"Protestant church in Thailand has grown considerably"
For the past four years, the Protestant church has been in Thailand grew by 60.000 people to more than 370.000. GZB missionary worker Marten Visser reports this on Twitter. Every year the church in Thailand grows by 5 percent.
“Churches among the native tribes are growing the fastest,” says Visser when asked. More than 40 percent of Christians in Thailand belong to the hill tribes, although they make up less than 2 percent of the total population. Of the 70 million inhabitants, 0,6 percent are Protestant Christians.
“That is very little,” says Visser. “But the fact that two-thirds of believers are first-generation Christians shows that God is clearly at work in Thailand. Two new churches are opened every Sunday. Not necessarily church buildings, but congregations where God is worshiped.”
Thailand is divided into nearly 1000 districts. At the moment there are still 200 districts without a church.
Several Dutch missionaries focus on church planting in these unreached areas. They have been sent out by missionary organizations such as Overseas Missionary Fellowship (OMF), the Gereformeerde Zendingsbond (GZB) and the Deputationship Foreign Mission of the Christian Reformed Churches.
Visser set up a counting system to identify where missionary work is most needed, he says. He is still involved in the team that analyzes the data.
Source: Reformatorisch Dagblad
About the conversion drive of my fellow Christians.
Stop with that conversion work that leads nowhere.
The Western mentality of Christianity does not fit with that of the East.
And if you really want to: don't destroy the existing culture.
Incidentally, the missionaries know very well that the converts only allow an extremely thin veneer of Christianity to come over them. I can talk about it.
And another thing: even the so-called animists believe. In the same spirit world as the Christians. The names are different. Disappointing? Oh no. at least they get their schools and stuff. And the missionaries return home elated with another soul….Yes what?
my website is under construction. But you can put your story in it.
Wiel
"Indigenous tribes". That gives a bit of an indication of which century these dubious preachers live. Can't these people just be deported? They are a danger to any society. Just googled. This upstart is against the use of condoms. He has probably never heard of AIDS.
Who writes articles like this. Are they suddenly in the here at TB?
For the time being I assume that every religion is a danger to society, because of its exclusive character. I see the conversion among the Karen in the borderland. Fortunately, the Karen keep their animistic beliefs (just to be sure?) aside.
Hans, glad to hear that TB is not "in the Lord." I have seen the destructive nature of these Protestant sects in Guatemala. Families were torn apart because Pedro joined these churches, but his brother Paco refused to give up his animistic faith.
The Thai Immigration Service gives these guys YEAR visas, please. Do you still get it?
In fact, they should have a work permit. TB is (at least as far as I'm concerned) not in the Lord. On the contrary: I have suffered enough in my youth and have acquired a healthy dose of anti-clericality from it.
They also receive a work permit. I think there is a pile of banknotes being shoved across the desk by these bible sellers
Well that's how he can be edited.... (Hans Bos) Believing can be a support for many Christians and if you have suffered so much in your past, is it only due to the church? Come on, there must have been more to it…
If I die tomorrow I'm sure I'll be EVEN happier than I already am.
Isn't that a nice feeling?
Everyone has their own opinion, but don't judge each other or groups, that's immature.
Let everyone in his/.her worth..
Frank Christian
Dear Hans,
You're quite right. Unfortunately, that happens all too often and that's how you see the churches
the Netherlands are increasingly empty.
But fortunately there are also fresh winds in which people seek out and support each other without any selfishness.
Roman Catholic and Protestant are increasingly looking for each other and then notice how small the difference is. Fortunately, times change, even though it is 2 to 12.
Thanks for your comment.
Frank
Always have trouble with those aid workers who come to offer their services after a (natural) disaster, but at the same time waving a 'book' to want to convert the needy.
That good man is still working on a counting system and that's a good thing. That percentage of 0,6% refers to the number of Christians in Thailand and not only to Protestant Christians.
According to Wikipedia there are approximately 330.000 Roman Catholics and 70 to 80.000 Protestant Christians in Thailand.
I also know that Wikipedia is not always 100% reliable, but the difference with Vissers' claim is very large.
It's the first time I can agree with all the comments.
Well until now who knows another convert will come with one
different story.LOL
I'm not going to believe them until I see them walking across the Gulf of Thailand from Hua hin to Pattaya to convert certain people there.
Didn't expect to see so many anti-Christian reactions here. But that may have been the author's intention.
I know quite a few Thai Protestant Christians in Thailand who are not from the mountains and are very religious. I myself have no connection whatsoever with a Thai church. Who are you to ridicule this?
In fact, fanatical Muslims react just like that to everything that is not Muslim.
I am certainly not an anti-Christian, everyone should know that for themselves and do not adhere to any religion, including Buddhism, which is formally or not called a religion, but in my opinion it is, that aside.
