Karen Baptist Convention
Encyclopedia
Karen Baptist Convention, Myanmar was established in 1913. It is located in Lanmadaw Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Today the Karen Baptist Convention is the largest member body of the Myanmar Baptist Convention, which was formed in 1865. Leaderships in the organization are for a four-year term and can only be re-elected for one more term.It has 18 associations. KBC is doing mission works not only in Karen people but also to other tribes and races. KBC maintains one press called the Go Forward Press. KBC also operates Karen Baptist Theological Seminary
and Karen Baptist Convention's Clinic at Insein, Yangon, Myanmar.
and his wife, Sarah, and Adoniram Judson. The freed slave, Ko Tha Byu, was an illiterate, surly man who spoke almost no Burmese and was reputed to be not only a thief but also a murderer who admitted killing at least thirty men, but could not remember exactly how many more.
While the Boardmans and Ko Tha Byu were penetrating the jungles to the south, Adoniram Judson shook off a paralyzing year-long siege of depression that overcame him after the death of his wife, Ann, and set out alone on long canoe trips up the Salween River into the tiger
-infested jungles to evangelize the northern Karen. Between trips he worked untiringly at his lifelong goal of translating the whole Bible into the Burmese language
. When he finished it at last in 1834, he had been labouring on it for twenty-four years. It was printed and published in 1835.
A second single woman, Eleanor Macomber, after five years of mission to the Ojibway Indians in Michigan
, joined the mission in Burma in 1835. Alone, with the help of Karen evangelistic assistants, she planted a church in a remote Karen village and nurtured it to the point where it could be placed under the care of an ordinary missionary. She lived five years and died of jungle fever.
In this period in the middle of the century the name of Saw (or Thra) Quala stands out. A Karen
, he was the Baptists' second convert after Ko Tha Byu, the "apostle to the Karens". When Francis Mason
, linguist and pioneer to the "heartland" of the Karen tribes, was forced home by ill health in 1857, he decided to turn over the district to his ablest helper, Saw Quala, in whom he had developed the utmost confidence. In the Karen, Saw, he astutely discerned a leader for a second stage of Christian outreach in Burma. Within two years of the time that Mason turned the district over to him, Saw Quala had increased the number of assistants working with him from 3 to 11; they had established 27 new churches; and had baptized 1,880 adult converts. Dr. Mason also pioneered in answering the convention's second call – a request for a more usable translation of the Bible. Not only did Mason encourage the use of Karen evangelists, he, along with Jonathan Wade, made the significant decision to promote a version of the Bible
in the Karen language to supplement what was already being done with the Bible in the national language, Burmese
. The story is told that in 1831 on his first trip into Karen territory, an old man confronted him. "Where is our book?" he asked, referring to the Karen legend mentioned before. "If you bring us our lost book, we will welcome you." Wade was quick to respond. It is said that he reduced the Karen language to writing even before he could speak it, and Dr. Mason took Wade's adaptation of the Burmese alphabet to Karen sounds and threw himself into the arduous task of translating the Bible into Sgaw Karen. Thus did the Karens receive "their Book". The first printed portion was the Sermon on the Mount
in 1837; the New Testament
appeared in successive printing stages from 1843 to 1861, and the Old Testament
in 1863.
Karen Baptist Convention was founded in 1913.
Karen Baptist Theological Seminary
The Karen Baptist Theological Seminary was established in 1845. It is Located in Seminary Hill, Insein, Yangon, Myanmar. The seminary's academic courses are taught primarily in the S'gaw Karen language, with English being used for other purposes. The Burmese language is not used....
and Karen Baptist Convention's Clinic at Insein, Yangon, Myanmar.
History
Ko Tha Byu, though credit is rightly due also to the three missionary pioneers to the Karen, George BoardmanGeorge Boardman
George Dana Boardman was born in Livermore, Maine, the son of the Rev. Sylvanus Boardman. He attended Colby College, and was the school's first graduate in 1822. He served as tutor for a year at Colby, then continued his education at Andover Theological Seminary. On February 16, 1825, he was...
and his wife, Sarah, and Adoniram Judson. The freed slave, Ko Tha Byu, was an illiterate, surly man who spoke almost no Burmese and was reputed to be not only a thief but also a murderer who admitted killing at least thirty men, but could not remember exactly how many more.
While the Boardmans and Ko Tha Byu were penetrating the jungles to the south, Adoniram Judson shook off a paralyzing year-long siege of depression that overcame him after the death of his wife, Ann, and set out alone on long canoe trips up the Salween River into the tiger
Tiger
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
-infested jungles to evangelize the northern Karen. Between trips he worked untiringly at his lifelong goal of translating the whole Bible into the Burmese language
Burmese language
The Burmese language is the official language of Burma. Although the constitution officially recognizes it as the Myanmar language, most English speakers continue to refer to the language as Burmese. Burmese is the native language of the Bamar and related sub-ethnic groups of the Bamar, as well as...
