The History of Christianity in Vietnam: Jacob N. Vo

THE HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN VIETNAM
By
Jacob N. Vo
October 22, 2005
Submitted to
MOODY GRADUATE SCHOOL
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the course
HT602 Church History

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
I. The Beginning of Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Vietnamese Roman Catholic Church

Vietnamese Alliance Church
Vietnamese Baptist Church (SBC)
The Mennonite Mission in Vietnam
II. The Persecution of the Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
From Beginning to 1861: No Roman Catholics

1862-1941: No Evangelicals
1954-1975: No Buddhist
After 1975: No Beliefs
III. The Present Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Inside of Vietnam
Outside of Vietnam
IV. Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
V. Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
2
INTRODUCTION
“I will build my church….” Those are very important words by our Lord Jesus in
Matthew 16:18. Jesus has built His church around the world. The first church was formed
after the ascension of Jesus with the obedience of His followers to His command, “Therefore
go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son
and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-
20, NET). After the Day of Pentecost, many people decided to follow Jesus, and the church
had been growing rapidly, especially during great persecutions. Among those who followed
Him, many totally gave their life for the greater kingdom purpose. They obediently took the
gospel of Jesus “to the farthest parts of the earth.” Because of that, the gospel of Jesus has
been spread to many nations, and I am very thankful that the gospel has reached Vietnam, the
small country with an “S” shape in Southeast Asia.
Christianity came to Vietnam in various forms, denominations, or organizations. In
this paper, I would like to present the history of Christianity in Vietnam through the history
of the Roman Catholic Church, Christian and Missionary Alliance, Southern Baptist, and
Mennonite Church in Vietnam. These are the churches and organizations which are
recognized both before and after the Vietnam War. From all of these churches, I would like
to provide the study on the beginnings, the persecution, and the present church.
I. The Beginnings of the Church
There is a Vietnamese saying, “The beginning has its difficulties.” It is very true, and
it is very true for all aspects in our life such as life, marriage, career, and ministry. The
beginning is very important because it sets a foundation for what will be coming. In this
3
section, I would like to address the beginnings of the churches, and through them people
notice their beauties and know the power of God on His church.
The Vietnam Catholic Church
Roman Catholics came to Vietnam first. Anh Toan, in his book, Religions of
Vietnam, rightly states, “Many people are wrong in their thinking that Christianity came to
Vietnam with the French Army. In fact, it is not true.”1 Christianity came to Vietnam a long
time before the French military invaded the country in late nineteenth century. The work of
reaching out met many difficulties, and it was hard to see any results at that time. According
to Vietnamese Legend, “Many Europeans came to Vietnam in second and third centuries.
Among those were businessmen and priests. The works of the priests were not recorded, so
there were no evidences of people who were converted until the sixteenth century.”2
The Imperially Ordered Mirror and Commentary on the History of the Viet, the most critical
document of Vietnam history, evidently states:
In the reign of king Trang-Tong Le in 1533, there was a Westerner whose name was
Inekhu; he went to evangelized around Ninh Cuong and Quan Anh villages, in Nam
Chau county (or Nam Truc) and Tra Lu village in Giao Thuy county.3
Inekhu4 surely came to Vietnam for the work of God. Duong Quang Nam, in his
book Viet Nam Van Hoc Su Yeu, also provides the fact as above.5 However, there were no
more details which related to him, and that is why people this day don’t really know the life
1
Anh Toan, Tin Nguong Viet Nam (trans. Religions of Vietnam) (HoChiMinh City: Nha Xuat Ban Tre,
2005), 19.
2
Lien Huu Hoi Thanh Bap Tit Viet Nam. Lich Su Cong Giao La Ma Tai Viet Nam (trans. History of
Roman Catholic Church in Vietnam), Thu Vien Dien Tu (trans. Online Library),
http://www.vnbaptist.net/Tai_Lieu/LichSuCDG/01.htm.
3
Kham Dinh Viet Su Thong Giam Cuong Muc (trans. The Imperially Ordered Mirror and Commentary
on the History of the Viet), 2 vols (Hanoi: Nha Xuat Ban Giao Duc, 1998).
4
Inekhu may not be the real namE of this missionary. It was a calling sound in Chinese that time. His
name could be Inigo in Spanish and its meaning is Inhaxio or his name could be Ignatius.
5
Ham Quang Duong, Vietnam Van Hoc Su Yeu (trans. The Literature and History of Vietnam) (Saigon:
Song Moi, 1979), 190.
