Bendigo Karen Adventist Church officially becoming a church. [Photo Credit: Adventist Record]

South Pacific

Thriving Karen Adventist Company Officially Becomes a Church

The company was officially recognized as a church on Sabbath, May 1, 2021, with a total of 121 founding members.

Australia | Michael Moowahshi/Adventist Record staff

The Bendigo Karen Seventh-day Adventist Company (Bendigo, Victoria) was officially recognized as a church on Sabbath, May 1, 2021, with a total of 121 founding members.

A special service was held in the afternoon and attended by Victorian Conference president, Pastor Graeme Christian, conference secretary, Pastor Craig Gilis, and ministerial secretary, Pastor Justin Bone, as well as other area pastors, Darren Croft, Daniel Maher, Eh Paung, and Nan Myat Kyaw, who all helped to officiate the service.

During the program, office-bearers were elected, including a treasurer, secretary, and elders, with all nominees agreeing to the 28 Fundamental Beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church before being unanimously accepted into their roles by the Karen Church members.

According to Michael Moowahshi, a church elder, the first Karen refugees from Thailand arrived in Bendigo in 2008. “There were only three Karen families in the community that year. In 2009, three more Karen Adventist families arrived and joined the Bendigo Adventist Church.”

From 2009 to June 2015, the Karen members worshipped with the main English-speaking Bendigo Adventist Church before deciding to create a church plant and worship in their own language and a separate building. In July 2018, they formed an official church company.

With dozens of baptisms and more than seven babies born in the past three years, the church is thriving. During COVID-19 last year, their membership continued to grow when nine online groups were created to facilitate online small groups and church programs via Zoom.

This article was originally published on the website of Adventist Record

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