8. From Mali Island to the Crossroads of America: Faith, Resilience, and the Burmese Diaspora

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Welcome to episode 8 of our series discussing the history of Burmese American Christianity (Pearl Dive episode 227)! This series is part of Fuller AACHI’s Burma Diaspora Christianity Project led by Dr. Joseph Cheah and Dr. David Moe. In this powerful episode of The Pearl Dive, host Tim Tseng sits down with theology professor, pastoral leader, and doctoral student Naw Eh Phaw to map her incredible life journey from a tiny, isolated village on Mali Island in southern Burma to the heart of Indianapolis. Naw openly shares the raw trials of her early ministry, from navigating the complexities of her mixed Falam Chin and Karen heritage to enduring international student poverty and personal health struggles in Los Angeles. Listeners will catch a rare glimpse into the early days of the mid-2000s refugee resettlement boom, during which Naw and her husband, Pastor Ci Lian Kap, acted as literal 24/7 lifelines—doing everything from fixing broken household appliances to translating critical legal documents for hundreds of arriving families. The conversation deeply explores the rapid, explosive growth of the Falam Baptist Church of Indiana (FBCI), tracing its evolution from a tiny fellowship of fewer than 100 people into the largest Falam Chin congregation in North America. Yet, Naw doesn't shy away from the hard realities, addressing how historical ethnic fractures caused by Burma's military junta cross oceans to impact diaspora communities in the West. Looking firmly toward the future, she discusses her intentional shift away from a 15-year career in language services to pursue a doctorate in Biblical Counseling at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Driven by an urgent need to treat the systemic trauma, marital strain, and hidden mental health crises impacting resettled families, Naw illuminates how the seeds planted by historic American Baptist missionaries in Burma are now blooming back to enrich the American church landscape. Burma Christian Diaspora in Indianapolis: Celebrating Our Stories, Embracing Our Challenges You are warmly invited to attend the 2026 Our Story, Our Faith (OSOF) Conference: Burma Christian Diaspora in Indianapolis: Celebrating Our Stories, Embracing Our Challenges [https://ourstoriesourfaith.org/], taking place August 7–8, 2026 in Indianapolis, IN, and online. 📍Dates: August 7–8, 2026📍In-Person Location: Falam Baptist Church of Indiana in Indianapolis, IN📍Virtual Attendance: Airmeet Glossary * Mali Island: A small, isolated island located in the Taninthayi Division of southern Burma near the Thailand border, traditionally populated almost entirely by the Karen ethnic group. * Falam Chin & Karen: Two distinct ethnic minority groups originating from Myanmar (Burma). The Chin people are predominantly from the mountainous Chin State in northwestern Burma and are overwhelmingly Christian, while the Karen people generally hail from southeastern Burma. * Military Junta: The authoritarian military government of Myanmar that seized total power and has historically stoked political instability and internal conflict among the country’s various ethnic minority populations. * Burma Diaspora Christianity Project: A collaborative academic and historical effort led by the Asian American Christian History Institute (AACHI) at Fuller Theological Seminary to preserve, document, and integrate the unique stories of Burmese American Christians into broader Asian American faith studies. * FBCI (Falam Baptist Church of Indiana): Located on the south side of Indianapolis, this institution grew from a tiny group of around 100 people in 2005 to become North America’s largest Falam Chin church, boasting roughly 2,000 members. Discussion Questions * Navigating Inherited Scars: Naw notes that historical ethnic conflicts back home—deepened by the political manipulations of the military junta—can unfortunately travel with immigrants and manifest within diaspora churches in the United States. How can immigrant churches balance preserving their specific cultural/linguistic heritages while actively working to heal inherited tribal or ethnic divides under a shared Christian faith? * Holistic vs. Spiritual Ministry: In the early years of the Indianapolis resettlement wave, Naw and her husband functioned as pastors, mechanics, caseworkers, and translators all at once. What does their model of “all-encompassing” community care teach the modern Western church about the relationship between practical social work (housing, literacy, legal aid) and spiritual ministry? * The Evolution of Diaspora Needs: Naw explains that while the first generation of refugees initially needed basic physical survival tools (cars, houses, jobs), the current pressing crisis centers heavily around internal struggles like mental health, youth identity, and marital strain. How must the training and infrastructure of immigrant church leaders evolve to meet these complex psychological and generational shifts? Naw Eh Phaw is a mother of two and a pastor’s wife who has spoken across the nation on family and children’s ministry. She earned her Bachelor of Theology in 1996 and her Master of Arts in Ministry in 1998 from Far Eastern Fundamental School of Theology in Yangon, Myanmar. After graduating, she served as a professor at the same institution for two years. In 2004, she received her Master of Arts in Theology from International Theological Seminary in Los Angeles and is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Biblical Counseling at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Following 15 years of service as the Director of Language Services, Naw answered God’s call in 2023 to serve in full-time ministry wherever He leads. She currently teaches a Biblical Counseling course at Chin Theological Seminary. Naw is passionate about guiding individuals and families to Christ through biblical truth, and her greatest joy is witnessing broken hearts find complete healing through Christ, our Great Healer. This podcast series is funded by the APARRI [https://aparri.org/] Working Grant and the American Baptist Home Mission Societies [https://abhms.org/]. Thanks for reading Pearl Dive, AACHI’s digital platform! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fulleraachi.substack.com [https://fulleraachi.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