4
and works of this pioneered missionary. After the coming of Inekhu, there were several
other missionaries who came to Vietnam. Priest Marcos, O. P., a historian who lived thirty-
four years in Vietnam, significantly provides:
In 1550, Priest Gaspar de S. Cruz was in Malacca, traveled to Ha Tien, and arrived to
Ba Ria seaport for departing to China. In 1558, Priests Lopez and Acevedo had been
in Cao Mien for evangelizing about ten years. During 1580 to 1586, A Portuguese
Priest Luis de Fonseca, O. P. and French Priest Gregoire de la Motte, O. P. also came
from Malacca, and they spent these years to preach the words of God.6
In addition, according to Annamite7 History (Cours d’Histoire Annamite) of Truong
Vinh Ky, in 1596, the year of ruler Nguyen Hoang, there was a Spanish missionary, Diego
Adverte, who came from the South.8 Surely there were many documented evidences about
the works of the early missionaries in Vietnam. These people of God took the teaching of
Jesus about “go and make disciples of all nations” seriously. They came to plant the seeds in
the field for the church. They were not allowed to stay in Vietnam for a long time, but they
worked hard in trying to reach out to the Vietnamese people, especially to the noble class.
As a matter of fact, Princess Mai Hoa and several of her family members were converted
during this time; however, the effectiveness of their works was not recognized in most
communities. Trong Huu Nguyen, in his doctoral dissertation titled Nguon Goc Cua Hang
Giao Pham Viet Nam (The Origins of the Vietnamese Clergies), states, “If we evaluate the
result of the evangelized works during this beginning period, we surely agree that it is a
6
Vietnamese Missionaries in Taiwan, “Su Nghiep Truyen Giao Tai Viet Nam (trans. The Evangelized
Works in Vietnam),” Lich Su Giao Hoi Viet Nam (trans. History of Vietnam Catholic Church),
http://www.catholic.org.tw/vntaiwan/ghvienam/lichsu1.htm.
7
Vietnam, in the old day, was known as An Nam.
8
Ham Quang Duong, Vietnam Van Hoc Su Yeu (trans. The Literature and History of Vietnam) (Saigon:
Song Moi, 1979), 190.
5
humbled result. The few people who received baptism were not enough for establishing a
Christian community and for the future church.”9
The evangelized work was shifting in the seventeenth century since the presence of
the great French missionary, Alexandre de Rhodes10, who was also a famous scholar. He
actively involved in the work of God in both north and south of Vietnam11. He first came to
the South Vietnam in 1624, and in six months he could learn to speak the language12 very
well. In 1615, Francesco Busomi found the Mission of the South (Mission de la
Cochinchine). In 1627, Alexandre de Rhodes left the South for the North, and in this year he
found the Mission of the North (Mission du Tonkin). In three years in the North, he reached
out to many people, and many of them were converted. The ruler Trang Trinh, then, forced
him to leave for Hong Kong, but whenever he had the opportunity, he came back to Vietnam.
In Lish Su Co Doc (History of Christianity), it mentions about Alexandre de Rhodes, “He
had an extraordinary work for twenty-two years, and he knew the language, history, and
geography of Vietnam.”13 Alexandre de Rhodes is also known as the founder of
Vietnamese—the current national language of Vietnam where he used Latin alphabets to
convert the sounds of Vietnamese words to Latin words.14 He used his gifts in serving God,
specifically to Vietnamese. However, the current atheist government never recognizes his
exceptional work. Alexandre de Rhodes went back to Paris in 1649, and he, then, formed the
Societé des Missions Etrangères (Foreign Mission Society) to promote French missionaries
9
10
Vietnamese gave him a nickname, Dac Lo, which meant “Always on the Road.”
11
Vietnam was divided into North and South.
12
Vietnamese, at this time, spoke the Chinese-Vietnamese which was known as Nom.
13
Roman Catholic Church in Vietnam), http://www.vnbaptist.net/Tai_Lieu/LichSuCDG/01.htm.
14
Phuong Mai Ha, Luoc Su Van Minh Viet Nam (trans. A Survery of Vietnam Culture) (San Jose: Mai-
Hien, 1978), 83.
6
to go to Southeast Asia. Therefore, the number of French missionaries increased and formed
a great core team of missionaries in Vietnam. According to Anh Duy Dao, in his book,
Vietnam Van Hoa Su Cuong (An Outline of Vietnamese Culture), states, “In 1680, 30 years
after the forming the Societé des Missions Etrangères, the Vietnamese Catholic Church15
(VCC) had 600,000 members in the South and 200,000 in the North.”16 However, Priest
Huon Phat Phan, a Vietnamese Catholic historian, comments, “This numbers were not
exactly and, as a matter of fact, they seemed too high because after over a century with many
growing periods of the church, the number of members was not over 320,000.”17 The church
kept moving forward, especially in the next century when most missionaries left the country
when the civil war in Vietnam was becoming too much threat to many. Sometimes the rulers
opened for missionary work and other times forbid.
The seventeenth century was the time that the Vietnam Catholic Church established
many solid works for the future church. Especially, the first four Vietnamese priests were
ordained in 1668 and seven more in 1669. Also, in 1679, the church in the North started to
operate independently from the Philippine Roman Catholic Church. The work of the church
was growing very fruitfully until the end of this century. Then the church faced many
persecutions under many changes of rulers, kings, and policies of the leaders in the country.
In 1884, the Patenotre treaty put Vietnam totally under control of the French government,
and this treaty also proclaimed the freedom to have faith in the belief of Christianity. One
once claimed, “The Vietnam Catholic Church never lost the freedom of evangelism under the
15
Also implies the Vietnam Roman Catholic Church.
