DEDICATION
To all Christians in Vietnam,
“Your labour is not in vain”
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding
in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 15: 58
(NASB)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My deepest appreciations and gratitudes to:
My master degree thesis supervisor, Đỗ Quang Hưng of Vietnam National
University - Social Science Humanities, Hanoi, for your guidance, wisdom and
knowledge that gave me the courage to fulfil my dream to accomplished this thesis.
The Director of Institute, Vice-Director of Institute and Staff of Institute of
Vietnamese Studies and Development Science (IVIDES) of Vietnam National
University (VNU), Hanoi, for having faith in me, allowed me to study the Master
Degree in Vietnamese Studies programme inspite of my academic discipline
challenges.
Senior Pastor, Eldership Board and Crossfields Missions of DUMC - Dream Centre,
Malaysia, who have faith and believe in who I am.
David Steven, for your generosity and great assistance in sharing your boundiful
resources, in order to make this master degree thesis from a dream to a reality.
Gerry Keener, USA, your humbleness and great assistance in sharing your
experiences and materials that I needed for the master degree thesis.
Nguyễn Quang Trung, President of Vietnam Mennonite Church, HCMC, for your
time, materials and sharing of your experiences that touches my heart deeply.
Lê Quốc Huy, President of Vietnam Baptist Convention, HCMC, for your time and
sharing of the experiences that the denomination has gone through.
Trần Thanh Truyện, Executive General Secretary of Vietnam Seventh-Day
Adventist Church, HCMC, for your big serving heart, who willingly share materials
of all kinds in order for me to get this master degree thesis done.
Lâm Hữu Đức, President of Vietnam Methodist Church, Dong Nai Province,
Vietnam, thanks for your support, encouragements and timely advice as my
godfather throughout these times. You never give up on me!
Friends of Class K8 IVIDES, VNU, Hanoi - for your warm friendships and caring
support throughout my master degree programme study.
Friends of Class of K9 IVIDES, VNU, Hanoi – for your friendships and
encouragements throughout my master degree programme study. We made it, K9!
My beloved ones, for your understanding, encouragements and support. Through
good and bad times, you are always there for me! With you, I could go through all
kinds of roller coasters in this journey of my life.
Above all, I want to give thanks to the LORD God, the Almighty Father of Heavens
and the Earth, for loving and choosing me at such a time like this, serving You as an
empty vessel, be an impactor and to make known Your Name.
Last but not least, my close friends who directly or indirectly, locally and overseas,
have played your roles in keeping me insanity and in sober while I was writing this
master degree thesis.
DECLARATION OF AUTHORSHIP
I, Annette Wong Ai Khim (Vương Tâm), declares that this master degree thesis
title, “A Few Significant Protestant Christian Denominations Officially
Recognised By The Vietnamese Government In The Approach Through SocioHistory From 2007 To Present,” and the work presented in it are my own. I
confirm that:
Where the work was done wholly or mainly while in candidature for the master
degree with the Institute of Vietnamese Studies and Development Science
(IVIDES) of Vietnam National University, Hanoi.
Where I have quoted from work of others, the resources are always given with
the exceptions and statements of such quotations; this master degree thesis is
entirely my own effort of research work and writings.
Where the resources and materials I received, researched, collected and used
including the Internet, have been fully identified, cited and referenced
accordingly as required of me.
Hanoi, Date _____, Month ______, Year 2016
_______________________
Annette Wong Ai Khim
(Vương Tâm)
ENDORSEMENT OF THE MASTER THESIS WORK
BY MASTER THESIS SUPERVISOR
I have read and agree with the content of this master thesis work done by the master
degree student. This master thesis work has been carried out under my supervision
and is to my satisfaction.