07. Faith Under Fire

Welcome to episode 7 of our series discussing the history of Burmese American Christianity (Pearl Dive episode 226)! This series is part of Fuller AACHI’s Burma Diaspora Christianity Project led by Dr. Joseph Cheah and Dr. David Moe. In this episode, we dive into the powerful and multi-layered responses of Burmese Christian communities navigating Myanmar’s ongoing political crisis. From the front lines of the pro-democracy movement to diaspora churches in the United States, faith has become both a shield and a catalyst for action. David Moe and Joe Cheah illuminate how both Protestants and Catholics are engaging in diverse forms of resistance. This spans from the beautiful “spiritual resistance” found in Indonesian/Malaysian gospel songs such as Kumau Cinta Yesus [https://youtu.be/7Rt7jQ906Rg?si=xqcMRRDKrYjvOJek] (I Want to Love Jesus), to radical acts of nonviolent protest—vividly captured in the globally symbolic image of a Catholic nun, Sister Ann Rose Nu Tawng, kneeling before armed police officers to protect protestors. The conversation moves deeper to examine the complex biblical and theological frameworks driving these actions, exposing the internal tensions that arise when interpreting scriptures like Romans 13 during a violent military coup. We also trace the transnational impact of this political witness on Burmese immigrant churches in the US. Prior to the coup, these congregations predominantly focused on cultural preservation and community life. Today, they have transformed into crucial hubs for global advocacy, human rights awareness, and cross-ethnic collaboration. However, this heightened political involvement has brought deep generational and ideological fractures to light, prompting critical questions about the role of the church, the use of tithes for physical defense, and how the second generation navigates social justice in the diaspora. Burma Christian Diaspora in Indianapolis: Celebrating Our Stories, Embracing Our Challenges You are warmly invited to attend the 2026 Our Story, Our Faith (OSOF) Conference: Burma Christian Diaspora in Indianapolis: Celebrating Our Stories, Embracing Our Challenges [https://ourstoriesourfaith.org/], taking place August 7–8, 2026 in Indianapolis, IN, and online. 📍Dates: August 7–8, 2026📍In-Person Location: Falam Baptist Church of Indiana in Indianapolis, IN📍Virtual Attendance: Airmeet Glossary * Adharma: A Sanskrit term meaning moral wrongdoing or evil. In the context of the Burmese political crisis, it represents the framework used by some Christians to define the military coup as an unjust entity that must be resisted. * Aung San Suu Kyi [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aung_San_Suu_Kyi] (b. 1945): A globally recognized Burmese politician, diplomat, author, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. She served as the de facto head of government (State Counselling minister) prior to being deposed and arrested by the military during the February 2021 coup. * Chin State: A mountainous region in western Myanmar predominantly inhabited by the Chin people, an ethnic minority group that is overwhelmingly Christian. David Moe highlights Chin State as having one of the highest percentages of public servants who bravely refused to work under the military regime, leading the local Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM). * Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM): A massive, peaceful resistance campaign launched immediately after the 2021 military coup. It consisted of doctors, educators, engineers, and civil servants refusing to work under the junta to paralyze the regime’s administrative capabilities. * Dharma: A foundational term in Indian and Buddhist traditions broadly meaning moral order, righteousness, or the summary of Buddhist teachings. * Diaspora: Scattered communities of people who have been displaced or migrated from their original homeland. In this episode, it refers to Burmese Christian communities living and worshipping in the United States. * Kumau Cinta Yesus [https://youtu.be/7Rt7jQ906Rg?si=xqcMRRDKrYjvOJek] (I Want to Love Jesus): An Indonesian/Malaysian gospel song that has been cross-culturally adopted by Burmese Christians. Singing this specific song during times of intense political terror serves as a form of “spiritual resistance,” reinforcing absolute allegiance to Christ over a dictatorial regime. * MaBaTha [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriotic_Association_of_Myanmar] (Patriotic Association of Myanmar): A powerful, nationalist Buddhist organization that rose to prominence in Myanmar during the 2010s. It has historically driven anti-Muslim sentiments, advanced a hardline pro-Buddhist political agenda, and contributed to the social marginalization of religious and ethnic minorities (including Christians). * Min Aung Hlaing [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Min_Aung_Hlaing] (b. 1956): The senior general of the Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw) who orchestrated the February 1, 2021 coup, ousting the democratically elected government and subsequently installing himself as the leader of the ruling military junta. * Natural Law Tradition: A philosophical and theological framework asserting that certain moral rights and values are inherent in human nature. This tradition argues that unjust laws passed by human governments do not