporting rice thanks to the Irrawaddy delta. This country is rich in natural resources with different kinds of precious wood such as Teak, Iron wood and mines of colored metal and precious gems.

      Politics:

      The English took up Burma. In 1886, It joined India, until 1937 it was separated into a particular colony. In World War II, the Japanese occupied Burma from 1942 to 1945 then the English came back. Gaining independence in 1947, Burma established the Union of Burma separated from the United Kingdom. In 1965, the army seized power, leading the nation into the line of socialism. In 1990, Myanmar carried out democratic elections. The opposition party led by Mrs. Aungsan Sukyu occupied 85% of the seats in congress, but the Army party in power refused to hard over power.

      Religions:

– Hinayana Buddhism                    87,8%

– Christianity                                     6,5% (Protestantism 5,2%)

– Islamism                                         3,8%

– Other religions                               1,9%

Outline of Protestantism mission history:

      Protestant came to Burma in 1813; most of the believers belonged to Karen, Chin, and Kachin people. They followed the religion in great number and there were more Protestants among them than the Burmese.

      The first missionary  Adoniram Judson, belonging to the American Baptist mission came to Rangoon in 1813 the Karens followed the religion in 1827, the Chin in 1845 and the Kachin in 1876.

      The other domination coming to Burma later was the Lutheran, the Methodist. Missionaries belonging to the American Methodist from India came here in 1879 and had their central headquarters in the South of Burma. The English Methodist came 7 years later and spread the religion in the North of Burma.

      The Anglicanism began in 1877, the Crusaders in 1915, the Seventh Day Adventist church in 1919, the Church of Christ in 1949, the Presbyterian in 1954.

 

Church	Congregation	Members	Affiliated
Baptist  Convention	3,417	477,723	1,500,000
Assemblies of God	750	82,319	123,000
Churches of Christ	1,000	51,889	104,000
Methodist Ch of M	215	42,004	71,700
Ch of Prov of M (Ang)	611	22,995	44,290
Presbyterian Ch of M	200	25,000	50,000
Lisu Christian Church	233	14,000	35,000
Seventh–day Adventist	139	12,798	32,000
Self–Supp Karen Bapt	105	10,500	21,000
Evang Free Ch of M	352	8,000	20,500
Mara Christian Ch	50	10,000	20,000
Christian Brethren	41	4,085	10,200
Chr  Reformed Ch	65	3,420	5,700
Meth Ch of Union of M	25	3,104	5,540
All other (22)	657	59,322	115,746
Denominations (36)	7,860	828,159	2,158,676

     

      Missionaries to Myanmar 20 in 8 agencies[1]

I.1.3. LAOS

      General outline:

      Area 236,800 Km², North bordering on China, East bordering on Vietnam West bordering on Thailand, South borders on Cambodia. The population in present 4,583,000. Population density: 19/km². The capital is Vientiane. The average income per capita 170 USD.

      People

      There are more than 130 groups of people.

      – Thai                                           66,3%

      – Mon-Khmer                              21,4%

      – H’Mong                                       7,6%

      – Sino-Tibetan                            1,44%

      – Other groups                            3,2%

      Languages

      The first language is Laos; besides, there are other languages such as French, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, English and more than 70 languages other peoples.

      The rate of literacy                     :           43%

      Economy

      Laos is an agricultural country, the main source of exports at present are wood and hydro–electricity.

      Politics

      In the middle of the 14 th century, King Fa Ngoum unified Laos, established the capital in Luang Prabang. In 1893, Laos was under France’s protection. From 1941 to 1945, the Japanese occupied Laos. In 1946 the French returned and took over. In 1954, Laos gained independence, naming the country is the Laos Kingdom. In 1976, the Laos Kingdom was renamed Laotian People’s Democratic Republic embracing Socialism.

      Religions

–    National religion is Hinayana Buddhism      58,7 %

      – Animist                                                       33%

      – Christianity                                                1,53 %  (Protestantism 0,72%)

– Muslim                                                              1%

      – Chinese religion                                       0,7 %

      Outline of Protestantism mission history

It was the first time when a Presbyterian missionary Doctor Daniel Mac.Gilvary, came to the capital Luang Prabang preaching in 1880. In 1902, Mr & Mrs G. Contesse belonging to Swiss Brothers religious sect came to Song Khona town. After three years of preaching, there was just only one believer. His name was Tit Pan. The New Testament was translated into Lao and the New Testament  in Laos was published in 1926. In 1928, CMA came to preach in Northern Laos. When there have been a number of Kha Presbyterian ministers and followers thanks to the Northern Thailand Presbyterian mission’s establishment. In 1967, the CMA mission had 29 missionaries in Northern Laos, 65 churches and 26 local ministers. Most of the Protestants were mountain ethnic minorities.

 

 

Church	Congregation	Members	Affiliated
Evangelical Ch ( CMA )	160	8,000	16,000
Christian  Brethren	90	6,500	13,000
All other (2)	3	220	400
Denominations (4)	253	14,720	29,400

Evangelicals 0.72% of pop [2]

I.1.4 CAMBODIA

      General outline

      Area 182.000 Km²  (square Km), North bordering on Laos, East bordering on Vietnam, West borders on Thailand. The population at present 9,205,000. The population density 50/km². The capital is Phnom Penh with over 1,000,000 people.

      Peoples

      –  Khmer                                      85,2%

      –  Group of ethnic minorities: 3,6%

      –  Other peoples:                                    11,2%

         Such as Chinese, Vietnamese, Laotians, Westerners.

      Languages

      The first language is Khmer. Besides, there are other languages such as French, Chinese, Vietnamese, Cham, Malaysian, Brao, Kui, Mnong, Pear and some languages of ethnic minorities.

      The rate of literacy                     :           48%

      Economy

      Cambodia has an agricultural economy. Industry hasn’t developed yet. The major income depends on forestry and pisciculture.

Politics

      The country has long-standing civilization and history well known with such name as: The Khmer Kingdom (Century I – VII) The Cham Kingdom (Century VII – VIII) The Angkor Kingdom (Century IX – XIX). Having been ruled over by the French since 1863. It gained its independence in 1953. In 1975 the Khmer Rouge seized power, putting in the dictatorial policy. In 1979, the People’s party took over power, renaming the country Kampuchea. In May 1993 a new congress was voted, two Prime Ministers were appointed, and the country renamed Cambodia like the old one, taking the constitutional monarchy with the monarch Norodom Shihanouk.

      Religions

      – National religion: Hinayana Budhism        87%

      –  Ethnicalism                                         7 %

      –  Islamism                                                          2,9 %

      –  Nature worship cult                           2,7 %

      –  Christianity                                         0,4 %

      Outline of Protestantism mission history

      CMA began to indoctrinate in 1922 and established the Khmer Protestant Church in Phnom Penh and then all over the country gradually. Besides the mission among the Khmer, Chinese, and Vietnamese, Church was established for Mnong Biet and Kuoy peoples in NorthEast Cambodia. In 1964, there were 13 churches in nine out of 17 provinces of Cambodia.

      An Indonesian missionary built a church of the Seventh Day Adventist church before 1975.

 

Church	Congregation	Members	Affiliated
National churches	61	2,500	6,250
All other (7)	9	900	1,593
Denominations (8)	70	3,400	7,843

Evangelicals 0.08 % of pop [3]

I.1.5 VIET NAM

      General outline

Area 331.042 Km², North boder on China, West borders on Laos. Southwest bordering on Cambodia. East with the coast along from Mong cay to Ha tien of over 3,260 Km.

      Population 76,729,000. The capital is Ha Noi with 4,500,000 people. Population density 226/km². The average income per capital USD 220.

      Peoples

      Vietnam has 54 peoples:

      – Vietnamese                 86,7%

      – Mon – Khmer               5%

      – Thai – Dai                                3,9%

      – Miao/Yao                                  1,6%

      – Malayo – Polynesian 1%

      – Chinese                                   1%

      – Other peoples              0,8%

      Languages

      The main language is Vietnamese. Beside there are English, French, Chinese, Khmer, Thai, Muong and may ethnic minorities languages.

      The rate of literacy                     : 88,6%

      Economy

Vietnam has an agricultural economy ranked the third in the rice exporting countries in the word, thanks to the two great delta. The Mekong river delta and Red river delta. Exporting products from industrial crops such as rubber, coffee. To tropical fruits and vegetables. Beside there are kinds of aquatic products, minerals and petroleum.

      Politics

      The Chinese ruled Vietnam from the early era to 939 A.D. After that was the period of building. In 1802, the first king of the Nguyen dynasty, Gia Long came to the crown unifying the country from North to South. In 1858, the French began to invade the country and completely, ruled over Vietnam in 1884, the French carried out their colonialist policy. In 1945, the whole Vietnamese people gained independence and President Ho Chi Minh declared it on September 2^nd, 1945.

In 1945, the country was divided into two parts: the North and the South at the seventeenth parallel. Under the leadership of Vietnam communist party, Vietnam was completely unified on April 30th 1975, following the Socialist line.

      Religion

      – Buddhism                                                                    52%

– Ethnicalism                                                            29,8%

      – Christianity                                                      9,8% (Protestantism 0,8%)

      – New religions (Caodaism, Hoa Haoism)    5,2%

      – Natural worship cult                                       3%

– Islamism                                                                 0,2%

      Outline of Protestantism mission history

      Protestantism came to Vietnam in the early 19th century. Among the French expeditionary forces. There was a French navy officer named Jean Baptiste, Chaigneau, who became a protestant in 1825. In 1902 a French protestant church was built in Saigon (at 2 bis Le Duan today). In 1904, the French protestant church built two more churches in Ha Noi and Hai Phong, but they didn’t preach in Vietnam community.

In 1911, C&MA began to expand Protestantism in Ha Noi in September, 1921 they organized a Bible school training ministers and preachers in Da Nang. In 1926, the New Testament was published in Vietnamese with the writer Phan Khoi’s contribution. In 1927, the first class of Bible graduated and the first eight Vietnamese pastors left school. In 1954, the Northern Vietnam Protestant church was still under the CMA’S influence. In 1975 the CMA priests church was completely independent. However the two Southern and Northern churches haven’t unified their common organization system up to now. Therefore, the local branches still manage to do their domestic affairs themselves.

      In the Chinese community in Vietnam, the Chinese Christian church was established with the CMA’S active help, between 1918 – 1920 missionaries from South China came to Hai Phong, Saigon. In 1921, the minister Chau Tinh Hon was in charge of the first Cholon protestant church, which is now Nguyen Trai protestant church, 462 – 464 Nguyen Trai Districts 5, Ho Chi Minh City.

The Seventh Day Adventist came to Vietnam in 1929.

The Mennonite Protestant came to Vietnam in 1954 as the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). In 1964, they opened two centers of culture, education and society for the youth in Saigon and Gia Dinh.

      The Christian Mission was established in Da Nang in the early 1957 on the initiative of Mr and Mrs G.H.Smith, the two missionaries. The target of the mission was preaching among the ethnic peoples and Vietnamese communities who hadn’t had any religion sects. The first missionary of this mission is Minister Hoang Trong Nhut. Since 1958, Worldwide Evangelization crusade helped this mission. In 1968, United World Mission replaced W.E.C.

Baptist was brought into Vietnam in 1959 by Southern Baptist convention, USA the mission widened their mission from Saigon to Dalat Nha Trang and Da Nang and established a Bible theological institute for training the mission’s ministers and missionaries Gia Dinh.

