Roberts Memorial Kachin Baptist Church

A BRIEF HISTORY OF ROBERTS MEMORIAL CHURCH THE KACHIN BAPTIST CHURCH WAS INITIATED AT THE TIME MR.ALBERT J. LYONS SET FOOT ON THE KACHIN LAND AT BHAMO ON FEBRUARY 13, 1878. UNFORTUNATELY, HE DIED ONE MONTH AFTER HIS ARRIVAL WITH BLACK FEVER.HE WAS FOLLOWED BY DR WILLIAM H.ROBERTS ARRIVING AT BHAMO ON JANUARY 12, 1879. DR. WILLIAM H.ROBERTS DEDICATED 34 YEARS OF MISSIONARY WORKS AMONG THE KACHINS UNTIL 1913.DURING HIS 34 YEARS OF LIVE-LONG SACRIFICES AND UNYEILDING SPIRIT, IN 1882 MARCH, THERE APPEARED SEVEN KACHIN PEOPLE OF GOOD COURAGE SUBMITTING THEMSELVES TO BE BAPTIZED BY DR.WILLIAM H. ROBERTS IN A SMALL STREAM CALLED NAM MAWK HKA AT BUMWA VILLAGE, THUS BECOMING THE FIRST KACHIN CONVERTS, THE GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT OF DR.WILLIAM H. ROBERTS, THAT HAD CERTAINLY ESTABLISHED THE EARLIEST KACHIN BAPTIST CHURCH, INDEED NEVER TO BE FORGOTTEN BY THE KACHIN PEOPLE. DR. OLA HANSON ARRIVED AT BHAMO ON 1890, DECEMBER 22. HE INVENTED A WRITTEN KACHIN LANGUAGE AND TRANSLATED THE HOLY BIBLE INTO THE KACHIN LANGUAGE WITH SELFLESS COMMITTENT IN 1924 MARCH 17, THE BHAMO DISTRICT BAPTIST CONFERENCE WAS HELD IN PRANG HU DUNG, THERE WITH DR. OLA HANSON OFFERED ADVICE TO THE KACHINS THAT IT WOULD BE A GOOD THING TO BUILD A CHURCH IN MEMORY OF DR. WILLIAM H.ROBERTS THE CONGREGATION AGREED UNANIMOUSLY, SHOUTING "THAT'S GREAT! WE LIKE TO HEAR IT WE WILL BUILD IT IMMEDIATELY OFFERTORY WAS COLLECTED, AMOUNTED TO RS. 5815.00.A FINANCIAL COMMITTEE WAS FORMED FOR FUND RAISING. IN 1934 MARCH 26-29, BHAMO DISTRICT CONFERENCE WAS HELD AT MAN HKANG AT WHICH A DECISION WAS MADE CONCERNING THE ALLOTMENT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CHURCH AS FOLLOWS; BHAMO DISTRICT RS 10000. MUNG MYIT SIN LI-RS 10000. MYITKYINA-10000, ALL THE KACHIN PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY PARTICIPATED FINANCIALLY IN THE CONSTRUCTION WORK OF ROBERTS MEMORIAL CHURCH. IN ADDITION TO KACHIN BAPTIST CHRISTIANS, THE KACHIN CATHOLICS AND THE ANIMISTS ALIKE, BELIEVED THAT THIS GREAT STONE-WORK CHURCH WAS THE FIRST CHURCH EVER BUILT FIRM AND SOLID FOR ALL THE KACHIN PEOPLE, HENCE STRENGTHENED EACH OTHER TO ACCOMPLISH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THIS HISTORIC CHURCH.