Hanoi, Date _____, Month ______, Year 2016
The Master Degree Thesis Supervisor,
_________________________
Professor. Dr. Đỗ Quang Hưng
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
LIST OF PIE CHART
LIST OF PDF DOCUMENTS
LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS
INTRODUCTION OF THE THESIS .....................................................................1
1. The Rational Study of The Thesis Title ..............................................................2
2. The History Challenges of The Research ............................................................4
3. The Objective And Scope of The Research ........................................................5
4. The Research Methods ........................................................................................6
5. The Structure of The Thesis ................................................................................7
Chapter 1 THE PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY ...............................................9
1.1. Introduction ...................................................................................................9
1.1.1. An Understanding of A Triune God ....................................................11
1.1.2. A Protestant Christian In Relations With His Triune God ..................16
1.1.2.1. The Definition of “Man” (Humankind in relations to God) .........16
1.1.2.2. The Creation of Man (God’s purpose for Man) ............................20
1.2. The Views Between Two Major Religion / Philosophy And Protestant
Christianity In Vietnam .....................................................................................22
1.2.1. The Views From An Atheist ................................................................24
1.2.2. The Views From Tam Giao (Triple Teachings) ..................................25
1.2.3. The Views of Tam Giao and Protestant Christianity ...........................28
Chapter
2:
THE
HISTORY
MOVEMENT
OF
PROTESTANT
CHRISTIANITY IN VIETNAM BEGINNING FROM 1911 TO PRESENT ..31
(Emphasised
on
CMA
(ECVN)
and
three
other
significant
Protestant
Denominations that have been officially recognised by the Vietnamese Government
Committee for Religious Affairs – GCRA)
2.1.
The Official Beginning of Protestant Christianity In Vietnam From
1911 to Present: Christian Missions Alliance (CMA) and Evangelical Church
of Vietnam (ECVN – Northern and Southern Regions) ....................................32
2.1.1. The Socio-History of the Church Movement ....................................32
2.1.2. The Brief History of the Denomination and Basic Doctrinal Based .....
...........................................................................................................42
2.2. Three Other Significant Protestant Denominations In Vietnam .................43
2.2.1. Seventh-day Adventist Church of Vietnam (SDA VN) ....................44
2.2.1.1. The Socio-History of the Church Movement ...............................44
2.2.1.2.
The Brief History of the Denomination and Basic Doctrinal
Based ..........................................................................................................57
2.2.2
Vietnam Mennonite Church (VMC) .................................................61
2.2.2.1. The Socio-History of the Church Movement ................................61
2.2.2.2. The Brief History of the Denomination and Basic Doctrinal Based
....................................................................................................................77
2.2.3
Vietnam Baptist Convention (VBC – Grace Southern Baptist) ........81
2.2.3.1. The Socio-History of the Church Movement ...............................81
2.2.3.2. The Brief History of the Denomination and Basic Doctrinal Based
....................................................................................................................97
Chapter 3: THE CURRENT CHALLENGES FACING BY THREE
SIGNIFICANT PROTESTANT DENOMINATIONS, WHICH HAVE BEEN
OFFICIALLY RECOGNISED BY THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT
COMMITTEE FOR RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS (GCRA) ....................................103
3.1. Vietnamese Traditional Culture vs. Protestant Christianity .....................105
3.2. Freedom of Rights to Believe and Rights to Practice ..............................108
3.3. Properties And Lands Were Confiscated From The Protestant Christian