16
Anh Duy Dao, Viet Nam Van Hoa Su Cuong (trans. An Outline of Vietnamese Culture) (Sai Gon:
Xuan Thu, 1977), http://www.vnbaptist.net/Tai_Lieu/LichSuCDG/01.htm.
17
Vietnamese Missionaries in Taiwan, “Su Nghiep Truyen Giao Tai Viet Nam (trans. The Evangelized
Works in Vietnam),” Lich Su Giao Hoi Viet Nam (trans. History of Vietnam Catholic Church),
7
occupation of the French military in Vietnam.”18 The church took this great advantage to
reach out to many communities. As a result, in 1932, the VCC had thirteen orders, and they
were under the leadership of foreign priests. Then Priest Tong Ba Nguyen was promoted to
be the bishop in 1933, and this was a remarkable event in the VCC since, in almost four
centuries, European did not try to train the leaders and priests as the way of apostles did in
the first century. And again in 1960, Pope John XXIII assigned three Vietnamese
archbishops and many clergies to run the VCC. The church kept growing and had great
impact on many lives, and it was the most well-organized religious system in Vietnam. Phu
Hoang Le, an evangelical minister, in his doctoral dissertation, highly praises:
In fact, the Vietnam Catholic Church is a well-organized religion—the most

systematic organization in Vietnam today. With 1,454,842 members in the south and
833,468 in the north, it is the largest and strongest community of faith in Vietnamese
society. Beside the work of evangelizing and training the leaders in the country, the
Vietnam Catholic Church with twenty-four orders has a large and effective system in
education and social work. This makes thousands of people convert to Catholics each
year, and the church has great impact among the intellectuals.”19
Over three centuries since the first seed of Christianity, with the hard works of many
obedient servants, and with the protection of God, the VCC has been, step-by-step, faithful to
follow the teaching of Jesus, “you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and
Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth” (Acts 1:8, NET). Years went by with many
persecutions that some thought the church would be destroyed totally, but the church which
was purchased by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ has proved to the world, “the gates of
Hades will not overpower it” (Matt. 16:18b, NET).
18
Lien Huu Hoi Thanh Bap Tit Viet Nam, Lich Su Cong Giao La Ma Tai Viet Nam (trans. History of
19
Le, Phu Hoang. "A Short History of the Evangelical Church of Viet Nam (1911-1965)," Ph.D.
dissertation, New York University, 1972.
8
The Vietnamese Alliance Church (Hội Thánh Tin Lành Việt Nam)
Evangelical Christianity, known as Dao Tin Lanh,20 came to Vietnam through the
Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) missionaries. They started reaching out in
Vietnam in 1893, but the results couldn’t be counted until the early twentieth century.
According to Anh Toan, “In 1902, a missionary couple who were from Canada, Mr. And
Mrs. Sylvan Dayan, came to Hai Phong city for evangelizing, but the work was not permitted
by the French government. Then they left for China.”21 This was because France and
Vietnam had a treaty that mentioned that only French and Spanish missionaries were allowed
to work in Vietnam. However, in spring 1911, R. A. Jaffray, a C&MA missionary, made a
new beginning in reaching out to Vietnam. He and two other missionaries, Paul M. Hosler
and G. Lloyd Hugher came to Tourane (Da Nang) seaport, a central region of Vietnam. They
were allowed to use the facility at the corner of Khai Dinh Street and Nguyen Hoang Street
for their work which they actually used as the center of evangelism. This was the place
where Mr. Bonnett, a worker of British Bible Society, used to work, and this place later
became headquarter of the Vietnamese Christian and Missionary Alliance. After establishing
the center, R. A. Jaffray was asked to leave for China where his primary work was assigned.
He was not allowed to come to Vietnam very often. Also, during this time, Lloyd Huglers
was promoted and was asked to come back to New York to take the position. According to
Rev. Thai Van Le, “Hosler alone stayed in Vietnam. He started learning Vietnamese and
20
“Dao Tin Lanh” is general used for Protestants or Evangelical Christianity. “Tin Lanh” alone means
good news. However, when using “Hoi Thanh Tin Lanh Viet Nam” which means Vietnamese Alliance Church ,
it implies that the church belongs to the Vietnamese Christian & Missionary Alliance (VC&MA). It is a
“reserved” term for VC&MA. Other denominations have to add their denominations after Tin Lanh for
differentiating. For instance, Chicago Baptist Church, it should be written as Hoi Thanh Tin Lanh Bap Tit
Chicago.
21
Anh Toan, Tin Nguong Viet Nam (trans. Religions of Vietnam) (HoChiMinh City: Nha Xuat Ban
Tre, 2005), 76.