Before 1975, there were some other religious sects such as Methodist, congregation, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Lutheran puritan, fifty years...

Besides, there were Protestant societies such as the Christian children’s fund financing the Nha Trang protestant protestant orphanage since 1951. After 1954 there were more missions the world vision, the Mennonite central committee the Christian orphan’s fund, the Asian Protestant society the Vietnam Christian service.

      These organizations had a quite wide range of activities from health relief service to culture and education.

      The Bilble Society with the purpose of translating printing and popularizing the Bible in languages all over the word, has had activities in Vietnam since 1890, but officially in 1902. The first head office in Da Nang was sold to C&MA and later used as the mission head office. In 1911, it moved to Hai Phong and to Saigon in 1954.

The Summer Institute of linguistics of North Dakota University, USA came to Vietnam in 1957. Besides cultural activities, the linguist even had activities as Protestants on missionaries. This research organization was also called Wyclife Bible translators, INC. One of the institute’s purposes in Vietnam was to translate at least a part of the New Testament into ethnic languages, with the simplest and most suitable way of expression in each ethnic languages standard of knowledge. The institute’s objective was to make its activities many sided in the 70’s. The institute compiled bilingual primers, helping the program to abolish illiteracy, translated books of great value in ethical education, and widened efforts to research in the lines of anthropology and ethnology. During the time from 1959 to 1973, the institute translated the materials of the Bible into 22 different ethnic languages.

Church	Congregation	Members	Affiliated
Evangelical Ch (CMA)	260	160,000	350,000
Unregd, house chs	253	38,000	95,000
Montagnard churches		18,000	60,000
Seventh – day Adventist	23	4,000	6,670
Assemblies of God	46	2,100	3,000
All other (5)		11,500	22,140
Denominations (10)	632	233,600	536,810

1.2 THE MISSION IN ISLANDISH SOUTH EAST  ASIAN COUNTRIES

I.2.1 MALAYSIA:

      General outline

      Area: 330.000 km² with two different areas. The West is the Malaysian peninsula with ten states and the autonomus territory Kuala Lumpur. The East consists of two states: Sabah and Sarawak on Borneo Island (Kalimantan). The Malaysian peninsula has. The North bordering on Thailand looking over the Indian Ocean and the gulf of Thailand. Eastern Malaysia on Borneo islands bordering on Indonesia and Brunei. The 1995 population 19.400.000. Population density 58/km2. The capital is Kuala Lumpur with 1.475.000 people. The average income per capita at present: 3.230 USD.

      Peoples

– The local people: Bumiputera 61,4 % (Malaysian 52,2 % minority people                                                             8,9 %)

      – Chinese                                   30%

      – Indian                           8,1%

– Other peoples                    0,5% including Indonesian, Filippino, English,                                     Thai, Burmese, Sri Lanka, and Pakistanese

      Languages

      The main language is Malay. Beside, there are languages such as English, Chinese, Tamil, Javanese, Iban, Dusun, Banjarese, Telugu, Dunjabi, Arabic, Dayak and 170 other ethnic minorities’ languages.

      The rate of literacy                     : 80%

      Economy

      Malaysia has a developing economy. The main profit sources are exporting petroleum, wood, plam, oil, and industry of high technology, minerals and tourism.

      Politics

Formed in 1456, the Portuguese invaded the Malacca kingdom in 1511, invading Malacca in 1641; the Dutch signed a treaty, handing over the colony to the Britons. The Japanese occupied Malaysia from 1941 to 1945. Between 1945 – 1957 many struggles for independence happened. On The 31st August 1957, Malaysia declared its independence. In 1963, Malaysia established the Malaysian Federation including Sarawak, Sabah and Singapore states. However, in 1965 Singapore seceded from the Federation, forming government is a King among nine sultans who is voted in turns. However, the congress, whose head at present is the Prime Minister Mahathiar Mahamad directly runs the governmental machinery of the country.

      Religions

      Sunni (religious sect) Islamism is recognized as the national religion.

      – Islamism                                   55%

      – Chinese religion                     18%

– Christianity                         8,6% (Protestantism 5%)

      – Buddhism                                6%

      – Ethnicalism                  3%

      – Nature worship cult    2,4%

Outline of Protestantism mission history

      Protestantism first came to Malaysia in 1641, until the early 19th century, the London Missionary Society established the English – Chinese college for training Chinese missionaries in 1814.

The Methodist is the greatest Protestant religious sect in Malavsi. The USA Methodist mission came to the Malaysia peninsula in 1885 and then the Australian and English Methodist missions. The Chinese and Tamil missionaries came from China, India and Sri Lanka. The Methodist church’s annual convention was organized for the first time in 1902. The annual convention Sarawak was organized for the first time in 1956. The Iban Mathodist’s temporary annual convention was organized for the first time in 1962. The Malaysia and Singaporean Methodism has been autonomous since 1968 and voted for their local bishops.

The Borneo Protestant church was established in 1963 with 278 branches in over 10 tribes thanks to the Australian Protestant mission’s preaching in Dusuns tribe in 1928.

The Basel Christian was born in Malaysia in 1883 when some Christians belong to Hakka tribe emigrating from South China to North Borneo, this group became larger every day because there were more Hakka immigrants to add to the number of new believers. Chinese ministers from China instructed those.

The Malaysia Lutheran Bible society was originated from a group of believers belonging to Tamil trible coming to Malaysia from South India in the early 20th century. They still contact with the home church in India until 1962 and then officially became the Malaysia Lutheran Bible society.

Beside, there are other religious sects such as Presbyterian, Seventh Day Adventist, Baptist, Fifty years, Brothers, Crusade, Anglican.

 

Church	Congregation	Members	Affiliated
Evang Ch of Borneo
SIB (OMF)	510	110,000	190,000
Methodist Ch	300	77,642	150,000
Anglican Ch	322	87,000	150,000
Seventh–day Adventist	200	30,000	50,000
Basel Christian Ch	90	24,000	32,000
Assemblies of God	231	15,000	20,000
Christian Brethren	74	3,000	6,500
Lutheran Ch in M & S	30	2,390	5,320
All other (44)	552	54,111	95,690
Denominations (52)	2,309	403,143	699,510

   I.2.2 SINGAPORE

      General outline

Area: 620 km2 this islandish country is on the South cape of the Malaysian peninsula. The population at present is 3.100.000. Population density 4.559/km2. The capital is Singapore. The average income per capita 18.025 USD.

      Peoples

      – Chinese                       77,7%

      – Malaysia                       14,1%

      – Indian               7,1%

– Other peoples:       1,1% including Filippino, Thai, Japanese, Sri Lanka,                                                        Indonesian, North Korean, and the Jews.

      Languages

The main language is Malay. Besides, there are languages such as Chinese, English, Tamil, Malayalam, Punjabi, Hindi and Java.

      The rate of literacy: 91,6%

      Economy

      Singapore has the most developed economy in South–East Asia today. Singapore has become an industrial center, the international finance and trading center and the commercial center of the Asia–Pacific Ocean region. Beside, this country is a big seaport with the task of accepts goods in transit in the international commercial relationship.

      Politics

Singapore was called Sabaru in the second century, Tumasik in the 14th century and Singapore as today in the 17th century. In 1819 T.S Raffles came to this city and then built a commercial firm for the East India Company. In 1824, the Dutch recognized this islandish country as an area under Britain’s influence. In 1946, Singapore was separated as the Empire’s colony. Joining the Malaysian Federation in 1963, but it seceded from this Federation in 1965. On August 9th 1965, Ly Quang Dieu’s government declared the establishment of the Singapore Republic; the Prime Minister at present is Goh Chok Tong.

      Religions

      – Chinese religion                     52,4%

      – Islamism                                   15,4%

      – Ethnicalism                  14,2%

      – Christianity                  14% (Protestantism 8%)

      – Hinduism                                 3,3%

      – Sikh religion                0,5%

      – Bahai religion              0,2%

      Outline of Protestantism mission history

      London missionary society sent the first missionary to Singapore in 1819. There were only ten believers 1841 and 60 believers in 1843.

In 1850, Presbyterian missions came here, and there were 800 chine believers in 1925.

In 1885, a Methodist missionary from India came to Singapore formed the Methodist church. In 1888, there was a division of mission between Malaysia and Singapore. The Methodist convention was organized in Sing in 1893. Right at the beginning, the Methodist was interested in, the education task, so today; there have been 7 educational institutes with 18.000 students and pupils. The number of believers increased twice as many between 1940 and 1960.

      The Brothers mission has expanded the religion since 1856.

The Chinese immigrants along with the Baptist brought in Baptist religious sect and they became a private church in 1937. The American's Southern Baptist mission came to Singapore in 1950.

 

Church	Congregation	Members	Affiliated
Methodist Ch Ascemblies of God Anglican Ch Presbyterian Ch Baptist Convention Bible Presby Ch (3)           Christian Brethren             Lutheran Chs (2)   CNEC Churches Evang Free Ch      All other (60) Denominations (73)	39 36 24 36 30 25 20 6 11 12 154 393	21,707 11,000 10,657 10,248 6,264 6,079 5,243 1,910 1,107 980 22,950 98,145	46,200 24,119 23,700 18,600 15,700 13,500 10,500 3,180 2,460 2,300 49,448 210,707

I.2.3 BRUNEI:

      General outline

Area 5.800 km² Brunei is the NorthWest of Kalimantan Island and borders on Sarawak State. The population at present is 301.000. Population density 52/km². The capital is Bandar Seri Gegawan. The average income per capita is 18.500 USD.

      People

      – Malaysian                                70,5%

      – Chinese                                   16%

      – Ethnic Minorities                     5,3%

      – Other peoples:                         8,2%, including Britons, South Asian people,                            Gurkha people, Korean, Filippino.

      Languages

      The main language is Malay. Besides, there are languages such as Chinese, English, Kedayan, Dusun, Melanau, and Iban.

      The rate of literacy                     :           86%

      Economy

The main profit is exporting petroleum

      Politics

Brunei has been known after the descent of Majapahit imperialism and became a port city of the merchant marine on the sea line linking Malacca–Java–China. In the early 15th century, Brunei was Islamize. In 1888, British representatives and Brunei sultans signed a treaty establishing Britain’s protectorate in Brunei. During World War II, the Japanese occupied Brunei. After 1945, the British returned stay until January 1st, 1984 when Brunei declared its independence.

      Brunei ‘s official name is Negara Brunei Danus–Salan translated from Malay meaning, “blessed Brunei”. Brunei has been declared as “Malaysian Islam Democratic country”. Sultan Bolkiah has built the monarchy to imitate the style of Arabie Saoudite and Oman. The royal blood keeps all power. Sultan holds functions such as Prime Minister, Minister of finance and for Internal Affalrs. He even controls the police, the industry of petroleum and religion. His sons hold the Foreign Ministry, Ministry of culture, Ministry of Youth and Sports.

      Religions

      National religion: Islamism

      – Islamism                                               71%

      – Chinese religion                                  9%

      – Christianity                              8%

      – Ethnicalism                              6,5%

      – Nature worship cult                5,5%

      Outline of Protestantism mission history

      Anglicanism came here in the 19th century. A number of other believers  immigranted from Hong Kong and China. Besides, there were number of believers to Iban people.