legally or morally bind a person’s conscience. * Ne Win [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ne_Win] (1911 – 2002): A military general who ruled Myanmar from 1962 to 1988 following a coup d’état. He established a totalitarian, isolationist regime under the banner of the “Burmese Way to Socialism,” which initiated decades of economic stagnation and systematic military dominance. * Romans 13 (1–7): A pivotal New Testament passage historically used to command absolute submission to governing authorities. In Myanmar, this text has sparked intense theological debate between literal submissionists and those who argue obedience is strictly reserved for just authorities. * Saffron Revolution [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saffron_Revolution] (2007): A series of massive economic and political protests in Myanmar triggered by the military government’s decision to lift subsidies on fuel. The movement was named after the saffron-colored robes worn by thousands of Buddhist monks who led the nonviolent demonstrations, which were met with a severe, violent crackdown by the military junta. * Sister Ann Rose Nu Tawng [https://www.facebook.com/historyfeels/posts/sister-ann-rose-nu-tawng-is-photographed-begging-armed-police-officers-not-to-sh/1480085813914426/]: A Roman Catholic nun belonging to the Sisters of St. Francis Xavier in Myitkyina. She became a global icon of nonviolent bravery when photos and videos circulated of her kneeling in front of heavily armed police forces, begging them to shoot her instead of the young pro-democracy protestors. * Spiritual Resistance: The practice of using faith-based assets—such as prayer, humanitarian aid, scripture reinterpretation, and sacred music—to internally defy and publicly oppose oppressive political structures. * The 969 Movement [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/969_Movement]: A nationalist movement led by extremist Buddhist monks in Myanmar. It uses numerical Buddhist symbolism to counter what it claims is the expansion of Islam, frequently stoking religious tensions and sporadic communal violence across the country. Discussion Questions * The Limits of Submission: David Moe notes that while some Burmese Christians interpret Romans 13 literally to mean absolute submission to government, others read it in dialogue with Romans 12:9 (”hate what is evil; cling to what is good”) to justify resisting an unjust coup. How should Christians navigate passages on state submission when a government commits severe human rights abuses? Who decides when an authority has lost its legitimacy? * The Ethics of Sanctuary and Defense: The text highlights a controversial friction in diaspora churches regarding whether church tithes should be used to purchase weapons for local defense forces fighting the military regime. Where is the line between providing humanitarian aid (re-reading the Good Samaritan parable) and funding active physical defense, and how does a community maintain unity amidst such stark ethical divides? * The Evolution of Immigrant Ecclesiology: Prior to the political crisis, many Burmese diaspora churches in the US focused purely on community life, language, and cultural preservation. The crisis forced them to pivot into centers of political awareness and inter-ethnic collaboration. Should immigrant and minority churches inherently serve as political and social advocacy hubs, or should they focus strictly on spiritual and cultural sanctuary? Fr. Joe Cheah, OSM, is Professor and Chair in Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, Connecticut. As a part of the first wave of immigrants from Burma, he came to the United States with his parents in 1966. He co-sponsors the St. Mary’s Home in Kyauktan, Myanmar. All donations and inquiries go through our 501(c)(3) organization in the US: The Children Charitable Foundation of Myanmar, Inc. (childrenofmyanmar.org [https://childrenofmyanmar.org/]) Joe has published extensively, including Race and Religion in American Buddhism: White Supremacy and Immigrant Adaptation (New York: Oxford University Press, 2011), Theological Reflections on “Gangnam Style”: A Racial, Sexual, and Cultural Critique (New York: Palgrave MacMillan, 2014) with Grace Ji-Sun Kim, and Anti-Asian Racism: Myths, Stereotypes, and Catholic Social Teaching (New York: Orbis Books, 2023). Joe can be reached at jcheah@usj.edu. Dr. David Thang Moe [https://macmillan.yale.edu/southeast-asia/person/david-thang-moe] is at Yale University in New Haven, CT. where he is a Postdoctoral Associate and Lecturer in Religion and Conflict at the Council on Southeast Asia Studies at MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies and Department of Religious Studies. He can be reached on Facebook at facebook.com/davidmoe83 [https://www.facebook.com/davidmoe83]. For more about Burmese American Christians, see David Thang Moe, “The Hidden Stories of Burmese American Christians: Understanding their Imagination of Identity,” International Bulletin of Mission Research 2024, Vol. 48(3), 383 –398. This podcast series is funded by the APARRI [https://aparri.org/] Working Grant and the American Baptist Home Mission Societies [https://abhms.org/]. Thanks for reading Pearl Dive, AACHI’s digital platform! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fulleraachi.substack.com [https://fulleraachi.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

