In Vietnam, many Christians face a lot of opposition towards their faith. They constantly have to fight for what they believe in. Therefore, are there Pentecostal churches in Vietnam, or are the Pentecosts so repressed that none have found the footing to establish a church setting?
There are, in fact, a couple of Pentecostal churches in Vietnam; however, there is only a handful as the government constantly restricts Christians. Moreover, a hand full of people have been arrested in Church during prayer. Therefore Vietnamese face a lot of opposition and continuously fight for their faith.
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Are Pentecostal Churches Common In Vietnam
Vietnam’s communist government is extremely oppressive and places numerous obstacles in the way of Christian worship services, even though Christian worship is legal. Therefore although there are churches, they are not common. While Christianity is not illegal, the government sees Christians and churches as a threat to its power and control, even though Christian worship is legal.
As a result, Christians in urban areas are subjected to pressure and harassment rather than violent opposition.
In contrast, members of minority tribal groups, such as the Hmong, are subjected to the most damaging forms of persecution. Yet, despite the challenges, the number of believers who faithfully reach out to others helps churches grow and stay sustainable.
Where Do The Pentecosts Worship In Vietnam?
We could find only 1 official Pentecostal church in Vietnam with reliable information about it. However, the Pentecosts in Vietnam worship at people’s houses, forests, and other secluded areas, mostly in secret. It is legal to be a Christian. According to the constitution, everyone has the freedom of religion and belief.
However, the law imposes significant government control over religious practices. In addition, it contains ambiguous provisions that allow for restrictions on religious freedom in the name of national security and social unity.
Where Can Pentecostal Churches Be Found In Vietnam
The best bet to find a Pentecostal church is in Ho Chi Minh City, as there is a church called the Assembly of God. Which is a Pentecostal church that was first located in Vung Tau but was later destroyed and relocated to Ho Chi Minh, where it currently stands today.
Don Warren and his wife founded the Assemblies of God in Vietnam in 1970 by launching an orphanage with the help of Cao Tan Phat. As the work progressed, the three founders approached the United States Assemblies of God and asked for help.
From 1971 through 1973, missionaries were sent from the American AG [Assemblies of God] to Vietnam for extra support. The Philippine AG and native Vietnamese workers joined and helped the three founders in their ministry.
Therefore, As a result of all the help the three founders got, they could start the first pentecostal Church in Vung Tau, Vietnam, in 1972. Glen Stafford founded the first Bible school in the same town as the Church in 1973.
In July of that year, the South Vietnamese government recognized the AG. It was based in Saigon, and its first general administrator was an American missionary named John Hurston. In 1975, it became apparent that the Church was a massive success, with around 15,000 members. However, this success was short-lived, as there was a constant fight to shut the Church down in the North.
As a result, in 1975, the North won the fight, and the communist government closed churches and repossessed property, resulting in a drastic decline in the memberships that followed the pentecostal movement. A historian dubbed 1975 to 1988 the “Silent Period” due to the profound effect on the Assemblies of God.
However, the dream was not dead, as there was still hope and determination. A man by the name of Tran Dinh Paul Ai, who had served as AG general secretary before 1975, went out and, Between 1988 and 1998, led the reorganization of the Vietnamese Assembly Of God.
The first general council met in 1989 and elected Tran Dinh Paul Ai as the general administrator of the Vietnamese AG. Despite being persecuted during this time, the AG expanded and established a manifestation in every region of the nation. After receiving an official operating license in October 2009, Tran Dinh Paul Ai awaited official recognition from the Vietnamese government.
This grants it legal permission to operate and is the first step toward a church that is recognized formally. However, since the first attempt to register in 1994, the AG has been an illegal organization working outside the law. The Assemblies of God in Vietnam’s first official general council was held in Ho Chi Minh City on October 20, 2010, following the issuance of an operating license.
What Are The Main Religions In Vietnam
Honoring one’s ancestors is the most common form of traditional practice that can be found among Vietnamese people. More than 20 million people in Vietnam adhere to one of the world’s major religions. The country is home to more than 30,000 different places of worship. Vietnam is considered to be a multireligious state.
How Many Christians Are There In Vietnam In 2022
Around 7% of the Vietnamese population is Christian, which accounts for about 6.8 million people. However, this number seems to be continually growing as more Vietnamese take up Christianity as their primary religion.
Over the past three decades, an extraordinary spiritual transformation has occurred among a disregarded ethnic minority residing in the highlands of Vietnam. Therefore in the 1980s, when Protestant Christianity was practically unknown in Vietnam, of the country’s one million ethnic Hmong, an estimated 300 thousand became Christians.
What Are The Religions In Vietnam
Honoring one’s ancestors is the most common form of traditional practice that can be found among Vietnamese people. More than 20 million people in Vietnam adhere to one of the world’s major religions. The country is home to more than 30,000 different places of worship. Vietnam is considered to be a multireligious state.
What Are The Main Religions In Vietnam
The 3 main religions in Vietnamese culture, called “tam giáo” refers to a combination of Mahayana Buddhism (text, practices, and philosophies of Buda). In addition, Taoism focuses on the balance between humans, animals, and Tao (universe). Finally, Confucianism concentrates on having good moral character.
In addition, the Vietnamese folk religion frequently gets integrated with tam giáo, which significantly influences Vietnamese beliefs and practices. There are approximately ten million Buddhists in Vietnam, which has the most extensive following among the major world religions.
Buddhism was the first religion from another country to be brought to Vietnam. It originated in India and made its way to Vietnam in the second century AD via China and Thailand for the Mahayana sect.
When Did Christianity Reach Vietnam
Missionaries from France, Spain, and Portugal, the three most influential Catholic evangelist nations in Europe at the time, introduced Christianity to the Vietnamese during the 16th century. French Jesuit Alexandre de Rhodes was one of the earliest settlers.
Jesuit Alexandre de Rhodes left a lasting impression on the Trinh lords who ruled the North then, paving the way for permanent missions to establish in Hanoi, Danang, and Hoi An.
Alexandre de Rhodes, the creator of the Romanized written form of the Vietnamese language, could be considered one of modern Vietnam’s founders. However, when the Trinh lords determined that Christianity in the form of Catholicism undermined the beliefs that kept their power. Therefore he was expelled along with all other Christians.
However, through the Societe des Missions Etrangeres, a French evangelical organization he helped found, de Rhodes continued to seek converts throughout Indochina. In the years since Catholicism in Vietnam has been re-established and has multiplied.
Does Vietnam Allow Religious Freedom?
The constitution states that all individuals have the freedom to freely believe in any religion. However, the constitution is also quite vague, as the government has a lot of controll over religious practices as a means of national security. However, this hinders its people from freely expressing and sharing their beliefs.
Are Christians Disliked In Vietnam?
Depending on their values or background, Christians in Vietnam may face varying degrees of persecution. For example, historical Christian communities such as Roman Catholic churches have some freedom unless they engage in political activity, which can result in the imprisonment of church leaders.
On the other hand, non-established Protestants and converts from native religions regularly face intense stress and brutality for their faith, particularly in remote regions of central and northern Vietnam. In addition, Christians are harassed at work and may face discrimination due to their faith.
At the same time, Christian children are bullied at school and may face pressure to abandon their faith from teachers, peers, and sometimes even their families.
Why Do People In Vietnam Protest Against Christianity
The Vietnamese religious beliefs were founded on various superstitions, whereas the Christian perspective was significantly more modern. The Vietnamese were devoted to both Buddhism and Confucianism as valid world religions. They began to despise Christians because they perceived Christianity to threaten their faith.