 

Church	Congregation	Members	Affiliated
Anglican Ch Tribal churches (4) Brunei Christian F’ship Bethel Chapel (Brethren) All other (4) Denominations (11)	3 4 2 2 5 16	630 500 450 250 447 2,277	4,400 1,000 900 625 763 7,688

   I.2.4 INDONESIA:           

General outline:

The area is 1.920.000km² consisting of 13.500 islands spreading on area of 9.500.000km² in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. The population at present is 193.400.000. The Population density is 102/km2 The capital is Jakarta with 8.670.000 people. The average income per capita is 645 USD.

Peoples

– Malaysia                             94%

– Chinese                              4%

– Irian and Papuan              1,2%

– Other peoples                    0,8% including Arabian, Indian, and European.

Languages

Indonesian is the main language besides other languages such as English, Chinese, Java, Sunda, Madu, Bali, Batak, Bugi and about 840 local languages.

The rate of literacy               84,4%

Economy

Indonesia has got a developed economy thanks to agriculture and processing industry. Besides, Government has built the bases of heavy industrial branches, especially the oil and gas industry. Today Indonesia is developing its tourism.

Politics

In the 14^th century, there was a prosperous kingdom called Majapahi whose territory was today's Indonesia islands, In the late 15^th century and the early 16^th century this imperialism disintegrated. The Portuguese occupied Indonesia as a colony from 1511 to 1605 and the Dutch from 1605 to 1945. After the great events in the country, the military sect led by president Suharto came into power in 1965. Suharto has always looked for the balance between the extremism of religion and the extremism of the local people. Congress was elected again in 1992 and President Suharto won the confidence in the poll for president in 1993, most of the votes were Islamites'.

Religions

The mono theism and community's peace is the foundation of the ideal policy “pancasila”. The people must choose one of the four main religions: Islamism, Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism.

–  Islamism                                        79,4%

–  Christianity                                    12,5%

–  Hinduism                                       1,9%

–  Buddhism                                      1%

–  Nature worship cult                     1%

Outline of Protestant mission history

Sumatra island: In 1838, Basel Protestant mission began activities in South Sumatra, In 1861 the Rhime mission led a number of Islamites to the religion. In this mission, there was a missionary, Lud Wig Nommensen, who reached among the Batak people for 56 years. In 1930 Batak Christian church began to be independent and was autonomous ten-year later. This is the greatest religious sect in Indonesia with over one million believers.

Nias Christianity was founded by the Rhine mission; its followers lived on Nias Island and some other small islands to the West of Sumatra Island. Nine years after the missionaries came, there was only one follower, the first one and 35 years later 5.000 followers. In 1936, this church became autonomous. Today the mission has got 578 branches with 453.848 followers in all. There was the Rhine mission's contribution in establishing Simalungun reformed church in 1903, too.

Indonesia Methodism with 107.874 followers in 218 branches is in Sumatra, too. Dutch mission founded Kara Batak reformed church. All of the five reformed churches in Sumatra are the members of Indonesia all nation churches committee. Besides there are some other religious sects.

+ Java Island: The most long standing is West Indonesia Reformed church. It had had activities since 1620 and become independent and autonomous in 1948. East Java Christian church was built by the two followers, C.L. Coolen and Emde, in 1815 until 1849, Dutch mission came helping it to develop to train Java minister and organize Chirstian hamlets.

Middle Java Christian church is also a church that was founded and built since 1858 by the local followers, until 1880, Dutch mission came to help it to develop. In 1931, Middle Java Christian church was completely independent.

+ Kalimantan Island: Coping here in 1836 the Rhine mission handed the mission over to the Basel mission, Switzerland in 1925 ten years later. Dayak protestant church was established and renamed Kalimantan protestant church in 1953.

CMA began in 1929 dividing the mission of East Kalimantan into three districts. In 1935, CMA opened a mission in West Kalimantan, dividing this region into two districts; CMA has got the mission in Sulawesi, Java, Bali and Timor, too.

Worldwide Evangelization Crusaders came to Kalimantan in 1949, in 1915, this organization enlarged their sphere of activity into South Sumatra and East Java. Two years later, a Bible school was built in Batu in 1959.

+ Sulawesi: Dutch mission came to Minahasa, a peninsula in North East Sulawesi, in 1822 until 1870, nearly the whole people in this region followed the religion.

In Middle Sulawesi, the two missionaries of Dutch mission, Kruyt and Adriani preached among the Toradja people. There were many followers and until 1947. The church here was completely autonomous.

West Irian: Utrecht mission is the first mission working in West Irian since 20th century the mission began to gain results. The number of followers increased from 500 to 50.000 between 1910 – 1940.

In 1939, C&MA came here. Today, this church is independent, auto nomous and named West Irian Protestant church with 263 branches.

Church	Congregation	Members	Affiliated
Evang Chr Ch in I–J Prot Ch in W.I  (4) Nias Chr Prot Ch Chtn   Prot Ch Indon Prot Chr Ch Chr Ch of Java Toraja Christian Ch Evang Ch of I  (UFM) Ev Chr Ch in Sanghir Seventh–day Adventist Karo Batak Prot Ch Ev Ch Kalimantan Idep Christian  (HKI) Chr Ch of Sumba Indon Chtn Ch (4) Methodist Church Ev Chr Ch in Java Ev Alliance  (TEAM) All other   (219)	1,052 185 578 1,753 797 1,202 591 400 355 1,000 571 908 590 306 179 218 60 289 15,864	230,000 171,000 141,000 155,459 192,000 156,000 123,000 35,000 88,100 130,000 82,000 73,600 68,800 61,200 53,600 37,000 47,000 24,288 3,019,057	460,000 451,000 312,848 286,967 286,885 259,871 250,000 250,000 220,308 217,000 205,000 184,115 180,950 161,000 124,720 70,874 67,332 60,700 7,128,754
Denominations (246)	33,913	7,892,617	16,812,169

 

1.2.5. PHILIPPINES

General outline

Area 300.000 km² with 7250 isles. The greatest isle is Luzon with the area of 116.000 km² in the North. Mindanao isle with the area of 102.000 km² in the South. The population at present is 66.200.000. The population density is 233/km². The capital is Manila with 10.000.000 people. The average income per capita is 850 USD.

Peoples

–  Filipinos                                         95%

–  People of mixed blood                3,5%

–  Chinede                                        1,3%

–  Other peoples                               0,2%

         Including American, Vietnamese, Arab, Japanese, and Korean.

Languages

The main language is Filipino, besides English, Spanish, Tagalog Cebuano, Ilocan, Ilongo, Bicol, Pampange, Chinese and about 150 dialects.

The rate of literacy                           93,5%

Economy

The Philippines has an agricultural economy, exporting food and agricultural products such as rice, sugar, and coconut oil.

Politics

The Isles of the Philippines was discovered by the explorer Magellan on March 15th, 1521 and was occupied as a colony by the Spanish between 1565 – 1898. A treaty signed in Paris on December 10, 1898 between the USA and Spain handed this colony over to the USA. On July 4th 1946, the Philippines declared its independence, taking the Republic regime. The congress consists of the Lower House with 120 representative and the senate with 24 senators. The church and the government have been separated. The term of the presidency and the vice presidency is 6 years. The president now is Fidel Ramos.

Religions

–  Christianity                                    90% (Protestantism 7,5%)

–  Islamism                                        8%

–  Ethnicalism                                   1,3%

–  Nature worship cult                     0,7%

Outline of Protestantism mission history

In 1899, the Presbyterian Church preaching and established the well–known Silliman University in 1901. The Presbyterian Church joined the united Philippines' Protestant churches in 1948.

The Methodist church came to the Philippines in 1899, organizing the first congress in 1908.

The Baptist church preached for the first time on the two islands Panay and Negros in 1900. The council of Philippines' Baptist churches was organized in 1935.

Sending missionaries to the North and Luzon Island in 1901 the religious sect Christ's followers associated with the United Brothers in 1943 and in 1949 became the Christ's united churches.

CMA began to preach in 1902 and became an autonomous church in 1947.

Seventh-day Advantist started mission in 1906.

God Assembly (Pentecost) came to the Philippines in the 1920.

Anglicanism the Episcobal church in the USA sent the first missionaries to the Philippines in 1902.

 

Church	Congregation	Members	Affiliated
Seventh–day Adventist United Ch of Christ United Methodist Ch Assemblies of God Phil Bapt Miss  (SBC) Conv of Phil Bapt Chr   Miss Alliance Evang Methodist Ch Episcopal Ch Conserv Baptist Assoc Int Ch of Foursq Gosp March of Faith Ch of God  (Cleveland) Assoc of Bible Chs of P (OMF, SEND) All other   (256)	2,405 1,600 1,120 1,251 1,578 441 1,592 295 457 258 745 208 302   232 18,896	438,329 200,000 155,000 80,000 84,138 83,000 80,847 44,964 48,000 30,000 35,836 25,000 24,222   15,000 1,273,227	548,000 333,000 282,000 197,840 187,000 166,000 143,342 112,000 100,000 75,000 70,000 62,500 60,600   37,500 2,322,100
Denominations (270)	31,383	2,627,763	4,966,882

CHAPTER II

THE SITUATION OF PROTESTANTISM IN SOUTH EAST ASIA FROM THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY UP TO NOW. (THE PERIOD OF STABILIZATION AND DEVELOPMENT)

II. 1. RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY AND THE CULTURE HARMONY:

Intending to expand moderately, the mission of Protestantism is slow and causes no friction with native cultures. Although there are various religious sects, the first problem in expanding the religion in any country is to build a community in harmony with that country's culture in order to be accepted by the native inhabitants, to the able to exist and develop gradually. Although the protestant life in the Western countries is so free as to clap during singing hymns, the protestant churches in Vietnam can't do the same because according to followers' conception, singing must be serious as Orient people's ceremonial rite, the oriental religions never bring collective singing in to the time of worship ceremony. Meanwhile, I saw at the Sunday morning worship on May 14th 1995 of the Full Gospel Assembly Church in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Protestants here raised their hands up to heaven such as the Islam custom. Just in this Church, there is another assembly room for the followers of Indian who shake their bodies during singing hymns like Indian's dance. The similarity between the Protestant ceremony of worship and the local form of culture make one who attend to feel a liking.

In the concord of culture, the matters of dressing and talking are often interested in the most by people nearby. In the early 20th century when Protestantism came to Vietnam. The ministers, the missionaries as well as the followers going to church dressed in “ao dai” with their hair in buns and talked softly. Especially, they didn't swear or use foul language. When teased by someone or criticized by their relatives, they had to suffer and endure. They even didn't dare to dress in eccentric ways or quarrel with their neighbors. In some last decades, everybody has dressed in Western clothes so Pastors and believers are too. Outside society has changed the trend rapidly because of exotic influence such as music, films and the press, the Protestant church seemed to become conservative because Protestants were not much interested in Western music, films and the press. Other reason is that most of the ministers and the missionaries leading the church having origin from Confucianism and they were under Confucianism's great influence. They were very strict and always tried to preserve Confucianism’s ethics in the way of advice and educating followers. Even in their preaching Gospel, ministers and missionaries used Chinese's idiom, quoting many sayings of Confucius, Mencius, or telling stories in Sinology classics ethics and morality. When the society changed, the religion’s life changed to be in concord with the new culture. When people dressed in western clothes, ministers no longer dressed in ceremonial robe coming to pulpit but properly dressed in western clothes. Ministers dressed in suits with neckties, while the Chinese woman missionaries sometimes dressed in shirts and long dresses.

