‘His eyes watch over the nations’ Psalm 66:7

Google Maps, no doubt aided by a proliferation of satellites, ensures that no part of the world is unmapped (yes, sensitive parts are often pixelated due to security concerns, but most is there to see). What an incredible innovation of recent decades! Yet Google Maps cannot tell us what is happening on the ground.

The situation in Myanmar (population of 55 million, 80% of whom are Buddhist, with less than 5% evangelical Christian, across 116 language groups, 40% of whom are unevangelised) is sobering. And yet until the recent earthquake, it could be considered ‘out of sight’ and therefore ‘out of mind’ by many in the world. But wonderfully not by our God. For ‘his eyes watch over the nations’ (Psalm 66:7).

Myanmar’s military junta (1962-2011, 2021-) is a ruthless power. After an era of greater democratic governance spearheaded by Aung San Suu Kyi, the military performed the third coup of Myanmar’s short history, on 1 February 2021. Widespread protests were met with murderous violence.

Their authoritarian rule has brought poverty to a land rich in resources. As occasionally witnessed on the internet or our TV screens, the junta have ruthlessly squashed protests, put their opponents in prison, and implemented forced labour. Today all men between the age of 18 and 35 face forced conscription into the army; those who resist are imprisoned. The lack of news from cities at the earthquakes epicentre is sobering and disquieting.

But the tide could now be turning. The revolution, spearheaded by coalitions of anti-regime militias, many of them comprised of ethnic minorities, have made significant progress in the fight against the junta’s armed forces. Some say the regime is not far from collapse.

Since 2021, UK foreign office advice has meant that UK nationals are advised against all travel into Myanmar. Yet with Crosslinks’ first presence in Myanmar over 100 years ago, in 1924, our heart for the nation remains steadfast.

In more recent decades, Crosslinks Schools of Biblical Training (SBTs) have served the church in Myanmar at their invitation. SBTs seek to equip pastors in expository preaching skills and encourage Christ-like leadership. So, following on from conversations at the GAFCON conference at Kigali in 2023, a request came from the Anglican Church of the Province of Myanmar to help. A plan was hatched to host 14 pastors from Myanmar at an SBT just over the border in Thailand. Our hope was that they would return as ‘Trainers of Trainers’ and build up the church in Myanmar.

I have returned from the second of these SBTs, just before the earthquake, and it was deeply humbling. Alongside Neil Watkinson (International Director of the Proclamation Trust and Crosslinks mission partner) and Marc Wang (St George’s, Singapore) we were able to serve our brothers and sisters as we learnt together from Titus, Judges and Acts. We were hugely helped by the translation efforts of a Myanmar brother who had studied at the Cornhill Training Course in London a decade ago, and who was now living in exile in Thailand due to his part in the revolution. Thailand is sometimes known as ‘the land of smiles’ and there were certainly some broad smiles during our time together. It was a blessing to feast on Christ, encourage one another in godly leadership, extol one another to keep the gospel the main thing, and to keep going.

Very few of us in the UK will know the experience of living under authoritarian rule, and the daily fear and hardship a dictatorship can bring. But wonderfully our Lord does. He sees as ‘his eyes watch over the nations’.

Through the generous partnership of churches and individuals across the UK and Singapore, all the costs (including travel) for those attending the SBT from Myanmar were covered. At the request of the church in Myanmar, we are prayerfully planning to run it again in early 2026. If you would like to partner with us, please get in touch and we can let you know how to do that contact@crosslinks.org

Rev Rupert Shelley, Director of Mission Partnerships