Denominations After 1975 ..............................................................................111
CONCLUSION: TODAY THE PROTESTANT CHRISTIANS IN
THE
SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM ..........................................................113
(The ECVN Denomination, Three significant Denominations and
Other Protestant Christian Denominations / Sects)
REFERENCES ......................................................................................................121
APPENDIX A - Interview Questionaires Sheets
APPENDIX B - List of Interviewees
LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
The following tables describe the significance of various acronyms and
abbreviations used throughout the thesis:
Abbreviation:
ADRA
BF&M
BYU
CMA
CWS
CYSS
ECVN (Northern Region)
ECVN (Southern Region)
EMM
GBC
HN
HCMC
IMB
IGE
MCC
MEI
NAVMF
NLF
R&ROL
SAWS
SBC
SDA VN
VBC (Grace - Southern
Baptist)
VMC
VNCS
Meaning:
Adventist Development and Relief Agency
Baptist Faith and Message
Brigham Young University
Christian Missions Alliance
Church World Services
Christian Youth for Social Services
Evangelical Church of Vietnam (Northern Region)
Evangelical Church of Vietnam (Southern Region)
Eastern Mennonite Missions
Grace Baptist Church
Hanoi
Ho Chi Minh City
International Mission Board (Baptist)
Institute For Global Engagement
Mennonite Central Committee
Mission Evangelique de L'Indochine Francaire
(Evangelical Missions of French Indochina)
North America Vietnamese Mennonite Fellowship
National Liberation Front
Religion and Rule of Law
Seventh-Day Adventist Welfare Services
Southern Baptist Convention
Seventh-Day Adventist Church of Vietnam
Vietnam Baptist Convention (Grace - Southern
Baptist)
Vietnam Mennonite Church
Vietnam Christian Service
(VN) GCRA
VNMM
Vietnamese Government Committee Of / For
Religious Affairs
Vietnam Mennonite Missions
These are the Bible versions of various acronyms and abbreviations used throughout
the thesis:
Abbreviation:
ASV
NASB
NIV
RSVB
Meaning:
American Standard Version
New American Standard Bible
New International Version
Revised Standard Version Bible
LIST OF PIE CHART
Figure No:
Figure 1.1
Description:
The Main Religion In Vietnam (Year 2014)
Page:
23
LIST OF PDF DOCUMENTS
As part of my master degree thesis at Institute of Vietnamese Studies and
Development Science (IVIDES) of Vietnam National University (VNU), Hanoi, I
have requested and received these PDF documents with the permission of the
authorised persons.
Figure No:
Figure 2.2
Figure 2.6
Figure 2.11
Description:
An Official Document of Recognition and Approval
of Seventh-Day Adventist Church of Vietnam From
The Vietnam Government Committee For Religious
Affairs dated 4 DECEMBER 2008.
An Official Document of Recognition and Approval
of Vietnam Mennonite Church From The Vietnam
Government Committee For Religious Affairs dated
5 FEBRUARY 2009.
An Official Document of Recognition and Approval
of Vietnam Baptist Convention (Grace – Southern
Baptist) From The Vietnam Government
Committee For Religious Affairs dated 7 MAY
2008.
Page:
59
79
100
LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS
I, originally take the following photographs except for Figure 2.9, which is taken
from the Internet. The following photographs are used in the thesis:
Figure No:
Figure 2.1
Description:
Trần Thanh Truyện, the Executive General
Secretary of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church of
Vietnam, HCMC.
Page:
55
(Trần Thanh Truyện is currently the Acting President of
the denomination effective end of 2015)
Figure 2.3
Figure 2.4
Figure 2.5
Figure 2.7
Figure 2.8
Figure 2.9
Figure 2.10
Figure 2.12
The New Phú Nhuận Seventh-Day Adventist
Church, Phan Đăng Lưu Street, Phú Nhuận District,
HCMC.
The Seventh-Day Adventist Missions Centre (The
old Phú Nhuận Seventh-Day Adventist Church), it
was also located along the Phan Đăng Lưu Street,
Phú Nhuận District, HCMC.
Nguyễn Quang Trung, the President of Vietnam
Mennonite Church, HCMC.
The Vietnam Mennonite Church headquarters office
(It is also the Bình Thạnh Church) located at Bùi
Đình Tuý Street, Bình Thạnh District, HCMC.
Pastor Nguyễn Quang Trung, President of the
Vietnam Mennonite Church and Gerry Keener,
Vice-President of Eastern Mennonite Missions,
USA.
Pastor Lê Quốc Chánh, former President of the
Vietnam Baptist Convention and also the former
lead pastor of Grace Baptist Church, HCMC.