9
preaching the gospel.”22 Then more missionaries were sent to the field. In 1914, nine
missionaries were serving God in Vietnam: one from England, two from Norway, two from
the United Stated, and four other from Canada. With the hard works of these great
missionaries, the number of believers (people of Tin Lanh) increased gradually. However,
the works were interrupted and almost terminated since the French authorities sent five of
nine missionaries home. Then, in 1916, R. A. Jaffray, a representative of C&MA in China
and Indochina, received permission to evangelize in Da Nang, Ha Noi, Hai Phong, and in
South Vietnam. With a team of twelve missionaries, they started planting churches in the
cities: in the North, Ha Noi (1916) and Hai Phong; in the South, Saigon (1918), Sa Dec,
Chau Doc, Can Tho (1922), Vinh Long and Bien Hoa (1926); in Cambodia, Phnompenh and
Battambang (1923).23
After sixteen years of hard works, the fruits could be seen in March 1927 with
seventy-four churches and 4,236 believers who lived in all three main regions of the country
and in Cambodia. In 1936, the first church policy was written, and the church was named
Vietnamese Evangelical Church of French Indochina. However, after the World War II, it
was changed to Vietnamese Alliance Church (VAC) since France lost the battle in Europe
and everywhere including Vietnam.
Starting in 1924, the annual church conference was held in Da Nang to encourage and
help each other to grow spiritually. During this time the C&MA and United Bible Society
formed a Bible translation team which included the famous writer, Phan Khoi, and
missionary Cadman. The complete Bible in Vietnamese was published in 1926. Also, the
22
Thai Van Le, 46 Nam Chuc Vu (trans. Forty-six years in Serving God),
23
Mai Huong. Lich Su Hoi Thanh Tin Lanh Viet Nam (trans. History of Vietnamese Alliance Church),
Thu Vien Dien Tu (trans. Online Library), http://www.vnbaptist.net/Tai_Lieu/LichSuCDG/02.htm.
10
hymnal team was formed to translate English and French hymns into Vietnamese. The
number of believers in Da Nang and surrounding areas was quickly increasing. Da Nang
Bible School opened in 1921, and the first class graduated in 1927. In 1928, the Christian
Training Center opened for children of missionaries who worked in Indochina, Thailand,
Indonesia, and Hong Kong, and also in this year, the annual church conference adopted the
Fourfold Gospel of A. B. Simpson, the founder of the C&MA. In 1930, the publishing house
opened in Ha Noi for printing Bible, commentaries, hymnal, Sunday School lessons, and
evangelized tracts. Since the war was dragging badly in Vietnam, this publishing works
moved to Da Lat in 1943 and to Sai Gon in 1950.
From 1931 to 1933, it was an evangelical movement in Vietnam. Many Christian
leaders and believers actively involved in preaching the gospel. They used boats and cars to
go around many cities to tell people about Jesus. Especially, Hue, Qui Nhon, Thanh Hoa,
and Nam Dinh, these cities were banned from evangelism, now opened for the gospel of
Jesus Christ. During this time, many people who lived in the mountaintop provinces came to
know Christ. The churches everywhere in the country were growing rapidly. In 1938,
according to a report from the VAC, “There were 9,642 true believers and 975 people who
were waiting for the baptism.”24 Reading these lines, we can visualize the picture that Paul
says in 1 Corinthians 3:7, “So neither the one who plants counts for anything, nor the one
who waters, but God who causes the growth” (NET). God used an exceptional environment,
the war, in Vietnam to grow His church with the well-prepared seeds.
In 1959, with financial support from donors inside and outside of Vietnam, the church
built the Nha Trang Bible College with the capacity that could accomodate 200 students in
attendance. From this place, many Vietnamese ministers received the training for the work
24
Nhan The Ho, 30 Years of Wheaton Alliance Church, (August 20, 2005), 8.
11
of God in the country. Currently the Communist government is occupying this facility, and
the church is in the process of appealing to get it back to be used for training Christian
leaders in Viet Nam.
The Vietnam War was getting worse, but the church kept growing. In fact, in 1968, a
report from the Southern VAC stated, “There were 334 churches, 131 ordained ministers,
151 licensed ministers, and 68 Bible students.”25 The God-calling people shepherded 50,000
church-bound believers and 250,000 non-baptized believers.26 Also, there were 96 C&MA
missionaries who actively involved in serving God. Before the Fall of SaiGon in April 1975,
the VAC had many resources such as Nha Trang Bible College, 2 Bible colleges in
mountaintop provinces, Da Lat school (which was used for missionaries’ children in
Southeast Asia), Orphanage Center in Nha Trang, Orphanage Center in Phu Tho, Eana Leper
House in Ban Me Thuoc, Publishing House in Sai Gon, many Elementary and Secondary27
schools, several clinics, Bible Magazine, Evangelism magazine, Rang Dong magazine, and
Christian library in An Dong. However, when the North defeated the South in 1975, many
churches were destroyed and all of these properties of the VAC were taken by the North
Communist government—an atheist system; none of them were then used for the works of
God. The VAC began a new and challenged period—the persecution of the church which
will be discussed later.
Vietnamese Baptist Church
25
Nhan The Ho, 30 Years of Wheaton Alliance Church, (August 20, 2005), 8.
