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Vietnam's Protestants told not to leave church

The Evangelical Church of Vietnam, founded in 1911, is the country's main Protestant group
Vietnam's Protestants told not to leave church

Pastor Bui Van San (left) receives flowers from a security officer in Nam Dinh province on April 27. (Photo courtesy of tinlanhmienbac.org)

Published: April 29, 2022 10:03 AM GMT
Updated: April 29, 2022 10:07 AM GMT

The head of a government-sanctioned Protestant church in northern Vietnam has called on local people to stay away from heresies and be loyal to the church.

Pastor Bui Van San, the new head of the Evangelical Church of Vietnam’s northern branch, noted that many Protestant sects including heresies are inducing his followers to join their groups.

Pastor San was elected as the head of the largest Protestant church in the north during the 36th Congress of the Clergy Council held at Hoanh Nhi Church in Nam Dinh province on April 27-28.

Some 600 pastors, preachers and representatives from 26 northern cities and provinces attended the congress, which is held every four years.

He warned that some people ask their relatives to leave the Protestant church, while some churches abandon the doctrine and follow heresies. 

“I would like to call on all of our pastors and preachers to remain faithful to God and our church, and be united in serving the church,” Pastor San said, adding that loyal followers should sacrifice themselves, serve only God and the church, go ahead and not look left, right and back.

The church was approved by the northern communist government in 1958 after most Christians moved to the south to avoid the communists’ persecution

He urged the 17 newly elected members of the two standing and management committees to try their best to protect the church from other sects as a soul is more valuable than the world.

He said evangelization work and training personnel are the church’s top priority in the coming years.

Pastor Nguyen Huu Mac, former head of the Evangelical Church of Vietnam, said that although the church had many pastoral activities suspended by the prolonged Covid-19 pandemic, 232 new churches and stations with 41,000 members were established and 478 pastors were recognized.

He called on local Christians to continue to work for the church's motto: "Living out the Gospel, worship God and serve the Fatherland and the nation."

The church was approved by the northern communist government in 1958 after most Christians moved to the south to avoid the communists’ persecution. It had some 1,000 members and 10 pastors when it was established.

Now it has 761 pastors serving 208,000 Christians at 1,284 churches and stations, of which some 500 stations are not approved by the government.

The northern church has petitioned the government to found a biblical institute for years but got no government approval.

The Evangelical Church of Vietnam, the country’s main Protestant group, was founded in 1911 by the US-based Christian and Missionary Alliance.

The Government Committee for Religious Affairs, which controls all religious activities in Vietnam, reported that in 2020 Vietnam had 1,120,000 Protestants belonging to 100 organizations and 2,300 dignitaries at 800 churches and 5,500 stations.

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