Generally, how to accord with the social environment and to make no bad impression is the life way of followers Protestant. In the church of Christ in petaling Java, Kuala Lumpur on the Sunday morning May 21^st 1995, the church’s Evangelist dressed in the same way as the followers to attend, and I couldn’t have known him as a missionary if no one had introduced him to me.

Another matter of cultural concord is the concord between the culture of religious language and the culture of local language. While some other religions still using original languages in their prayers such as Latin, Sanskrit, and Arabic... Protestantism maintains using books in the language of the people being preached. So Protestant missionaries immediately research the native people’s language and grammar wherever they go to translate sacred books so that the local followers can easily use them. This makes the followers in South–East–Asia where the spirit of ethnic consciousness of each person is very strong not be regarded as to follow an exotic religion. In South–East– Asian countries and even in some ethic minority tribes. The Bible and books are published in local languages. These books of Bible not only are correct in grammar but also accord with that people’s style and syntax so that readers easily understand them, in Vietnam, the Protestant Bible in Vietnam was published in 1927 with some Vietnam Protestant church’s priests and ministers’ translation besides the great contribution of the writer Phan Khoi although he wasn’t a Protestant. Especially, the cultural concord of languages in the community of ethnic minorities helped the cultural development very actively.

When missionaries came to the ethnic minorities, they listened to, observed, recorded and analyzed their words, defined languages components and then arranged writing systems for ethnic minorities languages according to some scientific principles on the basic of the Vietnamese alphabets system. Along with the linguistic task, they even studied about ethnology such as customs, legend rites, belief and other cultural aspects of the ethnic minorities. They took part in programs of developing ethnic minority's education, knowledge, health and societies. They cooperated in teaching linguistics at universities and even English at foreign language schools or for some particular objects (Materials of studying of Protestantism in the Highlands of South Truong Son, 1992 – 1995 Do Huu Nghiem. Ho Chi Minh City’s Scientific and Social Institute page 56, 57)

As researchers remarked, one people’s culture comes from their language, so if a community has a common language, they will have a common way of thinking. Consequently, when Protestant missionaries brought the religion from the west into South–East Asia they were accepted because Protestantism made everybody realize the concord between religious communities and native cultures through each people’s language.

II. 2. FORMS OF ORGANIZING AND BUIDING CHURCHES

Protestant organizations are built into local systems; they aren’t under the command of their higher echelons or of international organizations. In each South–East Asian country Protestant sects organize themselves in their own way to manage local work steadily. Each religious sect has its own rules and way to organize ceremonies in churches according to their church’s manner. Great religious sects councils of churches and administrative boards elected by the councils to present all of their branches in common work of management such behavior, administering their church’s property and having the qualification to represent their church in working with governments or with their international religious sects or other international religious organizations. The elections for administrative boards are completely democratic; there is neither system of candidacy nor elective nominees. However, in the council branches’ chairmen have the right to introduce candidates and then each council representative votes by writing the name of the person he choose on his vote. In the Philippines this council is composed of a branch chairman a male or female minister who has graduated from the school of theology of the United Religious sects.

In order to become a members of the District Administrative board, one must have a post–graduate degree and good experience. To be in the National Administrative Board, one must have a higher level of education and more experience than ministers in District Administrative Boards. The ministers in district and National Administrative boards must be male. In Malaysia, the National Council is called Council of churches of Malaysia, abbreviated CCM. In VN, it is called General Society Council (the North) and General United Societies Council (the South).

Protestant sects’ organization aren’t bound by rules, but by the recognition of the sense of conscious organization and individuals’ honor. So, there are some cases when ministers who no longer work for a certain Protestant sect can work for another one for the reasons like these.

– Being dissatisfied with their church’s leaders who aren’t interested in diveloping their religion

– Their life is in want.

– Committing crimes and being relieved of their position.

– Being respected in new churches more than in their old ones (pointed to be Pastor or Minister without condition)

– Another religious sect’s way of practicing the religion is more suitable to him.

Locals' church or branches are organized in the way that each branch’s official followers vote a working committee. From its members, the branch’s Administrative Board is elected to cooperate with that branch’s leader, a Minister or a missionary, in managing and running the local church. The work of a local church’s chairperson, a minister or a missionary, explaining or teaching the Bible, visiting and caring for the followers, planning programs of assembly of the church, organizing monthly meeting of the church Administrative Board, to look over the work of the previous month, preparing necessary work for the coming month, praying for people who want to join the church, praying for and visiting patients in hospitals or at their homes, presiding over ceremonies determined by the church such as Baptism, Holy communion, Marriage ceremony, Children dedication or burial service. There are some miscellaneous activities besides the above programs such as seeing guests, meeting the government and societies, helping jobs to unemployed followers, consultancy to solve their family troubles, helping youths to get married, the church Administrative Board helps the chairman to fulfill so much work well. Besides, the church Administrative Board even has the task of financial management: offering the chairman salary every month and paving out for the church necessary work. In each branch, it depends on the number of followers many or few, that there are other boards besides the Administrative Board such as: Board of testifying to the religion, board of visiting board of caring, board of mutual aid, board of preaching, board of adolescents, board of children, board of infants, board of dogma...

Some members of the above boards specialize in music and being able to sing can be arranged into a singing group called according to names or numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5....

Each branch’s follower is recognized as official when the takes Baptism. To take this, he must take a course of basic dogma according to each branch arrangement.

To be a minister or a missionary of the Protestant church one must have qualifications determined by the set of denomination or country. For example, in the Philippines, to be a minister, a person, male or female must be a graduate and has gone to the seminary of the alliance denomination. It is also a rule at Malaysia Bible Seminary that to be a student at this school as well as to be Malaysia Protestant church’s minister, one must be a graduate in scientific and social fields. The countries in South East Asia don’t have the office of expanding the religion, because after graduating from seminary, their followers are appointed a minister. In Vietnam, to be a Protestant church’s pastor, one only needs the introduction of the branch’s chairman, a minister or a missionary without qualifications of education and age, and then he may enter the Bible school in Da Nang (1927 – 1960) or Nha Trang Bible seminary (1960 – 1976) He studies there for one or two years and goes to practise at a branch for at least two years, then comes back to the school studying the last year, the graduated year. Graduating from the school, he is recognized by the church as a missionary after that. This missionary must work as a chairman for a certain branch for at least two years. If he gains the church’s confidence. The General church will ordain for him such as a pastor. This is regarded as a condition to be bound with the church in the aspect of organization. In VN, only male is accepted to be a minister or a missionary. Pastors of other denomination in Vietnam don't do the same as Vietnam Protestant church (CMA) Ministers and missionaries of Vietnam Protestant church compulsorily get married. During the time when they are a branch’s chairman, they may live along with their whole families missionary can be the interested in other work helping whenever it is needed. However, only ministers and missionaries holding branches are offered salary and accommodation for their families by their branches, The chairman’s term at each branch is generally two years, and then the followers’ term at each branch is generally two years, and then the followers’ confidence decides, whether he stays on moves to another place.

In Protestantism’s form of organization, a noticeable problem is building churches. Wherever a number of Protestants are unanimous they can raise money by themselves to buy an installation as a church or to build a new church. The Full Gospel Assembly in Kuala Lumpur was originally a theatre, the first 40 followers families raised money, bought it and turned it into a church in 1978. Today it has got 6.000 followers. Besides the main lecture–halls, in Protestant church in South–East Asia. There are small rooms for activities such as meeting, studying the Bible and assembly of boards. Each country’s situation decides whether a minister has his own house outside his church’s area or lives in his private accommodation within the church area or lives in his private accommodation within the church for not having an own one. Because of the characteristic dependence on local situations, Protestant churches have no particular shade of any architectural model. Churches in rural areas or in the mountains are thatched cottages or with tiled roofs. Churches in has a large number of followers with enough money to buy land for a church... so, if we consider Protestant churches’ appearance in the aspect of architecture and art, they don't have common style. There are no statues or pictures inside the churches. Some churches have water–tanks for Baptism inside them while some others have water tanks outside. In the innermost, there is a flat form for the minister or missionary. There are rows of benched where followers can sit, not kneel. Musical instruments such as piano, organ, violin... is usually used during singing hymns and at churches without them, people can sing without bands or with guitars and mandolins...

III.3. THE TIMETABLE OF ACTIVITIES AND THE ECONOMIC FACTOR OF FOLLOWERS’ LIVES.

The main time to assemble of most Protestant sects is Sunday, but the Seventh Day Adventist on Saturday followers gather at their ... there isn’t enough room, there are many rites on that day and each rite lasts for not more than two hours. For example, the timetable of rites on Sunday of Full Gospel assembly church, Kuala Lumpur is like this:

– Service I: 7.00 a.m. – 9.15 a.m.

– Service II: 10.45 a.m.– 12.30 p.m.         

– Service III: 6.00 p.m.– 7.45 p.m.

In Penang:

– Service I: 8.00 a.m.– 10.00 a.m.

– Service II: 11.00 a.m.– 1.00 p.m.

At Trinity Methodist church:

– Service I: Begins at 8.30 a.m.

– Service II: Begins at 10.15 a.m. 

– Service III: Begins at 6.00            p.m.

In Hoa Hung Evangelical church. District 10 HCM City:

– Service I: 6.00 – 7.15 a.m.

– Service II: 8.15 – 9.30 a.m.         

The time to assemble on Sunday was researched to be the time when followers feel relaxation after a tired week. Protestantism’s purpose in assembly is  understanding the Bible through preaching and teaching. Worship service must be the time for followers respect about those words in Holy Spirit.

Service's items are also arranged in a scientific order. Every body sings together on listens to the singing group, everybody reads the bible together or only one reads while others listen to him... all of these are carried out harmony and in good order thanks to program – conductor who controls and arranges items in advance. Because of the influence of agricultural life churches in rural region usually have a rite at late noon lasting longer than ones at church as where followers work in industrial and commercial fields churches which are in cities but have a large number or old followers or families having a stable economic life have longer duration of assemblage than churches whose followers are workers other assemblages of a week are properly organized according to each country. However, the majority of them arrange these minor assemblages according to the followers’ working hours. Some in the evening, some in the afternoon and other at the weekend, Saturday. These assemblages are usually organized according to age (old, young, adolescent...) and sex (boy, girl, woman, man).

The attendance at these assemblages is not large because it is limited by names. For example, men can’t attend women’s assemblage the elder can’t attend the youth’s assemblages...

The assemblages are also no more than two hours with the same contents as the Sunday service. Churches only organize these additional assemblages when there are more followers to attend them. For rural churches followers live far from them and have no means to travel easily, so there aren’t other assemblages in a week like the ones in cities. So organization and arrangement of assemblages besides the main rites on Sunday to others in a week completely depends on each branch according to local followers’ real situation, not any model the economic factor of protestant followers’ life decides local branches’ development. As stated above, protestant sects have independent and autonomous fabric of organization. After a brach has been formed, that branch’s followers, many or few, must manage to exist and develop by themselves. Each  church has indispensable need like these :

– There must be a place for followers to assemble. It can be a rented house or a follower’s own house, or followers raise money to buy or to build one.

– Accommodation for the chairman and his family while he’s in that position. This is not necessary if the minister or missionary has his own house already.

– Money for paving the chairman every month. It’s not necessarily to be much or little, it depends on the church’s automomous budget.