26
In Vietnam Alliance Church, a person doesn’t gain a full membership of a church until he or she
receives the baptism.
27
In Vietnam, the school system is different. Elementary school is for first to fifth grades, and
Secondary school is for sixth to twelfth grades.
12
The Vietnamese Baptist Church (VBC), an affiliation with Southern Baptist
Convention (SBC) in the United States, has a shorter history in comparing to the histories of
the VCC and the VAC. The SBC started missionary works in Vietnam in 1959 when the
Vietnam War was going on and everyday Americans watched the news about it and its
victims. This would be a motive for missionaries to come to Vietnam.
There are not many documents that record the serving time of the SBC missionaries
in Vietnam. In general, from 1959 to 1975, the family of the first missionary, Herman
Hayes, came to Vietnam and learned the language and the culture to reach Vietnamese. Then
came many other missionary couples: William Roberson, Samuel Longbottom, Lewis Myers,
Samuel James, Robert Davis, Ron Merrell, Earl Beengs, Peyton Moore, Robert Compher,
Walter Routh, Jim Gayle, James Kellum, Joe Turman, David Wigger, Gene Tunnell, and Ken
Goad,28 and especially, a missionary named Jim Humphries and his wife came to serve as a
chaplain in the military. In addition, many single men and women came, under Two Year
Term Mission work, to assist in the work of evangelism. They were David Lincohnhocker,
George Pickle, Mary Kay Johnson, Rosalie Beck, and Karen Russey Gross,29 and they
brought with them lots of energy and help in preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. The
missionaries and their families went to Vietnam in obeying the commandment of Jesus in
Matthew 28:20:
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the
Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And
remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.30
28
Chinh Van Dao, So Luoc Lich Su Truyen Giao cua Giao Hoi Bap Tit Nam Phuong tai Mien Nam
Viet Nam: Tu Nam 1959 Den 1975, Thu Vien Dien Tu (trans. Online Library),
29
Ibid.
30
NET, Matthew 28:18-20.
13
They went to reach out toVietnamese and plant church. Many churches were planted
such as An Dien (Grace) Baptist Church, Binh An (Peace) Baptist Church, Duc Tin (Faith)
Baptist Church, Phu Tho Hoa Baptist Church, and Binh Tien Baptist Church in Sai Gon, and
Hang Xanh Church in Gia Dinh. In the central part of Vietnam, they planted a number of
churches. In Da Nang, there was a stable church where missionary Lewis Myers and his wife
tried to reach out to as many Vietnamese as possible with their enthusiasm. In Quang Ngai,
there was a house church where missionary Walter Routh and his wife led and trained church
members. Missionary Robert Davis planted a church in Hue—the center of many old
traditions in Vietnam. Also there were other churches in the central such as in Nha Trang
and its surrounding areas, Qui Nhon, and Da Lat. With the help of professor Ha Xuan
Nguyen and the support of other missionaries and chaplains, they built an orphanage in Nha
Trang which, then, was moved to Sai Gon, and the orphans were brought to the United States
in April 1975. The work of the SBC missionaries was very well done in team effort. In
1969, it was a remarkable year for the SBC in Vietnam. Every site had an evangelized plan
to outreach Vietnamese; many came to know Christ through this plan.
The office of the SBC was located at 111 Chi Lang Street, Phu Nhuan District, and
missionary William Roberson supervised the printing works and the library.31 Dr. Gene V.
Tunnell led the social works, and Mrs. Rachel James handled the medical needs—provided
medical checkups and gave medicines. Missionary Peyton Moore and Rev Dung Van Do
were responsible for the Bible Correspondence program and radio ministry. Also, in these
years, the Vietnamese Baptist Theological Institute was formed, and Dr. Samuel James was
serving as the president. The works of the SBC missionaries set a great foundation for the
31
Chinh Van Dao, So Luoc Lich Su Truyen Giao cua Giao Hoi Bap Tit Nam Phuong tai Mien Nam
Viet Nam: Tu Nam 1959 Den 1975, Thu Vien Dien Tu (trans. Online Library),
14
growing churches with many promising programs. However, when the Communist
government took over in April 1975, everything was taken away except for the An Dien
Baptist Church in Sai Gon, which is still existing today. The atheist government took
everything from the church, but they could not destroy the seeds of the gospel of Jesus Christ
that had been caringly and lovingly planted by the SBC in the hearts of the Vietnamese.
Many missionaries left Vietnam with broken hearts. They still had great compassion
for the Vietnamese in the country and for the works they had sweated so much for, but they
lifted up the Vietnamese, especially the War victims, to the Almighty God and left them in
the protection of the Lord. Many missionaries are still living today, and they are still serving
God among Vietnamese in the United States. I sometimes have had a chance to meet them,
and I highly pay respect to these great Americans who obeyed God’s call to risk their life for
my fellow Vietnamese.
