| 19 Dec 2008 - Mennonites in Vietnam: a complex reality |
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News Service December 19, 2008 Mennonites in Vietnam: a complex reality Strasbourg, France - The legal status recently granted to the Vietnam Mennonite Church (VMC) was celebrated and formalized in a government-approved General Assembly held November 15-17, 2008. (See joint news release by MWC and VMC, “Religious Affairs Committee in Hanoi legalizes Vietnam Mennonite Church,” November 24, 2008.) This event involved 188 delegates representing over 6,000 members from 24 provinces. Vietnamese government officials were present as observers, as were representatives of sister churches in Vietnam and international delegates from Mennonite World Conference, Eastern Mennonite Missions, Lancaster Mennonite Conference and North American Vietnamese Mennonite Fellowship. Pastor Nguyen Quang Trung was officially elected as president of the church. Before being granted legal status, this church functioned mostly as “house churches.” It will now be permitted to build houses of worship, establish training facilities, and partner with other denominations in joint projects as well as partner with Mennonite Central Committee in relief and community development work, with government approval. This new legal status, however, did not include all those in Vietnam who have been drawn to the Mennonite family of faith in recent years. A prior “organizing conference” was held in July of 2003 which included 47 church leaders desiring to identify with the Mennonite church and confession of faith. They came together from five or six different house church networks without the benefit of legal status at that time. Pastor Trung was elected as president of this uniting church. Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang, leader of one of the larger house church networks forming the new church, was elected as vice-president and general secretary. During the following year several members of this newly organized church were imprisoned following a confrontation with security police at the office and home of Pastor Quang. Pastor Quang was one of those arrested. While he was still in prison, steps were begun by the government to offer legal status to the Mennonite church. A significant number of Pastor Quang’s associates chose not to participate in the process because of this and other circumstances which led to a division into two groups. The division has continued to the present. Both groups continue to claim Mennonite identity. However, still more recently, some of Pastor Quang’s associates have joined the process of legalization and have become part of the legalized church. The non-recognized Mennonite church continued to operate during Pastor Quang’s imprisonment. Pastor Quang was released from prison and is now active in organizing training and education programs for church leaders in that church as well as for other non-recognized evangelical house churches. A Training School for Ministry is based in their central facility in District 2 of Ho Chi Minh City. There are 40 persons enrolled in a three-year program which includes biblical studies, ministry training, Christian living, civic involvement, etc. More than twice that many, including many presently involved in ministry, attend an annual training session as well, which lasts from two weeks to one month. The most recent session was held in November 2008. This network of churches is very active in evangelism, children and youth work, women’s ministries, music, worship and other involvements. They also have a special commitment to a Christian scouting program. As does the recently legalized church, the non-recognized church has locations where they meet for worship and ministry. They are organized into a number of districts around the country and include many minority believers in addition to ethnic Vietnamese. Although at present the non-recognized churches enjoy relatively more latitude for their ministries than earlier, several of their members are in prison. These churches recently sent a request to the government, signed by 101 leaders, asking for release of imprisoned members on humanitarian grounds. Two persons have already been released. The others are reportedly under consideration for release or reduction of sentences. Both churches, the legally recognized church and the non-recognized church, desire prayers of the international community for their ongoing witness and ministry in Vietnam --by MWC staff *** Mennonite World Conference is a communion (Koinonia) of Anabaptist-related churches linked to one another in a worldwide community of faith for fellowship, worship, service, and witness. |