– Expenses for water and electricty supply.

– Expenses for equiment and tools in the church such as benches, tables lamp, fans, sonic systems...

Because there are many needs while the income is little and there are no economic activities to increase it, the budgat in each branch is very limited. The Administrative board controls incomes and expenses with positions such as cashier and secretary in charge of recording incomes and expenses clearly. The chairman mustn’t keep the church’s money. The protestant church’s income mainly comes from the donations of followers in the branch. There are many ways at donation but there are 3 specific ways like these :

– Offer the autonomous fund : Followeps promise to permanently offer it every month according to their families’ income. According to VN protestant church’s regulation, 20 families who are capable of offering the fund every month may open a new branch to offer the money, followers bring it to the Administrative Board’s office, hand it over to ther cashier and writer their name in records.

– Offer box–money every week : Every Sunday, followers put a sum of any amount into a box when the church’s working committe bring it past you. It doesn’t matter if you don’t offer. ...... each assemblage the working committe with check the money in the box to put the in records.

– Raise money : At special rites such as Christmas, Easter, for in special cases such as repairing, building, churches, relief... The Administrative board calls on the followers for help.

All of the contributions, income or expenditure in any forms must be recorded clearly, because at the end of each year,  the branch’s council elects two inspectors of reconds who are members of neither woring committe nor the administrative board and if there is some indirect dealing detected, the church’s cashier. Will no langer gain followers’ confidence and will be replaced. Because the church’s sources of income depent on followers’ donations braches which have many followers’ donations braches which have many followers have more conditions to develop than those with few followers. Urban branches have more facilities than rural ones....

In such a situation, there must be mutual help among people. So, the chairman, ministers or missionaries, besides their spiritual work, preaching, even play roles as consultants on career or centers of free in troducing jobs for followers. After the followers have been well–to–do or their jobs and lives have been table,  they always take care of their church to help new ones churches, whise ministers ministers and missionaries are active, usually visit and take care of their followers and have such broad knowledge that they can the needs of the followers, can develop with a large number of followers. And when the church has developed with the capability of autonomous finance, the administrative board members usually want  the chairman to concentrate on the spiritual work, if he is not satisfactory, they will subtitue him with another. Because the economic factor of the followers’s lives decides the existence and development of the protestant church’s branches, there are consequences like these.

– In building, some churches are big and some churches are small.

– Some churches have a large number of followers and some others have few.

– There are situations of domestic dispute between the chairman and the administrative board over decisions on financial use.

– Some ministers or missionaries are in poverty while some others are in comforts because the rich followers support them.

– There are situations where the administrative board infringes the church chairman’s power because the administrative board has the right to pay salary and to substitute the chairman with another.

– The development of the protestant church’s branches decreases because they have no self–sufficient sources of income.

– There is not any common budget strong enought to support small branches.

– There is not any financial self–sufficent project to develop new branches but each only looks after itself.

II. 4. WAY OF PERSUADING PEOPLE TO BELLIEVE AND JOIN THE RELIGION

There are many ways of persuading people to believe and join the religion, but in spite of any way if the followers have no real belief, they can give it up after a period of time. People who follow protestantism largely meet with the opposition of their families, relatives and friends because they follow another religion or because of their ancestors’ customs. So they are blind or protestantism’s ways of persuading are so clear that followers can hold firm to their belief the following are some basic ways :

1) Testifying to the religion : This is the method of persuading, which is strong and used the most among Protestants. Any one in protestant sects, priests, ministers, missionaries, new or old followers, is very enthusiastic to testify to the religion for people who want to listen to or study of, that a person testifies to the religion means he explains the religion’s basic points and tells his life’s experiences : What the gains and what he loses after believing the religion, most of them tells strange changes in their way of life. Which can be confirmed by listeners, their relatives, neighbours close friends... what they lose are bad ways of living, drunkenness, gambling, sex, opium addiction being hot–headed and aggressive... Mr Nguyen Phu Thuy at 133/137G To Hien Thanh street, district 10 said that he experienced all of the bad things listed above before as a young man, but since he followed protestantsm, he has given up all of those bad habits and been determined to make a living. From the center, he came to Saigon and opened a carpenter’s at the corner of Cach Mang Thang Tam and Hoa Hung streets between 1950 and 1953, and every Sunday he lent the protestant church his carpenter’s to be used as a place where protestantism was preached so that Hoa Hung protestant church was established later. Though he is 87 now, he’s still enthusiastic to testify to the religion for anyone wanting to listen to or study of To Hien Thanh protestant church. With his example of loyalty, in–law believe in protestantism, besides the testification of deep changes in followers ways of life, there is another testification which is not less efficient. That is the testification which is not less efficient. That is the testification of the facts that Wonderful power cures disease which medical remedies can’t. Minister Nguyen Van Quan, the chairman of Ban Co protestant church at 516 Dien Bien Phu street, district 10 recalled a great occurrence in his grand–father’s family like this : In 1920, protestantism was preached in Sa Dec province. The old man Nguyen Van Hai, minister Quan’s father believed and followed the religion after listening to priest Stebins’s testification. Then Mr Hai completely changed his way of life as well as testified for his family but met with a violent opposition. However he still held on to his belief and followed the religion with all of his heart. In 1921, he went to the Bible school in Da Nang. Al though the old man Nguyen Van Tien, Mr Hai’s father, violently opposed to his son’s following, he could clearly find the changes in his son’s life. Meanwhile a serious occurrence happened in his family. Mrs Nguyen Van Tien was haunted by evil spirits and usually tormented terribly, but all of he cures used from medicine to superstition were not efficient. The family tried their best to go to any sacred temples, pagodas and shrines recommended but in vain the old man was extremely desperate when he suddenly remembered his son’s words of testification that a protestant has God’s power, being able to ward off evil spirits. So he decided to believe in protestantism. Right at the first time when the church prayed God for the old woman evil spirits were warded off immediately and her illness disappeared since then, because of the above occurrence, the whole family along with Mr Nguyen Van Tien’s brothers and their children believed in the religion at the same time. Besides, a large number of neighbours also believed in the religion, because they found that God’s power was so wonderful as to ward off evil spirits away from  Mrs Nguyen Van Tien. It was in 1923, three years after protestantism was preached in Sa Dec. Afterwardsm the three generations of his descendants have been ministers and missionaries in VN protestant church.

Because the testification in the way of explaining is easy to understand and to practise besides clear effects in the testifier’s ifie, it makes his friends, relatives and neighbours believe in and then rely on the religion. When being presuaded to follow the religion. They are willing to for they surely think that their lives will change in a better way or God’s power will help them to overcome any difficulties they may meet with. No rule can forbid this method. This is because of the agreement of each individual, it can response to common people’s psychological, sentimental needs and desires, making the followers souls stable.

Al though the testification happens among individuals, it obtains a certain effect because the followers can understand clearly and thonoughly. They can exchange questions on make a thorough study of what they want to know. This method of testification is used by all of the protestant sects in all the countries in South – East Asia. The world wide Evangelization Crusade came to Kalimantan and Indonesia in 1949. This organization’s missionaries mixed with the local people, used audimentary means of transport, lived and worked with the local people who had not been enlightened (A  history of protestant missions minister and doctor Le Hoang Phu, the material for studying of Nha Trang Bible seminary, 1974, page 134).

Protestants clearly understand the religion they believe in know much about the Bible and live among a community that is freen in speech, so some of them can’t gain a liking from other people because they talk so much as well as have no need to notice what the listeners situations are like. They look concord or sympathy with the people around them making listeners feel disgustful and displeased.

2) “Publicizing the religion” preaching : The method of preaching in the open air or in stadia attracts a large number of people coming to listen to is called preaching campaign. The popular phrase was “Publicizing the religion” meaning “largely publicising the religion for everybody to listen to”. These campaigns were organized only a few times each year because they took much labour and money. In South – East Asia countries as well as in Saigon before 1975, these campaigns us to attract from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands people. The time of preparation was from the previous year with activities such as raiding money, preparation for singing groups and wonderful lecturers. When the day of the campaign come near, it was widely announced to people through mass media such as posters, banners, inviting cards.... The campaigns used to last from 3 nights to a week. Because they were organized at  night, there was a large attendance.

In these programs, there used to be the items of singing hymns and singing groups, besides, the lecturers preached eloquently and attractively, so the preaches were solemn and vivid without noisy and bustling scenes like football matches on parties’ political campaigns. After the preaches, there used to be hours of calling on people who want to follow the religion, most of them were led by their friends. People who came threr for the first time coundn’t understand that clearly. These days, this form is organized on a smaller seale within churchers, some churches once a month, some once every two weeks and some every week. After someone acceots the religion, the church records his name and address so that the church’s visiting board can come to his house visiting, making a permanent contact with him.

3) Leaflets of preaching : One of the ways of preaching which contributes to persuading other people to follow the religion is using kinds of hank–sized booklet with some thin sheets of paper containing explanation and discussion of the religion’s truth or a new follower’s simple words of testification. These leaflets are issued free to people who want to study more or join the religion can come to the place easily.

4) Broadcast programs : One of the noticeable missionary activities in South – East Asia is the protestant broaddasting company in Manila (Far East Broadcasting company) this was established in 1948 with 20 broadcasting stations. It uses 8 medium frequencies and 15 international ones, broadcasting on average of 1000 hours per week in 40 languages. Most of its broadcasting stations are located in the Philippines, and there are only two in Okinawa and one in San Francisco. Before 1975, a new station was located on the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. The broadcast programs including the preaches, reading the Bible, singing hymns and words of testification are recorded in Tokyo, New Dehli, Bangalore, Bangkok, Jakarta, Hong Kong, Singapore and then seat to Manila to be broadcast or shown live in Manila. Besides, the company organizes courses of the Bible by correspondence in more East Asia languages and there are even corres pondence courses of the Bible in Spanish and English. In the Phillippines, there are also radios which are tuned in the night frequency already everywhere, so thousands of people who can’t read and write, and have never met ministers are able to listen to protestant preacher. The FEBC exists and develops thanks to the support of followers and branches belonging to the religious sects all over the world.

This program is broadcast in Vietnamese on the short waye of 31 meters from 6.15 to 7.15 in the morning and from 8.00 to 9.30 in the evening each day.

Besides the FEBC in the Philippines, there are 3 other christian broadcasting stations. Among them, two stations specialize in the youth in the Philippines and one has programs for the Myanmar, Thai and Chinese. The South – East Asia radio voice (SEARV) was located 20 miles from North Manila, serving the christian communities of many surrounding countries. The missions also rent the waves of private – owned broadcasting stations and television stations to preach protestantism.

II. 5. FORMS OF ACTIVITIES AT CHURCHES AND WAYS OF LOOKING AFTER POLLOWERS

Carefully looking at protestantism’s form of activities at churches, it is found that don’t concentrate only on belief and religion, but also on many features of cultural and spiritual activities as well as the heightening of people’s standard of culture in the followers community. So the fact that some followers are bicycle – repairers, barbers, porters, masons, turners... on week – days, but on Sunday, well dressed standing up and talking ............... all day and sometimes have no time to read books as well as newspapers or to study more ? That is the result of the forme of cultural and spiritual living activities naturally, besides, the church always makes favourable conditions so that thet can protise what they have learned. The nearby people are so surprised when some families, thought in poverty, dress well going to church on sunday with smilling and happy faces that not few of them think that these follo must be  very rich. However, they don’t know that these followers are going to church. Where they gladly sing freely to forget all sadness, tiredness and misery in their lives which no one in this world is willing to help them to over come. Some youths or old men don’t want to be lonely, but they are afraid of contacting with people of bad and ceating kinds, so they go to church to see other followers or to talk about moral things. A number of people, after working hard all the week, don’t want to come to entertainment places with all kinks of people, so they go to church finfing life’s meaning through the preaches of the Bible.... Below are some permanent forms of activity at protestant churches of any religioun sec.