Pastor Lê Quốc Huy, the current President of the
Vietnam Baptist Convention and also the current
lead pastor of Grace Baptist Church, HCMC.
The Vietnam Baptist Convention headquarters
office (It is also the Grace Baptist Church) located
at Nguyễn Văn Trỗi Street, Phú Nhuận District,
HCMC.
60
60
76
80
80
93
96
101
INTRODUCTION OF THE THESIS
Religion plays a vital role in Vietnam. Some Vietnamese people said
religion has got nothing to do with political stability and economic growth of the
country. I, somehow disagree with the statement because religion affects and
influences the lives of the ordinary people in many different levels, where it
provides people with religious ethical values; gives meaning to their worth of
existence and to the world they inhabiting; and gives them solace and hope for the
future. The period of 19th century in Vietnam, religion was capable to inspire the
Vietnamese people to built new communities that embodied their vision of the
perfect world in the most desolate places. Therefore, throughout the history in
Vietnam, religion served both to integrate the Vietnamese people into a cohesive
society and to reinforce its’ importance of embracing one’s religion, including
Protestant Christianity in Vietnam.
After more than a century of missionary work, today Protestant Christianity
in Vietnam has become a religious community with rapid development, diversity in
organisations and denominations / sects, which has made significant contributions
to perservation and development of social moral values, and active participation in
humanitarian and socio-cultural activities (Nguỹen Xuân Hưng 2011, 104).
However, Protestant Christianity and other five recognised major religions
in Vietnam today, still facing challenges, legally speaking: how recognised religious
organisations (with two levels “having legal status” and “be allowed to register
activities”) will continue to change (Đỗ Quang Hưng 2011, 227). Religious
“physical person” and “jurisdical person,” these are important aspect of legal for
religious organisations as well as religious people, – a closely embedded into
recognition of religious organisations, a current issue that is important to be
addressed today (Đỗ Quang Hưng 2011, 282). A good legal system on religion is
not only creates a legal framework to ensure the legitimate safety of individuals and
1
organisations in the religious practices but also serves as an efficient tool for the
government to enforce their govenance power (Nguyễn Khắc Huy 2011, 302).
Yet, in some local religious organisations, denominations / sects, freedom
in religion often means people can believe with their own choice of religions and
that should be given the freedom to practice and embrace religions in the country.
For some local Protestant Christian organisations, denominations / sects believe that
the government wants them to get registered in legal status in order to follow
closely the trail of their religious practices and activities, and if an organisation, a
denominations / sect does not want to register is assumed to be intransigent or up to
no-good. There are observers mentioned that registration in legal status is more
about maintaining stability rather than control. Yet, if there was a real freedom,
religious people and their organisations could be easily being governed under
common civil laws, as are all people in truly democratic jurisdictions worldwide
(Reigmer 2011, 106).
1. The Rational Study of The Thesis Title
As a Methodist Protestant Christian myself, I chosed the subject of Religion
specifically Protestant Christianity, as part of my coursework of this Master Degree
thesis, majoring in Vietnamese Studies, and so my research thesis title is “A Few
Significant Protestant Christian Denominations Officially Recognised By The
Vietnamese Government In The Approach Through Socio-History From 2007 To
Present.” Hence, there are five reasons as why I chosed this title for my thesis:
Firstly, besides the prominent denomination ECVN (Evangelical Church of
Vietnam), I would like to create an awareness of other significant Protestant
Christian denominations that have been officially recognised by the Vietnamese
GCRA. These denominations are the intangible herritage in the history of Vietnam.
Secondly, it is to understand the background of the socio-history through
church movement specifically on the three significant Protestant Christian
denominations: Seventh-Day Adventist Church of Vietnam, Vietnam Mennonite
2
Church and Vietnam Baptist Church (As to reason out that they deserved to be
officially recognised by the Vietnamese Government). And along with brief
explanation of each denominationss basic theological and doctrinal based.