18 de jun de 202635 min

05. Waves of Resilience

Welcome to episode 5 of our series discussing the history of Burmese American Christianity (Pearl Dive episode 224)! This series is part of Fuller AACHI’s Burma Diaspora Christianity Project led by Dr. Joseph Cheah and Dr. David Moe. In this episode, project leaders Dr. Joseph Cheah and Dr. David Moe chart the fascinating and complex history of Burmese immigration to the United States. Together, they break down the migration story into three distinct, powerful waves shaped by both sudden crises and global opportunities: * The First Wave (1950s–1960s): A small, highly educated group of students, professionals, and diplomats arriving post-independence, heavily accelerated by the 1962 military coup and the 1967 anti-Chinese riots. * The Second Wave (1980s–2000s): A massive wave of humanitarian displacement triggered by the 1988 nationwide democratic uprising, pushing political dissidents and activists to seek asylum. * The Third Wave (2000s–Present): The largest influx to date, primarily composed of ethnic minority Christian communities (such as the Chin, Karen, and Kachin) fleeing severe religious persecution and ethnic discrimination. Drs. Cheah and Moe explore how these shifting demographics completely revolutionized the landscape of Burmese American faith life. They discuss the unique infrastructure built by early arrivals to welcome refugees, the structural and linguistic shift from multi-ethnic congregations to separate tribal churches, and the delicate “middle way” the second generation navigates while growing up between two cultural worlds. Burma Christian Diaspora in Indianapolis: Celebrating Our Stories, Embracing Our Challenges You are warmly invited to attend the 2026 Our Story, Our Faith (OSOF) Conference: Burma Christian Diaspora in Indianapolis: Celebrating Our Stories, Embracing Our Challenges [https://ourstoriesourfaith.org/], taking place August 7–8, 2026 in Indianapolis, IN, and online. 📍Dates: August 7–8, 2026📍In-Person Location: Falam Baptist Church of Indiana in Indianapolis, IN📍Virtual Attendance: Airmeet Glossary * Sino-Burmese: Individuals of Chinese descent born or living in Burma (Myanmar). Many fled to Western countries like the U.S. in the wake of the state-stoked anti-Chinese riots of 1967. * 1988 Nationwide Uprising (8888 Uprising): A historic, student-led democracy movement in Burma protesting military rule. The government’s violent suppression resulted in thousands of deaths and forced a major wave of activists and ethnic minorities to flee the country. * UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees): The UN refugee agency. Based significantly out of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for Southeast Asian processing, it served as the vital pipeline allowing thousands of ethnic minority Burmese to safely resettle in the U.S., Canada, and Australia. * USA PATRIOT Act Waivers (2006): Legislative modifications enacted under the Bush administration that lifted strict material-support bars, effectively opening the doors for thousands of displaced Karen and Kachin refugees to legally enter the United States. * “Chindiana”: A cultural portmanteau and nickname for the state of Indiana—specifically around Indianapolis—which has become the primary cultural and geographical hub for the Chin ethnic minority Christian community in the United States. Discussion Questions * The Evolution of Church as a Cultural Hub: Dr. David Moe points out that when ethnic