(1) Singing hymns : All of the assemblages in protestant’s activities can’t be without singing hymns. Different from cultural spots where people come to listen to singers at protestant churches, all followers old and young, children and adults, boys or girls sing together. Most of these hymns were composed of words close to human life, making the followers’ soul peaceful and they can forget all troubles. During singing, the sound of hymning in harmony with the sound of the piano or organ makes the air purified and solemn. In this setting, anyone who has ever researched into the culture remembers the cultural festival of any people in the world, especial ly folk festivals where cellective singing along with musical instruments made the air of high culture for the mind of people attending. It regrettable that these forms are no longer maintainced in cultural activities pernanently as protestant sects’ rites because the economy is getting more important everyday in life hymning has are getting tenser everyday because of economic conditions and situations and their mind is easily hurt by shocks. If their mind is soothed by soft music and melodious voice of hymning, they can endure unfavourable circumstances weighing on their lives. A typica hymn consoling many followers is the hymn “How peaceful my spirit is” composed by lawyer H.G. Spafford in 1876. It was bonn in the circumstance like this. His wife and four children Shipped from New York to London for a summer holiday, on the way their ship sank. Getting the message from his wife with the content “All of our children died, there’s only alive”, he was so sad and desperate that he wrote this hymn anf then set it to music to be sung at all churches of the protestant church, therefore, whenever followers are sad, they sing hymns with words of consolation and they can feel peaceful immdiately. When loads are taken off their mind, they will be certainly industrious and eages to work, and their families will live in happiness and harmony. That is the psychological logic.

(2) Praving : This forms tells the sentimental relation between human beings and lofty God. At this moment a man is no longer a slave, he is free and equal to God because he has the right to talk to God as to a close friend as well as the right to ask for whatever he needs, which can be extreme difficulties “The work of mission among the highlanders began qui te early in 1924. According to the old men, a small church in Khe so was established. Missionary Hoang Trong Thua visited and preached among the highlanders here. In the summary of his biography, there is a paragraph saving he loved the highlandres very much and used to pray for them fervently. He also came to the highland to testily to protestantism among onceor more. He eagerly testified to the fame of the Sayiour Jesus Christ. There was a time when they were in a long drought and miserable situation, they begged him to appeal to poweful God  for rain. That night, he turned his face down between his kness like Prophet Eli on Mount Cat Men in the past to pray for a rain for the people. God never lets his servants be ashamed before heretics, so he gave a rain just on that night. Consequently, the people recognized his God as true God and then believed in as well as Worshipped God             (A work of protestantism mission, minister Pham Xuan Tin, 1987, the material of domestic currency, page 4).

(3) Reading the Bible and listening to preaches of the Bible : Each protestant, when going to church, brings along with him two books : The Hymns and the Bible. The Bible consists of two parts : The olde testament and the new testament. Protestant sects use the new testament more than the first because it has many things to put into practice for the religion’s followers. The old testament is regarded as a historical book studied in the figurative sense and used for comparison more than putting in practice. Reading the Bible helps followers to understand much more about the way of religious life, bulding the church and the right way to carry out their belief following God’s line so that they can’t be wrong to follow any cardinal’s leading. In the Bible, there is a cite like this “Immediately, during the night, brothers asked Paul and Sila to go to Bere city and then come into the Judaist’s house assemblage. These people had more sincerity than Tesalonica people, they were willing to follow the religion and looked up in the Bible to  see if the preaches true everyday” messagers public service 17 : 10 ­–11.

Preaching the Bible in the protestantism is not limited among people of some sort, however people graduating from the Bible school have larger knowlege and know a better method of stating ideas before the public more clearly. So, during most main rites at churches on Sunday, ministers or missionaries stand up preaching. Neverthless, in a certain unwanted situation when there isn’t a minister or a missionary, a follower who has large knowlegedge of the Bible and experiences of practising the Bible during minor assemblages can stand up preaching instead. For instance, Mr Le Van Loi in Moc Hoa protestant church, Mr Nguyen Van Thien in Kontum church ... when followers go to listen to preaches, they can lis ten to the Bible’s words explained clearly with sense, plot, practical uses, examples ..... As a result, they are interested in this item most in each assemblage.

There are many ways of looking after protestants, but two main forms are visiting and meeting at families to pray. Visiting is calling at one another’s house to talk in sympathy or to find out each other’s difficulties in order to come to a solution helping each other. Generally, ministers and missionaries are responsible for this permanently so that they can console followers in time when these followers are in difficult situation, help followers in miserable and critical situation in time and bring those matters up for the whole church to pray. Besides, the church also encourages followers to visit each other by organizing visiting groups that followers attend together or they control by themselves.

The case of meeting at followers’ own house to pray can be organized in a normal way from one house to another house in turns in the regions where followrs’ families are of the same neighbourhood, called circulatory praying groups. There are some especial cases when followers families invite ministers, missionaries and a number of their families being ill or dead, betrothal engagement wedding, an infant being fully one month old, birthday, wishing somebody a long life, celebration a new house, opening an installation of business.

Thanks to the forms of activities at churches and intimate looking after each other, protestants are always attached to their chairmain as well as to each other like brothers of the same family. However, when there is any sadness or dissatisfaction which can’t be remedied, the situation become rather tense. In that case, followers may not go to church any longer, or they go to assemblage in another church, or the chairman has to move to another branch. This situation is inevitable in the protestant churches...

II. 6. SOCIO – CULTURAL FORMS

To preach suitably in each society protestant sects always find the way to create favourable condition for socio–cultural contribution to the country. “The church is a social organization. It exist in the society. Christian churches are perhaps better than churches one of the reason for their existense in theory is to serve as much as possible to the society they live in” (Region, reaction and change from a chirstian perspective, Charles Elliot, page 89 of the book “Religion and Development in Asian Societies, Colombo: Marga publication, 1974).

When protestant sects open schools, their aim is not to expand protestantism, but to contribute to the improvement in the people's intellectual standards. Famous universities of protestant in the Plilippines and international university. After graduating from these universities, people can go to work at any offices or continus their study abroad because their education and diplomas have high valu in the worls. All elementary and secondary school in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam (before 1975) strictly followed the educational programme of each country, so governments have recognized these schools to be in the education. Moreover, people have confidence in sending their children to these school without worrying about their being forced to be protestant believers. Other conservative protestant sects don't approve of this broad–minded stvle because they think that this doesn't do much for the good of the mission. Another reason why consrvative protestand sects don't like to take part in the education is that they are afraid of their holy tendency being affected by such worldly preoccupation as money, social, status and glory. etc... ("The aim... P. 81).

Another aim in taking, part in Socio–cultural work is showing humaneness by using congregations “money to set up hospitals, almshouses, charitable hospitals, lepers” tratment centres. These places also abide by the regulations of the health service and are carried out by people who work because of their kind heart not because of maney. Thanks to this, their sense of service are lofty. The aim of setting up places for medical care is prompted from altruism and generosity and it is also to create sumphathetic impressions about a new and high–serviced teligion that no many people concern about or understand well. However this action is also opposed by conservative protestant sects because according to them, the aim of the protestant church is not social reform or social relief “Gospel Mission are not aiming at social reforms that William carey speeded up in India and at the great undertaking of social reliefs like building up hospitals or orphanager” In 1957 there still was a missionary announcing that “Jesus doesn't open school, doesn't set up orphanages nor does he give alms to the poor. He only preaches protestantism”.

 

 

 

CHAPTER III

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PROTESTANISM AND ASIAN COUNTRIES SOCIETY

III. 1. POLITICS

(1) Between the government and religions.

– In the article 6 of chapter II Thai constitution in June 1968 and the open constitution in October 1971 says “Buddhism is the national religion” and article 26 of chapter III says “The government guarantees the freedom of religion worship, belief of all the religions and religious sects”.

– In Burma in 1961, the government recognized Buddhism as the national religion. In 1961 when Burma turned to socialist ragime., Prime Minister Ne Win withdrew the recognition that Buddhism was the national religion, but he decreed that all the religions are held in the same respect.

– Lao's constitution in May 1947 and Ammendement in 1956 and 1961 “The government recognezes individual freedom conscientious freedom, and the freedom to meet and to set up associantious”.

– Cambodian constitution in May 1947 and supplementary constitudion in January 1956 in article 8 “Buddhism is recognezed as the national religion and guarantees the freedom to other religion”.

Vietnamese constitution in 1946 article 10 item B of chapter II and article 26 chanter III of the constitution in 1956 “The Vietnamese Democratic Republic's citizens have the freedom of worship, believers or non–believers” article 28 chapter V of the constitution in 1980 and article 70 chapter V the constitution in 1992: “All citizens have the freedom of belief. All religion have equal rights by law, places of worship of all religion are protected by law. No one can violate the freedom of belief or take avantage of it to do anything contrary to the law”.

Malaysian constitution clause 1 article 14 “Everybody can declare, practise and publicize his religion according to public order, common hygiene and morality”. However article 4 says “The national law can control or limit the publicizing of any religions within Muslim community”.

– Singaporean constitution in 1966 in article 89: 1 “The sovernment takes care of and defends the intenests of any races and minority religion in Singapore”.

Bruneian constitution in 1959 and supplementary constiturion in 1965 paragraph 1 and 2 of article III determine “Muslism is the national region but the right to put the religion into pratise of other religions are guaranteed”.

– In the Indosesian constitution in 1945 at paragraph 29 article 1 and 2 of chapter XI says: “The recognition of the powerful infmite is the foundation of the nation. The nation assures that every citizen has freedom to follow any religion he has chosen and discharges his religions duty” The freedom of mission is guaranteed on condition it doesn't to any harm to the religion's peacefulness. The Indonesian government lay down the foundation on 5 man points named PANCASILA:

“Believing in a powerful Gol humanity, the sense of patriotism, people's supreme power and social equality “Since January 1965 the religious freedom is chosen among the 4 religious: Muslism, Chirstianity, Buddhism, Hinduism.

The Philippino constitution, January 1973 item 8 article IV says: “The government assures the freedom of religion and worship”.

(2) Religion and Goverment:

Protestant sects' organizations in South–East Asian countries as well as protestant in each country are never against that country's political regime because protestantism's standpoint in observing the Bible's teachings in spite of differences in living activities and forms of organizations. The Bible teaches that the followers behaviour towards each country's politics should be like this, in the Roman book 13: 1 “Everybody must obey the rules over them” or in the Tit book 3:1 “Please remind followers to obey the government...” Because the Bible has suppreme power over all people, anyone a minister, a missionary or a follower, must obey, and if someone doesn't obey, he can't control others.

