In the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan in southern China, the villages where Dai people dwell and have churches have been recognized as "gospel villages."
A whole village may embrace the Christian faith due to the presence of people who are unable to be delivered from the "pibo" (a legendary evil spirit among the Dai people) and those who suffer from specific illnesses (like leprosy). Through the Lord, they get salvation, freedom, and peace.
Another notable story is the church in Nanga Village, Mengla County, founded through marriage.
Born in 1958 in Jiangcheng County, Yunnan, Elder Bai Rongchun has been a Christian since childhood, following the faith of his parents. He relocated to Mohan Township in 1990 and settled down there. Two years later, he felt compelled by God to "marry" a widow in the village and reside with her family. Besides raising her children with care, he continued to preach the gospel, deeply impacting many elderly Dai villagers and leading to the establishment of a church.
The church in Nanga Village is called Mohan Church, belonging to Mohan Township, which borders Laos four kilometers to the south. Mohan Township is a state-level economic development zone oriented toward Southeast Asia.
Mohan Church now comprises 158 members from seven ethnic groups, including Dai, Kemu, Miao, Yao, Yi, Hani, and Han, with ethnic minority believers making up 67% of its congregation. The Kemu are a relatively small cross-border ethnic group, with a population of about 3,000 in China. During daily gatherings, the congregations divide into four places of assembly. The believers at the farthest gathering site are approximately 60 kilometers from the church, while the nearest one is eight kilometers away. Mohan Church now has a church building that spans over 400 square meters.
Elder Bai also serves as the Mengla County Christian Council (CC) president. There are five elders, 17 preachers, and 46 deacons (including 8 theological students) in the county, supporting 12 churches and 24 meeting points. Notably, ten churches and nine meeting points have been newly established, serving about 2,300 believers out of Mengla County's total population of about 306,500.
(The article was originally published by the Gospel Times and the author is a pastor in Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, as well as the author of the book How to Identify Heretics.)
- Translated by Poppy Chan