Vietnam Mennonite Church
The Mennonite Mission, like the SBC, started their mission works during the
Vietnam War. In 1957, missionary couple, James and Arlene Stauffer, came to Sai Gon
through the Mennonite Mission Society (MMS) in Lancaster in Pennsylvania. In Vietnam,
they worked under the Eastern Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities (EMBMC). In
1961, after four years of service, many people came to know Christ and received baptism,
and a center for college students was formed in that time. This activity center was also used
for church services and fellowship of believers. Also, in this center, there was a reading
room, a library, and several English classrooms for secondary and college students.
Discussing the work of the MMS, Luke S. Martin, in details, states:
15
In fact, the MMS started the work earlier in 1954 when the Mennonite Central
Committee (MCC) came to the South of Vietnam to help the refugees32. This was the
organization which provided support and growth to many churches in Canada and in
the United States. Then the MCC shifted the focus to the needs of medical and
agriculture in mountaintop provinces. The MCC had many peoples who served as
nurses, doctors, engineers, and agricultural specialists, and MCC cooperated with the
Vietnamese Alliance Church at Eana Leper House in Buon Me Thuoc (1955) and
Nha Trang Christian Hospital (1960).33
In addition, in 1966, the MCC formed the Vietnam Christian Service (VNCS) with
the cooperation of the Church World Service and the Lutheran World Relief. Their
missionaries, from India, Japan, Canada, Sweden, and the United States, came to help
Vietnam in social works, medical needs, education, and agriculture in Pleiku, Quang Ngai,
Tam Ky, Hue and Sai Gon. The mission work was growing and expanding to other
locations. The work of evangelism reached to Gia Dinh in 1964, Can Tho in 1970, and Sai
Gon. The first church was planted in Gia Dinh, where it is now known as Binh Thanh
district in Ho Chi Minh City. The Gia Dinh Mennonite Church had many activities in the
areas of medical, social, and education. The church had greater impact in this area,
especially, after the big fight during the Tet34 0f 1968. The EMBMC helped hundreds of
families to repair home. In 1973, Rev. Quang Xuan Tran was ordained to be the first
Vietnamese Mennonite minister, and the new church building was built, in which the Rang
Dong Elementary School was also housed.
With having peace as the ultimate goal for Vietnam War victims, in 1964, the MMS
was recognized by the government of the South Vietnam. In 1973, the Mennonite churches
in Vietnam gathered to form the Vietnamese Mennonite Church (VMC), and it operated
32
Many Vietnamese from the North of Vietnam fled to the South when Vietnam was divided in 1954.
33
Luke S. Martin, Lich Su Hoi Truyen Giao Tin Lanh Mennonite tai Viet Nam (trans. History of
Vietnamese Mennonite Church), Thu Vien Dien Tu (trans. Online Libarary),
34
Term for Vietnamese New Year.
16
independently from the MMS. The VMC, in a short period, established a significant
foundation for growing; however the Fall of Sai Gon put the church under a great adjustment.
When the Communists took over the South Vietnam, a few VMC members left the country,
some went back their hometowns to live, and some joined the VAC and Baptist churches in
Sai Gon. But the VMC is still in operation and makes much impact on Vietnamese in certain
areas of Vietnam till this day. As a matter of fact, in the last decade, the church that has been
through the most persecutions is the VMC.
II. The Persecution of the Church
Whenever someone studies the history of the church in Vietnam, he or she must study
about the persecution of the church. Though not until recently we hear more news about the
churches in Vietnam going through persecutions, it does not mean that this national problem
is new. The persecutions of the church in Vietnam have a long history, and Christians, both
Roman Catholics and Evangelicals, have been through much sufferings and afflictions when
they professed their faith in the belief of Christianity. In Vietnam, many say, “Whenever
there is a Christian, there will be persecutions.” Reading this section, we will find that
Tertullian’s saying holds very true: “The blood of martyrs is the seed of the church.”35
From Beginning to 1861: No Roman Catholics
The persecutions were on Roman Catholic believers and clergies in this periodexisted
in Vietnam. In 1533, as the time of Inekhu’s presence, there was a firman36 from King
Trang-Tong Le. This firman “banned the work of Christianity in Ninh Cuong and Quan Anh
35
Tertullian, The Apology, http://www.tertullian.net/works/apologeticum.htm.
36
Firman: (In Asia or Turkey) a decree or mandate issued by king or ruler.
17
villages, and Tra Lu village.”37 In this very beginning, during the reign of ruler Hoang
Nguyen, in 1586, Portuguese Priest Luis de Fonseca, O.P. was killed while performing the
service, and French Priest Grégoire de la Motte, O.P. was killed by the wound caused by the
ruler’s soldiers.38 Also, under this ruler in 1596, Spanish missionary, Diego Adverte was
asked to leave the country since the ruler thought, with the presence of Spanish ships nearby,
the Spain would invade Vietnam.39 Missionary Diego de Oropera was also asked to leave
when he came in 1585.40
From the beginning, the work of Christianity was not easy; resistance kept coming to
the people of God. The reasons for resistance in this early period were the language41,
culture, acts of worship42, and lack of knowledge of belief.43 In the next three centuries,
there were many persecutions which caused too many tribulations to the church. The History
of the VCC listed a total of 55 firmans which were given through the reigns of rulers such as
Nguyen, Trinh, Tay Son brothers and kings such as Minh Mang, Thieu Tri, and Tu Duc.44
They banned any works related to Christianity. These firmans were recorded along with the
time of reigns.45
37
Anh Toan, Tin Nguong Viet Nam (trans. Religions of Vietnam) (HoChiMinh City: Nha Xuat Ban
Tre, 2005), 20.
