Christianity in Myanmar

According to the 2016 census, Christianity is the country's second largest religion, practiced by 6.3% of the population,[1] primarily among the Kachin, Chin and Kayin, and Eurasians because of missionary work in their respective areas.

A small number of foreign Christian missionary organisations have been permitted to enter the country to conduct religious conversion work, such as World Vision following Cyclone Nargis.

A long-standing ban on the free entry of missionaries and religious materials has persisted since independence in 1948, which is seen as hostile to Christianity.

[6] The Protestant churches of Burma were begun in the early 19th century by Adoniram Judson (1788–1850), an American Baptist missionary.

Independence from Britain came in 1947, and for years there was simmering tension and sometimes military action by the government against the Karens.

The Catholics began transferring control from the missionaries to local elements in 1959, with the appointment of the Archbishop of Mandalay who is a descendant of Portuguese who arrived in the 17th century.

[11] Generally speaking, most Christians are from the minority ethnic groups such as the Chin, Karen, Lisu, Kachin, and Lahu.

Baptists, Assemblies of God, Methodists and Anglicans form the strongest denominations in Burma.

The CIA World Factbook[1] mentions that 4% of the population of Myanmar is Christian (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%).

He is an ethnic Chin and a member of the United Pentecostal Church International, making him the first non-Buddhist, as well as the first Christian, to hold the office of the Vice President of Myanmar.

His faith has been the subject of controversy, as after his appointment nationalist monks protested saying that only Buddhists should hold political positions.