Each protestant sect has rules which clearly determine protestantism's line. Article 23, part II in the rules of the Methodist church, Malaysia, Printed in 1992 says “All followers and minister must observe the laws and the government's decrees, esnecially the nation's leader because all followers and ministers are citizens”. In the rules of the protestant church in 1936, amended in 1952, 1957, 1958 article 7, item 3 chapter VI, says “Vietnam protestant church states that the church always keeps loyalty towards the government and never accepts any encouragement of churched which are against the government... The church decidedly doesn't discuss anything involving politics or anything else besides the church's purpose”. It doesn't mean that the protestant church doesn't participate in political activities, but the protestant church doesn't take part in political activities with the view to appose the government.

Because the protestant churches' rules determine so clearly, bringing political activities into the religion is very unlikely to happen. The number of protestants is not large enough to be a political party's supporters protestantism is a common name, but in fact there are many various sects, so it can't be unified in the aspect of organization, yet it is unified in point of view regarding politics. In the work “Crucifix and sword” of the catholic prest Tran tam Tinh, the publishing house Tre, Ho Chi Minh city, 1988, page 214, there's a cite “Generally, the protestant churches are unified in the political point of view with the majority of their followers, developing patriotism more and more...”

In Malaysia, the General Secretary of CFM (christian federation of Malaysia), Mr Goh Keat Peng, said that this one is the United Organizations between catholicism, protestantism and protestant sects. The government recognizers their task as keeping the relationship between churches and the Prime Minister and vice versa, they aren't paid by the state but by the churches. The head office is at 26, Jalan University, 46.200 petaling Jaya, Selangon.

III. 2. ECONOMY

Protestantism relates to the society in the field of economy through followers because protestantism consists of all individuals working in economic fields or instructs followers to do economy. Protestantis, in spite of not directly organizing enterprises, still exists and develops because its followers are able to build both spiritual life and pratical life.

In the aspect of protestant dogma, there's no restriction or abstention in the matters such as eating, dressing, working... in the Bible. Most of the stories in it are involved in the field of economy:

– Agriculture: The Gospel, according to Matthew, paragraph 13, refers to two stories implicationg the instruction for both Spiritual life and agricultural life like these, “A man planted seedlings in 4 plots, but only the good plot ploughed and looked after gave good result: From one grain, he gained 100 an 60 or 30 other grains”. “A man planted wheat in his field, but someone hating him planted weed in the same field, so the employees came to see him for a solution. He asked them to let both of those kinds grow up, and when the harvest came. The kind without ears would be cut first and burnt while the other with ears, wheat, would be cut later and stored in the born”.

– Fishing: Gospel according to St Luke, paragraph 5, tella a story in which Jesus christ's followers went to fishing all night but gain nothing, and then taking his instruction, they dropped their seine once again and obtained a large catch of fish.

– Forestry: Gospel according to St Mark, 4:32 says a wild plant's seed, though small, will become a very big tree if it is planted in the soil.

– Commerce: Matt, 13:46 Tell about a merchant who went to seek for good pearls and when seeing one he dared to sell all his propert to buy it.

– Financial market: A boss, before going away, his servants some capital to use on business. When he came back, a servant with one silver bullion made a profit of 10 silver bullions, another with one silver bullion made a profit of 5 silver bullions, but one kept his silver bullion carefully, making no profit, so the boss scolded him “Why didn't you deliver my silver to a silver–shop? When I come back I will ger back both capital and profit” Luke 19:15 – 23.

– Livestock breeding: A character in the old Testament, Jacob, knew how to interbreed his flock of sheep like this: He took a branch of poplar, a branch of vine and a branch of binch. All of the were fresh and barked revealing the white pith inside. When the sheep went to drink and copulate each other, he put those branche in the water troughs before them. Because of seeing those while copulating, the sheen gave birth to offsprings with stripes and spots. The greation of the world 30:37 – 39.

Gardening: A man had a garden of vines on a good hill lock, he ploughed new land, put away stones, planted pretty and good vines, built a tower in the middle of the garden and dug a place for making alcohol, Esai 5 : 2.

– Financial management: A man was going away, he left his property to his servants for them to manage one got 5 talang (Jew monerary unit at the early era) one got 2 talang and another got 1. It depended on each's ability. Immediately, the servant with 5 talang went to make a profit of 5 talang more, the one with 2. Talang also made a profit of 2 talang more. But the one with 1 talang dug a hole in the ground and hid the boss's money there, so he was punished seriously by the boss. Matt 25: 14 – 18. Working: The Bible always encourages followers to work hard as in Rom 12 : 11 “Be industrious, no lazy” or “work and you have food, a person who don't like to work shouldn't eat” 2 thess 3 : 10.

The missionaries set a good example when they both preach and actively earn their living as the messager Paul Wrote in the new Testament, 1 thess. 2:9 “Brothers! Do you still remember our hard work? We both preach proestantism among you and work all day and night not to depend on anvone of you”.

To see the relation between the protestant church and economy. We should look at the church's organization. When working with financial things, they always record, besides, there are cashiers and financial checks every month, every year. The church has the task of promoting the rotation of followers' money in the neneficial projects by helping people who meet with difficulties in their business. After they'll have had stable business, they will ofter money to church's budger in order to help others though there is no bound condition.

The protestant churches have a rather close relation with economy because of the close relationship with follower's life. In each branch there are people of any job from workers to enterprise bosses, so ministers and missionaries know many professions although they never work there with large knowledge, interests in followers lives and special prestige, these ministers and missionarie have become the middle bridge of the followers in their business. Saying that a protestand church must have its own enterprises. It can't be carried out in South–East Asia yet. Only the young men christian association (VNCA) or the younth women christian association (YWCA) has intended to organize economic activities such as opening hotels, restaurants or youth clubs. Other religious sects only have hased in education, culture and health.

For the minority people in South East Asian countries protestantism has effects in the aspect of econimics helping them from the level of hunting and picking nurning forests for fields and nomadism to receive a new way of life bases on the from of sedentary abode and farming. They have known how to use mechanized means in agriculture and forestry although they still maintain the traditional technique of weaving and knitting, they have known how to plant rice and the more progressive techniques of cultivating. As a result in Burma, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Laos and even in Vietnam, protestantism in the ethnic minorities community has developed faster than in the great peoples' communities.

III. 3. CULTURE

Protestantism has more relations with culture, ecpecially relatic of mental effect such as changing, supenstirious custom. Protestantism never believes in divination, witchcraft, astrology, physiognomy, prophecy and strictly condemns these superstitious custom in the protestant community. Consequently, protestans have changed their way of life and become more self–confident than afraid of things causing more troubles for their lives. A great change in protestant cultural life is the change of a conception making society and many families miserable like this “A man without alcohol is like a flay without wind”. It was regarded as the provocation causing every youth to drink alcohol when they are mature to be called “experienced” Protestantism admonishes followers not to drink alcohol so that they can have a high cultural life and be respected. “Don't be drunk because alcohol makes you disorderly” E.ph 5:18. This has greatly changed the custom ou the ethnic monorities in South–East Asia because no cultural festival can be without alcohol and superstitious custom. But this no longer exists since they follow the religion.

If the cultural life changes, the life will change. The protestant villages in Tay Nguyen, Vietnam have made special impression on visitors.

– The arrangement in houses is tidier and cleaner. Houses are no longer with poles as the symbol of souls' spirit. There are no longer costly offerings where the attendance are full of the smell of alcohol and cigarette. The people are better dressed and can talk to others more cordially with bright faces. They are also open-hearted and no longer timid like before. The round of activities now happen at the church which still may be a long house with high floor. The people come there every week, on every night, to studuy the Bible, practise hymning, listen to the minister preaching and attend ceremonies in the branch in periods or in special occasions: Bantism, Conjugal Rite, child–offering rite, Burial rite... From now on, the dead are no longer put on trees on the edge of a forest, but buried underground in graves with tombs above and erucifixed at the side of their feet.

– The followers has gradually changed their way of thinking, custom, belief and even their way of behaving, stuying, working, they rapidly frasped the knowledge and the technological methods in cultivation. They quickly accepted protestantism brought by strangers when they knew that these people didn't violate their right to liver, specially the land where they have lived for generations. And the changes have gradually come along with their awareness heightened some time. They have given up the habit of wandering about the forests and mountains to go to school at one near their village, and then some of them left their village to go to contant with the Vietnamese society, to to university and even go abroad.

They had lived in deep forests with timidity for ages, and for generation the people who regarded themselves as more civilized had come to them to control over and take possession not to release them really. Protestantism only came to Tay Nguyen among a number of people in some clans in a long time of half century. In fact, if people come to each other with trugh and love, the whole Tay Nguyen, South Tröông Son along with the people there will awake (protestantism in Tay Nguyen, South Tröông Son, materials for research 1991 – 1995 of Do Huu Nghiem, the institute of science and society HCM city page 151, 152).

Protestantism is contributing a share to society to preserve culture through the matters in music. Usually using music, but protestantism doesn't use provocative music such as rock, jaz. Films of obscene and depraved sort are strictly condemned and criticized during hours of preaching the Bible and studying the Bible of youth andadolescents. In the rules of the Methodist church in Malaysia, there's a part which clearly determines the matter of sex in item 6 “sex in christian life” C.III particle 81 part III. Besides being more active in contributing to a whole some culture, any church has weekly assemblages for youths and adolescents, making interesting and useful meetings with the contents, discussions and lectures of the moral problems is society or in the Bible with the programs of hymns, open activities or spending holiday in places of scenic beauty. These programs of varied activities indirectly bring youths and adolescents a dynamic world outlook in approriateness with the environment they live in. These days, on sunday, protestantism's assemblages are organized as a cultural festival contributing to training the sense of organization, order and discipline in the life, helping to highter ethical education and belief in each person. As a result, protestants feel more peaceful and merrier although there are still material difficulties in their lives.

Protestant sects aren't much interested in the cultural forms in sculpture, art and architecture on don't have enough finance to make these works of art. So no typical work of art else is noticed by society as much as protestantism's characteristic culture.

III. 4. EDUCATION

Some protestant sects are still extremely conservative, but in general, protestant sects have the tendencey to making the relationship with society through the environment of education the Methodist in Myanman, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia all have established school.

The first relation between the government and the Methodist church in Malaysia is paying teachers. The first school was opened by william Milne in Malaysia in 1818. Now the Methodist church has lany large schools in Malaysia, including 3 colleges, 43 high schools 35 elementary schools with 70.000 students and pupils in all.

In Burma, the Methodist church began to establish schools in 1900. From elementary schools to high schools.

In Indonesia, the Protestant church has 17 universities and institutes of nost–graduate training among them are some well-known schools such as:

– Christian University of Indonesia in Jakarta.

– Nemmensen university in North Sumatra.

– Satva wacana christian university in central Java.

– Petra christian university in East Java.

Besides, according to the statistics in 1971 the protestant church in Indonesia even has 230 kindergarters, 2158 elementary schools, 75 elementary high schools, 62 secondary high schools, 153 vocational schools and I social college. The CMA has 82 elementary schools and 1 educational high school.

In Philippines, the presbytarian church established the well-known university ou Silliman in Dumaquete in 1901. The Baptist church established the university of central Philippines of which........

In Vietnam before 1975, the protestant church established Bethlehem elementary and secondary school in Nha Trang, which came into operation on September 4 th, 1953. After it, many other elementary and secondary schools were established one by one: Anh Sang secondary schools in Da Nang Duc Tin school (on Mac Dinh Chi street at first, then moved to Tran Hung Dao street) and Phuc Am school (Khanh Hoi) in Saigon and many other elementary schools The christian missionary church established 2 high schools and 10 elementary schools.

