True Jesus Church in Burma

The True Jesus Church is a nontrinitarian Christian denomination begun in China, growing out of the Pentecostal movement. Since its foundation it has spread to other countries including Burma.

In 1987, a pastor from a Protestant church group in Burma were reading the “The Sabbath Observer” publication, which introduced a worldwide list of seventh-day Sabbath-keeping churches. The publication had mentioned the "True Jesus Church" and four Burmese pastors decided to read further regarding the teachings of this church. These ministers then began preaching the teachings of this church and, at one point, up to four hundred people were willing to receive baptism and join this church. Unfortunately, the group's attempts to cntact the TJC General Assembly through postal mail failed and as a result, everyone dispersed back to their former churches.

It was not until 1989 when Mr. Thang, a pastor from another church, discovered the “Words of Life” magazine publised by the TJC. After reading it thoroughly, he wrote to the TJC International Assembly requesting them to sent preachers to Burma to preach and baptize new members. As a result, in 1990, the TJC International Assembly sent preacher John Lo and deacon Jonah Yapp to Burma and, after holding an evangelical session at a member’s house, twenty people were baptised .

In 1993, the two preachers held another evangelical service at a member’s house in Rangoon which resulted thirty more believers receiving baptism. After holding a third evangelical service at Rangoon in 1994, forty people were baptized. But since there was a lack of preachers to help pastor them in the faith, some of them left.

A church in Pyindaw Oo and a prayer house in Sakhamgyi was established. After our Brother Thomas Yang moved to Yangon from New York to do business, he fervently witnessed several testimonies and held regular Bible study sessions. In 1995 Preacher John Lo and Jonah Yapp held an evangelical service at the Rangoon YMCA where fifty people accepted the gospel and were baptized. A church Board was shortly established to help the pasturing work.

In 1997 the two preachers evangelized in Pyindaw Oo, Sakhamayi, Taungphila and other locations. Since there was insufficient space in the church hall to seat all the attendants, the believers began building new churches after the session in which most were completed and a dedication was ceremony made to the Lord.

At present (2000), there are churches in Taungphila and Pyindaw Oo and prayer houses in the six different areas – Pyidawtha, Sakhamayi, Tiddicm, Falam, Nud Kyi Kone and Yangon Shwebogan.

See also

  • True Jesus Church in India
  • True Jesus Church in the Philippines