Teaching in Thailand
I’ve always had an interest in missions and take great joy in seeing the church as it exists in different parts of the world. Through the seminary’s Winterim program I had an excellent opportunity to witness the exciting work of one WELS world mission- up close. By choosing to do some self-directed research I was able to travel halfway around the world to Chiang Mai, Thailand, to see how the church goes about its work in a culture very different from my own.
Thailand is an ideal place for WELS to do mission work. There is a true need for the gospel of Christ in this country where Buddhism claims 85% of the population. It is a country full of people wandering aimlessly and unknowingly on the road to hell, but it is also surprisingly a country of religious freedom. Located in Southeast Asia, Thailand is an oasis amidst the surrounding countries of Myanmar, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Laos, which do not permit religious freedom. Because of Thailand’s open religious culture it is used as a base to send the gospel into these neighboring countries.
Established as an exploratory field in 1993, there are now two WELS missionaries serving the mission in Chiang Mai, Robert Meister and Jud Krohn. Neither of these missionaries’ focus is evangelism; rather, it is teaching. About 85% of their time is devoted to preparing for and teaching classes at the Bible Institute in Chiang Mai.
Language barriers have necessitated a different approach to outreach among the many cultures, languages, and tribes in Thailand. Classes are taught in the Thai language at the Bible Institute with the hope that students will use what they have learned to pass on the gospel message in their native languages.
Cultural issues also present challenges to traditional “missionary-led” outreach. For example, Thai people are more willing to listen to their own countrymen than to people of other ethnicities. As a result it was determined that a more effective tactic would be to approach Thais with the gospel through other Christian Thais. To do this effectively members of the church must be instructed in God’s Word to the extent that they are no longer new converts and are also able to teach others. The Bible Institute fulfills this role.
The Bible Institute has 20 students. The majority of them are Hmong and Laotian. Many of these students take a 13 hour bus ride in order to get from their village in Laos to Chiang Mai for each term. Both men and women attend the Bible Institute. The hope is that the men will continue through the seminary program, and the women will become strong lay leaders of other women in their congregations. Four Bible Institute students will graduate in March 2008 and will spend some time gaining valuable practical experience before continuing in the seminary level program.
Though there are some major differences between the way the church carries out ministry in the US and in Thailand, the substance of that ministry is the same – the use of law and gospel in the Holy Spirit’s work of changing hearts and saving souls. These people are no different from you and me. They are in need of the gospel and rejoice when it is preached to them. Their eagerness to be connected to God’s Word is evident even in their day to day speech. Whenever I talked with one of them, the conversation always ended with, “God bless you!” I pray that God would bless them as they were a blessing to me.