Educational at schools established by the church completely follows the educational programs determind by countries. South “East Asian countries” law forbid teaching dogma at schools and the protestant schools observe this. As a purpose of the protestant churches, it's important to heighten the standard of culture and to educate people's morality. Teaching dogma is only carried out at churches and unly for followers who have belief. The schools are the environment of contacting and making the relationship with the outside society so that the task of mission can't meet with difficulties.

The relationship with society through education makes society rely on the religion more. People whose children are mature with demands to study can find a reliable school for them to study at among those of the church. Those are organized by the overment because of teaching culture according to the Ministry of Education's curricula like other state schools. Both the government and the public confirm these schools' prestige and training quality. They exist in parallel with the government’s state schools.

III. 5. HEALTH

The relationship with society in the field of health is also actively interested in by protestant churches:

– In Thailand, the protestant church has 5 hospitals, 32 charitable hospitals, 1 travelling clinic, 1 hospital of repairing health. The Seventh Day Adventist has a large hospital in the capital Bangkok and a smaller one in Haadyai.

– In Burma, the Bantist council has 12 hospital and charitable hospitals.

– In Malaysia, the Methodist church has a hospital and 4 clinics The Anglicanism has 3 clinics.

– In Indonesia, protestant churches has 22 hospitals, 1 clinics, 7 charitable hospital, 8 maternity hospitals, 8 maternity hospital-clinics, 7 health centres, 41 pocket-clinics, 3 lepers' treatment hospitals.

– In the Philippines, the Methodist church has many large hospitals in Manila and a school for training nurses. The Baptist church has some hospitals. The Anglican church has some hospitals.

– In Vietnam, for a long time, Vietnam Protest church didn't have society-health organizations supporting missionary programs, especially the missionaries belonging to the CMA. However, the social and health activities were gradually interested in to be carried and as a door to mission.

In 1950, a leper's treatment hospital for Bana people was established in Buon Me Thuot. Its executive derector was Minister Le Khac Cung, in 1963, there were 15 hospitals, taking care of 3000 patients permanently. Besides, hospitals even had to breed about 1500 patients' relatives and 125 childrent in the dosmitary for children until before 1975, traveling health tasks were organized for 10 other peoples in the four provinces of Tay Nguyen.

Vietnam protestant church, with the support of MCC (Mennonite central committee) established protestant alms-house in Nha Trang it officially worked since July 9th 1961, and was run by a joint Administrative Board consisting of the representatives of MCC and Vietnam protestant church. Besides, as in this organization's support program, Vietnam protestant church built another protestant alms-house in Pleiku in 1964. It was run by a joint Administrative Board of Mcc and Vietnam protestant church, too.

In 1974, Vietnam protestant church had one more protestant alms-house in Phu Lam.

The Seventh Day Adventist church concentrated on activities of health in the mission work. In 1956, the church established an important base of health, the christian hospital at Phu Nhuan cross roads.

The Christian mission WEC (Worl wide Evangelization Crusage) established a hospital for lepers in Ba Na. North-West Da Nang. Until 1973, it was in charge of 6 orphanages, 1 lepers's treatment hospital, 1 alms-house of skin-disease.

Norway protestant mission built 100 housed and established a hospital and a school for the families of lepers at Binh Minh village, Long Thanh in 1973.

When making the relationship with society through activities of health. Protestant sects contribute to society an indispensable demand, curing diseases as well as consoling miserable people abandoned by society such as lepers. Protestism makes a good impression on society when some people in the religion actively serve in the professions which require much spirit sacrifice, enduring hardship, especially in lepers' treatment hospitals, where few people are willing to come to serve. In the aspect of psychology, any patient treated in hospital hopes to he recover in a short time. So if there is as staff who serve heartly, being always smiling and courteous, patient will recover soon. The staff in protestant hospitals put this into pracice, so the treatment in these hospitals makes a good impression on everybody. That is also a task of mission to carri out for their religious ideal. Moreover in another aspect of psychology, the sick usually have peace of mind and confidence when coming into protentant hospitals because they think that God helps them through sending the people with kink heart and good will to help them. Consequently, their diseases can be cured quickly with the combination of two factors: Science and spirit.

III. 6. SOCIETY

Protestantism is close to society and comes into many fields of society protestantism's line is entering into life. “God sends his son to the earth not to condemn but to save human beings” John 3:17 (The new testament glossary, God's published in 1987). Consequently all followers and missionaries study of the society so much that they can contribute a shave to the life and preach protestantism through that. In the Philippines, to become a minister, one must be graduate from both the seminary and a university in a social field. It means that only the minister with the basic knowledge of the society can do the duty of looking after the church well. A minister or a missionary in any country, so they must know and observe the laws as well as instruct the laws to their followeres. Most of the followers are common people or interested in the executive fields not much. For the procedures of wedding or funeral celebration, educating chil.......... areas or in the mountain have to ask minister and missionaries for the instructions. Some centres of the church contribute a share to the society in specific ways like these:

– In Thailand, the protestant church has a farm.

– In Malaysia, the Methodist church has a program of open agricultural service and the rural community development for the I bans in Sarawak and a regional club in Kuala Lumpur, the Anglicant church has an agricultural program in Kuching.

– In Indonesia, there are nine churches' high schools specialized in technology and agriculture. In 1971, Indonesia protestant church established a national centre of development and 3 regional ones. In many regions, churches helped people in cutting trees for wood, ploughing livestock breeding, fishing planting as well as supplied them with rice, fruits and vegatables, cocomut and coffee for gardening and built bridges, poads...

In Vietnam, in 1974, Vietnam protestant church sent two female followers to an orphanage run by doctoress champagne in Ha Noi to be in charge of social activities. In 1953 a protestant orphanage was established at Hon Chong, Nha Trang, to be admitted by this orphanage an orphan should be from 4 to 8 years old, with cut parents who are Vietnamese and hava a certificate of his or her situation, which is given by the minister of the local branch where he or she lives. This certificate must be confirmed by the local authority, the orphans must leave there at 16. In the years before 1957, the protestant church established some more orphanages in Ben Cat (Song Be) and Tan Hiep (Long Thanh).

The christian mission WBC established an orphanage at My Khe village (Da Nang) in 1962.

Other religious sects didn't have their own based of permanent social activities, but they carried out many activities or social compaigns among prisohs, re-education camps, street-children...

Despite not being professional missionary organizations, many protestant charity services came to work in Vietnam. In the South before 1975, there were about 23 charity services. Among them were christian children's fund, InC. Vietnam christian service, Asian christian service, world vision.

(1) Christian children's fund: Sponsored two protestant orphanages in Hon Chong and My Khe. In March, 1966 a branch officially operating in VN was established. The director was Mr Fitstivers whose assistant was minister Nguyen Van Nhung, and there were 7 office employees. Its head-office in Saigon controlled about 20 cocial workers working all or the South. In Saigon, there was a worker in charge at each district. Most of the workers were protestants who had taken a short training course in executive procedures and the technique to do social work. At first, this organization only financed the orphans living in the orphanages, but gradually it widered the sphere of activities, relieving and educating children in poor families.

(2) Vietnam christian service: The protestant sect MCC provided relief for the natural disaster, war victims as well as the poor in bo the North and the South during the period of war. This organization's work of social relief focused on three main fields: real relief with material means (Food, clothes, house...) health activities (issueing medicine, treating, equipping medical instruments, building infirmanie alms-houses and travelling health compaign) community development (Agriculture, Hygiene profession, training), family life, schools).

(3) Asian christian service: Came into operation in 1966. This organization's social work concentrated on 3 regions: Tuy Hoa, Cai Be and Saigon.

In Tuy Hoa, the most important activities was building, health activities, visiting victims' famities, supplving food and educating. In Saigon, it provided the organization “Vietnamese invalids' friend' with printing machines and a lot of other equipment. It also provided many appliances, food and crried out a great deal of other social work for many social bases such as orphanages, refugee camps, schools... in Saigon.

(4) World vision: This is the protestant service providing in a social way extremely urgent needs for the areas in disasters all over the world through the local protestant churches. In 1966, every month' permanent activities were sending 40 wheel chairs to invalids, distributing many presents for families suffering from natural disasters, fire, war... Besides, it financially helped in building protestant schools and paying these schools teachers. The magazine in memory of five years establishment of open university, Ho Chi Minh city. Page 34 says that this organization from 1991 to 1995 financed 71,270 for the University's various programs such as equipping micro-computers and equipment for research of bionics, repairing classes, building the library, buying office equipment, programs of scientific research, writhing bool, translating, the women department's material, offering teachers scholarships to study overseas and attend scientific conferences abroad, on page 42 in a report of receiving scholarship for students from oversea, organizations between 1990 - 1995. This organization is referred as one which offered scholarships twice: 3 scholarships worth 3.300.000 ñoàng VN in 1992 and 20 scholarship worth 22.000.000 ñoàng VN in 1995.

Besides, there are other protestant services helping the Vietnamese a great deal such as the organization HEKS of Switzerland protestant church. Vietnam yough men christian association (YMCA) was established on June 16th 1964. Its president was minister Pham Van Than. It organized activities in the fields of the youth, sport and culture such as open free counses of English, Vietnamese, house-work... Young Men Christian Society used to go to relieve storm and flood, fire or war victims...

For the ethnic minorities, the social relations contributed to make great changes in their under-developed society a great number of minority people in South East Asian countries has given up old-fashioned traditional customs to follow new ways of life. Minority peoples in any country, often following the religion, have given up smoking upium, drinking alcohol, offering chickens and ducks, cruel customs such as slaughtering animals or people (the muruts or LUN BA WANG in Sarawak, Sabah and Kalimantan) wasting money to amuse themselves in festivals such as funerals, weddings, the custom to plant Tet poles, and the way of open burial to carry out the new customs according to protestantism gradually. If someone comes to protestant minority people's villages, he will find that there are her the roads are clean and tidy, and the people are well-dressed with courteous and polite behaviour, more over, they are economical as well as no longer maintain costly offerings and festivals. If someone in the villages dies, he will buried under the ground with with a tomb built above and a crucifix as a sign of a follower. Throught collective courses of the Bible, the mThroughfollowers realize the content of the belief in God and the work helping their families as well as villages deep every day, besides, they are conscious of what good to do and what evil to avoid, they are more conscious of the community and the common relations at the levels of families, clan, united clan... More join in and witness the activities such as studying, sewing, relieving, hymning, visiting and learning languages in classed, villages, lepers' treatment hospitals and alms-house, clearer the minority followers find that, they are society's members and deeplier they are attached to each other.

The good examples of devoted lives set by missionaries and fervent believerss have important influences on society and are thousand times as valuable as their advice, lip-service preaches and promises without any guarantee.

Vident conflicts of different dans will be solved becaused of the close relationship between branch members. Minority people will lead a more peaceful, better life thanks largely to the close relationship, love, respect which are showed to them by missionaries in liturgical assemblages held in church or at their own houses.

They're given help and comfort from their brother-like fiends who are fervent protestants when they have sickness or starve. Being protestants, they have more social desires than just make ends meet. They want to have enough food and clothes, fars land and to be educated. Fun their more, they want to be treated equally and justly. They must have the right to determine their future.

That the most prestigous people such as the head of tribes, wizards, magus believe in protestantism will have important influence on the whole tribemen and make a great change in Social life of Montagnards.