38
Vietnamese Missionaries in Taiwan. History of Vietnam Catholic Church),
39
Roman Catholic Church in Vietnam), http://www.vnbaptist.net/Tai_Lieu/LichSuCDG/01.htm.
40
Anh Toan, Tin Nguong Viet Nam (trans. Religions of Vietnam), 20.
41
Ibid., 20.
42
Ham Quang Duong, Vietnam Van Hoc Su Yeu (trans. The Literature and History of Vietnam), 190.
43
Phuong Mai Ha, Luoc Su Van Minh Viet Nam (trans. A Survery of Vietnam Culture) (San Jose: Mai-
Hien, 1978), 82.
44
Vietnamese Missionaries in Taiwan, “Giao Hoi Viet Nam: Nhung Thoi Ky Bach Hai va Nhung Sac
Chi Cam Dao (trans. The Vienam Roman Catholic Church: the periods of persecutions and the firmans of
banning the evangelized works),” Lich Su Giao Hoi Viet Nam (trans. History of Vietnam Catholic Church),
45
Ibid.
18
Under the reigns of the Nguyen rulers (1615-1778) in the South, there were 8 firmans
which were issued in 1625, 1639, 1644, 1663, 1665, 1691, 1700, and 1725. The most terrible
persecution was held in 1665 under this reign. At that time, “someone gave a calumniation
that the person on the cross in the picture was the king of Portuguese,”46 so it implied that
having faith of Christianity meant being citizens of Portugal. Ruler Hien Vuong, known as
Tan Phuoc Nguyen, was upset and expelled the country all missionaries and started to kill
believers. In January and February 1665, “the ruler let the elephants walked around and
stepped on three young women: Joanna, Maria, and Luxia.”47
In the North, persecutions were more terrible in comparing to those in the South.
Under the reigns of the Trinh rulers (1627-1786), there were 17 firmans which banned the
works of Christianity.48 The history of the VCC painfully recorded many unforgettable
events in the reigns of Cuong Trinh ruler (1709-1729) and Giang Trinh ruler (1729-1740);
many had died as martyrs. Priest Messari died in prison on June 15, 1723, and on October
11, 1723 Priest Bucharelli, nine brothers, and many believers were executed. Priest Thu
Ngoc Tran, in his book, The Case of Making Saints, recorded the tortures which the rulers
had for God’s children in much details, “In 1736, four Priests, Alvarez, Cratz, D’Abreu, and
Da Cumba, were beheaded; two Vietnamese brothers were punished at their knees. Then one
died in the prison, and the other was sent out of the country.”49 As previously mentioned
about Alexandre de Rhodes, he was, also under this reign, asked to leave for Hong Kong in
46
Ibid.
47
Ibid.
48
In 1629, 1632, 1635, 1638, 1643, 1658, 1663, 1669, 1696, 1709, 1712, 1721, 1722, 1736, 1754,
1765, 1773.
49
Thu (Vincent) Ngoc Tran, Vu An Phong Thanh (The Case for Making Saints),
19
1630.50 He, then, came back, and, in 1645, he was set for execution, but because of many of
his contributions to Vietnam, the ruler decided to expel him from the country.51
In the reigns of the Tay Son brothers52 (1775-1800), there were 3 firmans in the South
and also 3 firmans in the North. The term “persecution” cannot describe enough the horrible
execution to the children of God. “Slaughter” is the best term for this period. According to
the History of Vietnam Catholic Church, “In 1798, rulers publicly tortured believers by
pouring gasoline on the fingers or navel and setting fire, or hanging believers up-side-
down.”53 All properties of the church, in Bo Chinh, Nghe An, and Thanh Hoa, such as
church buildings, parsonages, monasteries, and schools were destroyed. Believers ran to the
forests to hide from the slaughters. In fact, the Tay Son rulers were very easy, at first, to the
believers since these rulers paid respects to all beliefs. But, after learning about the
involvement of Bishop Loc Da Ba with Prince Anh Nguyen in fighting against the Tay Son
brothers, they, in reaction, started to slaughter the believers and priests.54 This was a bad
experience of the VCC. Priest Huon Phat Phan, in his book, The History of the Vietnamese
Catholic Church, strongly agrees, “If Bishop Loc Da Ba did not help Prince Anh Nguyen to
conquer the country, the Tay Son rulers did not execute the Catholic believers.” 55
In the reign of Emperor Minh Mang (1820-1840), there were 7 firmans56, and they
were deadly ones. When writing about the religious persecutions in Vietnam, European
50
Son Van Pham, Viet Su Toan Thu: Tu Thuong Co den Hien Dai (trans. The Complete Text of
Vietnam History: From Middle Age to Presence) (Glendale: Dainamo, 1960), 191.
