Sunday, March 1st, 11 am.
Special combined service of three congregations:
- First Karen Baptist Church of Regina
- First Chin Baptist Church of Regina
- First Baptist Church of Regina
There will be special music, testimonies, and communion. Following the service, there will be a food and beverages served. The lower hall will be very full and mostly standing room but there will be tables reserved for folks who need to sit.
We are gathering to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Chin and Karen Baptists establishing themselves in Regina and across Canada. God gave First Baptist Church Regina the chance to come alongside these new communities and we have been blessed to see them thrive in every way.
Our Friendships
In 2006, around 40 First Baptist households welcomed Karen or Chin people and spent at least a year in regular contact. Each week, this mix of people collaborated to organize tutoring for students, social gatherings for seniors, job searches, general orientation to life in Regina. Many of those relationships lasted much longer and went deeper, with some families still in touch today.
Our Congregations
First Baptist Regina and our denomination, the CBWC, supported the ordination of the first Chin and Karen ministers in Canada and their congregations’ incorporation as independent churches and national organizations. From 2006 to 2018, on the first of every month, all three churches gathered together to celebrate communion at First Baptist Church. On the other Sundays and during the week, they would meet for services in their own language at First Baptist Church on Sunday afternoon and in the evenings. In 2018, First Karen Baptist Church purchased their own building downtown. The First Chin Baptist Church meets at Argyle Road Baptist Church.
Myanmar
The Karen and Chin people are two of the many large indigenous people groups of Myanmar (formerly Burma). The majority of the indigenous peoples there are Christian, often Baptist or Catholic. For decades, Myanmar has been ruled directly or indirectly by military leaders, all of whom are from the majority ethnic group, the Bamar. The minority ethnic groups and the state have been in some level of conflict through several generations. At times, such as the past few years, this has involved the total destruction of their towns and villages through aerial bombing. Therefore, Myanmar has long been among the world’s largest sources of homeless and stateless peoples, with temporary, remote refugees camps reaching populations of over 70,000 just outside Myanmar’s borders. In the years around 2006, several nations, including Canada, committed to ease the pressure on these UN camps by welcoming large numbers of refugees.