By ACNS staff with material from Anglican Board of Mission  and the Church of the Province of Myanmar

The Anglican Church in Myanmar is forging ahead with its strategic plans for Church and Community development thanks to renewed support from its international and local partners.

Following a development partners roundtable held in Yangon at the end of February, the attendees – 32 from overseas and 45 from Myanmar – agreed greater co-operation, co-ordination and collaboration between themselves.

Australia’s Anglican Board of Mission has been a key partner which, along with the Episcopal Church in the Philippines, has worked with the Church of the Province of Myanmar since 2012 to prepare its Strategic Plan.

ABM’s Asia Programs Co-ordinator, Lina Magallanes, attended the meeting. She said, “With over 14 different partners from all over the world in attendance, some supporting the development work of the church, some missiologically supporting the mission outreach of the church, and others there as observers, it made for a very worthwhile time of praying, sharing, listening and learning.”

The Revd John Deane of ABM, opened the conference with a presentation on the evolving biblical and theological understanding of mission and the principles of partnership.

In his Keynote Address, Myanmar’s Anglican Primate Archbishop Stephen Than Myint Oo articulated the twin thrusts of the church’s strategic objectives: Church Development and Community Development.

Church Development is defined as investing in the institutional development of the province/diocese/parish towards spiritual capacity building and financial self-support. Community Development is defined as addressing the social development of communities consisting of both members and non-members of the Church.

The Strategic Plans of the church has seven shared themes:
1. Education
2. Health/ Water/ Sanitation
3. Agriculture
4. Animal Husbandry
5. Microfinance
6. Church & Spiritual Development Capacity Building
7. Community Development Capacity Building

A statement from the Church at the conclusion of the roundtable revealed that work at the two-day meeting resulted in agreed principles including:
• Greater co-operation, co-ordination and collaboration between the partners
• Greater co-operation, co-ordination and collaboration between the dioceses and departments
• Greater effort at working through the established church systems and proper channels, such as going through the Provincial Development Desk
• Greater understanding that although Partners have different mandates, they all seek to demonstrate God’s love

Building on the agreed principles and the mapping exercise, the Roundtable participants made the following recommendations:

1. Overseas Partners will honor the church’s structure, systems and protocols. Overseas Partners would work through the Provincial Development Desk and/or the General Secretary.
2. Overseas Partners will honor a common proposal and reporting format.
3. Overseas Partners will participate in joint learning evaluations.
4. Overseas Partners will support the building of human and technical capacity
5. Overseas Partners will seek to work collaboratively in areas of common interest
6. Church of the Province of Myanmar will develop a mapping instrument and develop thematic expertise amongst diocese and departments to encourage cross-learning within the church, and to encourage Overseas Partners to facilitate joint programming and collaboration on common themes
7. Church of the Province of Myanmar will develop an annual report/ regular newsletters for greater communication (online or by email)
8. Church of the Province of Myanmar will convene a Development Roundtable every three years.
9. Church of the Province of Myanmar will develop thematic strategies (such as Disaster Risk Reduction, Child Protection, etc.)