Thirdly, for the Vietnamese Government and those who do not know Jesus
Christ to create an awareness of understanding the definition of Protestant
Christianity actual meanings and the foundation of Christian doctrine. To
differentiate the uniqueness of the Protestant Christianity from other religions in
Vietnam, particularly the Roman Catholicism, as there are many who are ignorant
and / or still confuse in understanding the differences between these two religions
such as both are using the same word, “Christian.” Secondly, the theological and
religious practice differences.
Fourthly, for the Vietnamese Protestant churches / housechurches /
denominations / sects - to stand unite, to light up their understanding on reasons as
why some other denominations are legally recognised by the VNG and some others
are still in the process, or yet to be done so.
Lastly, the fifth reason, where Protestant Christianity is a religion that is
growing rapidly in Vietnam. Vietnamese Government is doing their best to
accommodate religions into the country, which is currently governed by the
National Assembly of Vietnamese Government. In the 21st century, Vietnam is a
new emergent nation in the process of building its’ economy through intergrating
herself into global economy, therefore, Vietnam is changing slowly, to be a
competent global business partner, and so, paradigm shift will take place in the
thinking tank and cultural lifestyle of the citizens in Vietnam. This does not exclude
religion. The existence of religion of every country including Vietnam cannot be
ignore because religion and / philosophy is the way of life for every human being
that somehow has a sense of connection with the Supreme being, God, where it is
widely / commonly known as Ông Trời for the Vietnamese people.
3
2. The History Challenges of The Research
In my opinion, there are three challenges of the research history:
Firstly, domestically, there are very limited resources. For example: Almost
all bookshops (particularly in the cities) do not have Protestant Christian materials
on the shelves for sale except a handful of Christian bookshops or churches, that we
are able to purchase Christian materials. Therefore, Vietnamese people have “zero”
or “little” knowledge about Protestant Christianity. Moreover, monocentric society
such as Vietnam, where one common language is used nationwide, the Vietnamese
language, which makes it difficult for most Vietnamese people to have wider range
of reading Christian materials in another language, namely, English language. In
addition to that, the national library that I have been a couple of times, hardly have
reference books on Protestant Christianity.
Secondly, it is also domestically challenge where the instability and
uncertainties due to foreign colonisation and war torn in the late 19th century have
lost the “period of time” in writing and conserving the account of the history of
Protestant Christianity in Vietnam. Besides the lack of scholars majoring in
Protestant Christianity, Vietnam depended much on foreign authors in writing the
accounts of Protestant Christianity in Vietnam, yet not all denominations / sects,
who did “a more complete timeline” of their denominations’ roots and history
backgrounds. Some documented materials or published materials may have some
data errors, which in the result, it is time consuming, making extra effort to do more
research study, so that information is accurate and valid.
Thirdly, concerning internationally, there are many foreign authors
especially the foreign missionaries that have lived, pioneered and contributed
almost all their life in Vietnam, that they wrote the accounts of Protestant
Christianity according to their real life experiences while they were living in
Vietnam rather than writing the accounts using “third party” reliable resources. But
the accounts were written decades ago and so, what about the recent years of the
accounts, in example above the year 2000 till present day? Therefore, it is so
4
important to write / conserve the timeline of each Protestant Christian denomination
/ sect for our future generation of Protestant Christians in Vietnam.
Personally, while doing research study for this thesis, I had to fly out of this
country for ten days, just to collect datas and search for documents relating to my
thesis title. It was not an easy task but I managed to get as much datas and
documents as I could to make this thesis a reality.
3. The Objective And Scope of The Research
The objective of the research is to study and understand the roots of the
socio-history of the church movement of selected significant Protestant Christian
denominations, which have been legally recognised by the Vietnamese
Government, and also to emphasised on its apostolic missionaries who pioneered
and contributed their time and efforts in Vietnam.