. When he finished it at last in 1834, he had been labouring on it for twenty-four years. It was printed and published in 1835.
A second single woman, Eleanor Macomber, after five years of mission to the Ojibway Indians in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, joined the mission in Burma in 1835. Alone, with the help of Karen evangelistic assistants, she planted a church in a remote Karen village and nurtured it to the point where it could be placed under the care of an ordinary missionary. She lived five years and died of jungle fever.
In this period in the middle of the century the name of Saw (or Thra) Quala stands out. A Karen
Karen people
The Karen or Kayin people , are a Sino-Tibetan language speaking ethnic group which resides primarily in southern and southeastern Burma . The Karen make up approximately 7 percent of the total Burmese population of approximately 50 million people...
, he was the Baptists' second convert after Ko Tha Byu, the "apostle to the Karens". When Francis Mason
Francis Mason
Francis Mason , American missionary and a naturalist, was born in York, England. His grandfather, also Francis Mason, was the founder of the Baptist Society in York, and his father, a shoemaker by trade, was a Baptist lay preacher there.-Early life:After working with his father as a shoemaker for...
, linguist and pioneer to the "heartland" of the Karen tribes, was forced home by ill health in 1857, he decided to turn over the district to his ablest helper, Saw Quala, in whom he had developed the utmost confidence. In the Karen, Saw, he astutely discerned a leader for a second stage of Christian outreach in Burma. Within two years of the time that Mason turned the district over to him, Saw Quala had increased the number of assistants working with him from 3 to 11; they had established 27 new churches; and had baptized 1,880 adult converts. Dr. Mason also pioneered in answering the convention's second call – a request for a more usable translation of the Bible. Not only did Mason encourage the use of Karen evangelists, he, along with Jonathan Wade, made the significant decision to promote a version of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
in the Karen language to supplement what was already being done with the Bible in the national language, Burmese
Burmese language
The Burmese language is the official language of Burma. Although the constitution officially recognizes it as the Myanmar language, most English speakers continue to refer to the language as Burmese. Burmese is the native language of the Bamar and related sub-ethnic groups of the Bamar, as well as...
. The story is told that in 1831 on his first trip into Karen territory, an old man confronted him. "Where is our book?" he asked, referring to the Karen legend mentioned before. "If you bring us our lost book, we will welcome you." Wade was quick to respond. It is said that he reduced the Karen language to writing even before he could speak it, and Dr. Mason took Wade's adaptation of the Burmese alphabet to Karen sounds and threw himself into the arduous task of translating the Bible into Sgaw Karen. Thus did the Karens receive "their Book". The first printed portion was the Sermon on the Mount
Sermon on the Mount
The Sermon on the Mount is a collection of sayings and teachings of Jesus, which emphasizes his moral teaching found in the Gospel of Matthew...
in 1837; the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
appeared in successive printing stages from 1843 to 1861, and the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
in 1863.
Karen Baptist Convention was founded in 1913.
Current General Secretary
- Rev.Dr. Greeta Din
- Rev Nee Doh Htoo, B.A, B.D, (Assistant Secretary)
Publication
- Magazine
- Sunday School Lesson
- Htee Moo Htaw Beh
- Topics for weekly Women’s Worship Service
- Topics for weekly Youth Worship Service
- Concordance in Karen Language
Department
- Christian Endeavor Department
- Women Department
- Religious Education Department
- Ministers Council Department
- Treasury Department
- Magazine and Press Department
- Communication and Technology Department
- Facilities Department
- Evangelical and Missionary Department
- Accounting Department
- Emergency Relief Department
- Christian Development Department
- Theology Education Department
- Karen Baptist Convention's Clinic
- Literature and Culture Department
Bago Division
- Paku Karen Baptist AssociationPaku Karen Baptist AssociationPaku Karen Baptist Association, also known as Paku Kayin Baptist Association was founded in 1856 by the American Baptist Mission.With the departure of American Baptist missionaries from Myanmar, the Association has been entirely staffed by nationals. After the PKBA reconstituted, the first...
- Bwe Karen Baptist Association
- Keh Ko Keh Bah Karen Baptist Association
- Nyaung Lay Bin Karen Baptist Association
- Shwegyin Karen Baptist Association
- Pyay Tharyarwaddy Karen Baptist Association
Ayeyarwaddy Division
- Pathein Karen Baptist Association
- Myaung Mya Karen Baptist Association
- Kyar Inn Karen Baptist Association
- Hinthada Karen Baptist Association
Foreign Countries
- Thai Karen Baptist Convention
- Singapore Karen Baptist Church
- Malaysia Karen Baptist Church
- Chiang Mai, Thailand Karen Baptist Church
- Bangkok Karen Baptist Church
- America Karen Baptist Convention
- Australia Karen Baptist Churches
- KDN Christian Aid UK
- Japan