What I have trouble with is when a religion is forced to be proclaimed in order to convert dissenters and believers, in which Islam, Judaism and Christianity often have quite a hand in their own way.
In that respect I do sympathize with Buddhism, simply put, they state that if you are not a Buddhist or want to be a Buddhist, you have to know that all by yourself, too bad, but still good friends.
TH.NL
I'm Pim, who dares to use his own name to respond.
As a newborn, they already tried to make me a member of such a club with a bowl of water.
When I started to realize that and realized what untruths they wanted to pin on my sleeve, I was too bold to ask how it was possible that the first 2 people on earth had 2 sons.
The 1 beat the other to death and fled to another country to get married.
In front of the class in front of all my classmates I got a big slap on the ear from (I won't say his name) a guy in a black dress .
All those lies lead people to war, believe in yourself is my conviction and do not bring lies to the innocent.
Dear Pim unfortunately for you you are wrong the first two people had many sons and daughters… that is written in the bible in Genesis chapter 5 verse 4… (so it is not that difficult to understand who he married)
Dear Fred .
If you understand correctly, I write that the black dress wanted to pin that on my sleeve.
So he was saying that.
Too bad for the bookstore, but because of this incident I never bought a bible.
I like to listen to Genesis, you should listen to it, they make great music. The singer has a beautiful voice.
@TH.NL: so many anti-Christian reactions? So far only 8 people have commented on the article, while the readership of this blog is really, really much bigger.
The tenor of all these reactions is that people are against the urge to convert, not only of missionaries and missionaries, but also of the Islamic imams.
You should therefore not compare us with fanatical Muslims, but precisely those missionaries and missionaries who - just like those Muslims - proclaim that they profess the only true religion.
And if you yourself have no connection with Buddhism, then I will tell you in advance that there is no Thai church, that is called a temple (“what” in the Thai language).
I heartily recommend that you take a closer look at Buddhism and – like me – come to the conclusion that the urge to convert is absolutely not present in that faith (or way of life).
Gringo, in itself there is nothing wrong with that Buddhism in its pure form.
By the way, other faiths also have pretty good points in the base, which unfortunately quite a bit
sometimes misinterpreted, or points quoted that are not even in it..
It seems to me everywhere that the performing foot soldiers from the Pope to the Jehovah's Witness, at the door, and everything in between and at the bottom, are all messing it up.
Unfortunately, I also think that is the case with Buddhism, when I see all those temples and those monks with their 4-wheel drivers, I also get an unsettling feeling in my gut, time and time again.
If those monks also beg around, because a new refrigerator has to be bought if necessary, I think also with an ice maker, my blood pressure rises slightly.
Of course it is also logical that the farang then just issues a 1000 thb note .. at least then ...
Well, I do agree with you that the urge to convert is, fortunately, not there, although my friend does try to convince me every time that their buddha is of course the best thing that can happen to one.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit” is a very old Latin expression, I always think that with those believers, but also in Thai “Up to you”.
I think all religions are pretty much the same.
Can only judge of the Christian teachings that I myself have enjoyed.
I have learned that the two main commandments of Christianity are…love God above
everything and your neighbor as yourself.
Wouldn't it be better if these 2 commandments were reversed?
Last week I was invited to the island of Ko si Chang, where a baptismal service was held
was held for adults. I found genuinely happy people there with a
life purpose!
I was surprised that the editors read the Reformatorisch Dagblad and put an article out for what purpose?
If every belief is a danger to society, it means that there is no vision for the future, which means that it continues aimlessly and without substance.
Fortunately, I also see other things happening in my Thai environment.
Care for young underprivileged children and training for women (from bars, etc.).
work.(Supported by Chr.! organizations)
Sincerely,
Lodewijk
If living without faith means only religion, you are absolutely right.
Then indeed religious violence, missionary urge and sexual abuses become justified
referred to as abuses arising from human actions based on “religious”
pride.
But if faith is a danger to society, we shouldn't believe that we are
wake up tomorrow, have work/benefits or possibly raise children (to what)
Don't even hope that binge drinking will work, because that is also a form of faith.
It is strange that 60.000 people are attracted to a certain
believe.
Sincerely,
Lodewijk
I've probably been unclear.
You can believe in communism.
You can believe in humanism.
You can believe in a religion
You can believe in Shintoism, Maoism, etc.
You can also believe in nihilism, but I just don't believe that.
Even Nietzsche came back to that!
But if every religion is a danger to society, there will be one
choice must be made with every risk involved!
Do you believe in something or do you believe in nothing, that is the question.
Sincerely,
Lodewijk
Glad we can end this discussion.
Believing in the good of people only makes the world happier!
Sincerely,
Lodewijk
Let the Thai keep their own Buddhism. Why convert, is there something wrong with Buddhism?? I don't think so so let everyone be in his / her worth