minority refugees first arrived, they initially worshiped together under broad “Myanmar Christian Communities,” but eventually fractured into distinct tribal and ethnic churches rather than along doctrinal lines. What does this tell us about the dual role of the immigrant church as both a religious space and a survival mechanism for ethnic preservation? How should Christian communities balance Jesus’ prayer for theological unity with the practical human need for cultural comfort? * The “Inter-Generational Middle Way”: The podcast highlights a classic tension for the second generation of Burmese Americans navigating “two cultural worlds,” specifically regarding language preferences between older and younger generations. What are some practical ways immigrant faith communities can cultivate a healthy “middle way” that respects ancestral heritage without isolating youth who primarily speak English? * Crisis vs. Opportunity in Migration Historiography: Dr. Joseph Cheah notes that understanding these three waves helps us see how migration is fundamentally shaped by either opportunity (like educational exchange) or crisis (like ethnic and political violence). How does recognizing whether a community arrived as voluntary professionals versus traumatized refugees change the way local churches and social organizations should approach hospitality, infrastructure, and counseling? Fr. Joe Cheah, OSM, is Professor and Chair in Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, Connecticut. As a part of the first wave of immigrants from Burma, he came to the United States with his parents in 1966. He co-sponsors the St. Mary’s Home in Kyauktan, Myanmar. All donations and inquiries go through our 501(c)(3) organization in the US: The Children Charitable Foundation of Myanmar, Inc. (childrenofmyanmar.org [https://childrenofmyanmar.org/]) Joe has published extensively, including Race and Religion in American Buddhism: White Supremacy and Immigrant Adaptation (New York: Oxford University Press, 2011), Theological Reflections on “Gangnam Style”: A Racial, Sexual, and Cultural Critique (New York: Palgrave MacMillan, 2014) with Grace Ji-Sun Kim, and Anti-Asian Racism: Myths, Stereotypes, and Catholic Social Teaching (New York: Orbis Books, 2023). Joe can be reached at jcheah@usj.edu. Dr. David Thang Moe [https://macmillan.yale.edu/southeast-asia/person/david-thang-moe] is at Yale University in New Haven, CT. where he is a Postdoctoral Associate and Lecturer in Religion and Conflict at the Council on Southeast Asia Studies at MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies and Department of Religious Studies. He can be reached on Facebook at facebook.com/davidmoe83 [https://www.facebook.com/davidmoe83]. For more about Burmese American Christians, see David Thang Moe, “The Hidden Stories of Burmese American Christians: Understanding their Imagination of Identity,” International Bulletin of Mission Research 2024, Vol. 48(3), 383 –398. This podcast series is funded by the APARRI [https://aparri.org/] Working Grant and the American Baptist Home Mission Societies [https://abhms.org/]. Thanks for reading Pearl Dive, AACHI’s digital platform! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fulleraachi.substack.com [https://fulleraachi.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

4 de jun de 202631 min

8. From Mali Island to the Crossroads of America: Faith, Resilience, and the Burmese Diaspora

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