The scope of the research has two limitations. Firstly, the selected
Protestant Christian denominations have limited documented resources due to the
lack of local Protestant Christian historian scholars / religion historians / successor
of each denomination to have appropriate record, archive and conserve the timeline
of the socio-history of the church movement of the denominations. Hence, I am
honoured in doing a favour for the three significant Protestant Christian
denominations, to record and preserve the socio- history of the church movements
from the birth of its’ denomination to present day, so that they can narrate the
account of the socio-history of the church movements to the next generation of
Protestant Christians. These are important because they are the intangible herritage
of the three significant Protestant Christian denominations. It may not be valuable to
most people and it has no price tag, yet, it has deep accounts of inheritance that we
can learn from, and leaving a legacy for the next generation. Secondly, unlike
Roman Catholicism, the high officials and most people in Vietnam still struggling
to reconcile or understand fully with the theological beliefs differences and the
uniqueness of religious practices among the Protestant Christian denominations.
5
This thesis will help to enlighten some people about Protestant Christianity and its
theological beliefs without misunderstanding and in hostility.
The location of the research was in different districts within the vicinity of
Ho Chi Minh City.
4. The Research Methods
The thesis is able to proceed and completed with the assistance of these
research methods:
Practical research: Practical Research which involves first hand research in
the form of face-to-face interviews with prepared questionnaires (Please view
Appendixes A and B); by exploring and observing through the years that I am living
in this country – exploring the language, culture and traditions and observing the
different religions of the Vietnamese community both city and village dwellers. It
does not only take one or two weeks, or even months to know Vietnamese culture
and traditions but it takes years to be able to comprehend them; and by connecting
with the Vietnamese people from the North, Central and South regions of the
country, interacting with them, to understand their perspective views on religion and
belief systems particularly Protestant Christianity.
Theoretical research: Theoretical Research that involves published works
of others, academic journals and articles written by others, surfing Internet for the
right resources in order for me to proceed and complete the thesis. I have gained
much knowledge from most of the authors who have some good insightful in the
subject of Protestant Christianity in Vietnam.
Interdisciplinary research: This thesis involves interdisciplinary research,
where it is not only just finding facts and datas on the subject of Protestant
Christianity in Vietnam, yet this thesis does not exclude in examining religious
culture and traditions, historical events, contemporary constitutional issues around
individual rights to embrace a religion / rights to practice a religion, freedom of
religion, day-to-day politics as well as political ideologies, sociological,
6
demographical, anthropological, philosophical, literary, and other methods and
approaches to try to understand Protestant Christianity phenomena in Vietnam.
My hope and prayers for this thesis is to be an assistant source for people
who are interested in Protestant Christianity in Vietnam, to attain a better
understanding of how Protestant Christianity in Vietnam has came into existence
and the glorious development and great challenges in the past that is no doubt shall
continue to function like how it would be in the foreseeable future beginning from
today.
5. The Structure of The Thesis
Besides
the
main
contents
of
thesis,
there
are
Dedication,
Acknowledgements, Declaration of Authorship, Table of Contents and Lists of
Acronyms / Abbreviations, Pie Chart, PDF Documents and Photographs, and
Appendixes after the References section towards the last few pages of the thesis.
The main content of the thesis includes an Introduction which introduces
the thesis research study, three chapters that comprises of:
Chapter 1: The Protestant Christianity has two main sections: Introduction
that introduces an understanding of a Triune God and the Protestant Christian in
relations with his Triune God. The second section is to explain the views between
two major religion / philosophy and Protestant Christianity in Vietnam, where the
views from an atheist, the views from Tam Giao (Triple teachings - Mahayana
Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism), and the views from Tam Giao and Protestant
Christianity are elaborated and explained in simplified form.
Chapter 2: The History Movement of Protestant Christianity In Vietnam
Beginning From 1911 To Present, emphasising on the first denomination, CMA
(Now, ECVN), and three other significant Protestant Christian denomnations that
have been officially recognised by the Vietnamese Government Committee For
Religious Affairs (GCRA), which have two main sections. The first section is to
introduce the official beginning of Protestant Christianity in Vietnam from 1911 to
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