51
52
Three brothers: Nhac Nguyen, Hue Nguyen, and Lu Nguyen. When they united the country, Hue
Nguyen, the middle brother, was chose as king and was known as King Quang Trung
53
Chi Cam Dao, http://www.catholic.org.tw/vntaiwan/ghvienam/lichsu1.htm.
54
Lien Huu Hoi Thanh Bap Tit Viet Nam. Lich Su Cong Giao La Ma Tai Viet Nam,
55
Ibid.
56
in 1825, 1826, 1830, 1833, 1834, 1836, and 1838
20
historians called Emperor Minh Mang “Nero of Vietnam”57 since he was just like Nero, who
killed Christians in Roman Empire during his reign. In fact, during 20 years of his reign,
specifically in 1838 and 1839, he executed 58 out of 177 martyrs in the history of the VCC.
He strategically banned Christianity. First, he invited all foreign priests and missionaries to
come to Hue where his palace was. He asked them to do translating works—translating
foreign documents to Vietnamese—with the purpose of holding them there, not involving in
the work of Christianity. He wanted this group to be disconnected with Vietnamese
believers. Also, if he could find ships, he would send them back to their countries and would
not allow them to come back to Vietnam. In the mean time, he sent his people to destroy the
properties of the church and to search for believers. Knowing there were 10 commandments
in the belief of Christianity, in his firmans, he also had amendments, which were taken from
the teaching of Confucian, as standards for living. His purpose was to erase what people had
believed in Christianity. In firmans of 1826 and 1830, he ordered to kill all believers and
punished governors who did not obey his order. He made pictures of the cross and made
believers walk over it, which meant to make Christians deny their belief. His last three years
were the most painful time for the VCC. Retord, a French Bishop, described about this
period, “People could not hide because there were no places which were dark enough for not
being caught by thousands of eyes.”58
In the reign of Emperor Thieu Tri (1840-1847), there were 2 firmans. The
persecutions continued since Thieu Tri also used Minh Mang’s firmans but carried them out
a bit lighter. However, during his reign, Ine Thanh Le was executed because she let
57
Per Einar Oddon , St. Andrew Dung-Lac and his 116 companions, (d. 1745-1862),
http://www.katolsk.no/biografi/adung_en.htm.
58
Chi Cam Dao”, http://www.catholic.org.tw/vntaiwan/ghvienam/tudaovn4.htm.
21
missionaries Berneux and Galy stay at her place. She was the only female martyr in the
VCC. She had courage to proclaim her faith publicly and was tortured to death in prison.59
Also, Priest Peter Khanh was beheaded in 1842, and Priest Matthew Gam Van Le was killed
in 1847. After having a fight with the French ships at Cua Han in 1847, Thieu Tri blamed
believers for everything about the fight and issued a firman to arrest the foreign missionaries
and priests.
In the reign of Emperor Tu Duc (1847-1883), there were 17 firmans regarding to
Christianity. He had that much firmans because he wanted to remove everything from
Christianity, from its root, by any prices. For instance, he had 4 firmans in 1857 and 4
firmans in 1860. Tu Duc was known as the wicked emperor to the Catholics. He defined
Christianity as a “contagious disease”60 (1857). He punished the authorities who were easy
on believers. He executed Vietnamese priests by cutting off their heads, hanging their bodies
for three days, and then throwing them into the rivers or ocean. He separated family
members of believers from each other. His firmans were so restricted, and that was the
reason why there were 50 martyrs during his reign. According to Anh Toan, “With the
firmans of the emperor in 1851 an 1856, 400,000 believers were sent to prison, and 50,000 to
60,000 among them were dead. And there were 3,500 believers who were executed, hundred
of villages were destroyed, church properties were seized, and many priests were killed.”61
Tu Duc was the last emperor who persecuted Catholics with the goal of “no more
Christianity”, but he, as other persecutors around the world, did not know that the church of
God was built not within the limit of time or space, but in the hearts and souls of the
59
Ibid.
60
Chi Cam Dao, http://www.catholic.org.tw/ vntaiwan/ghvienam/tudaovn4.htm
61
22
believers. How can it be destroyed? Christianity is not growing and increasing its spiritual
borders through the vehicles of economic and weapons, but through the supernatural in
God’s protection as, “unless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains by
itself alone. But if it dies, it produces much grain” (John 12:24-25).
Vietnamese Christians had also been through many persecutions during the Van Than
Patriot Movement (1885-1886). The persecutions supposedly stopped after the reign of
Emperor Tu Duc since there was a treaty on March 15, 1874 which confirmed “the freedom
of faith and practice of belief of Vietnamese Roman Catholics.”62 However, the books of
history had recorded, “After the reign of Emperor Tu Duc, Christianity in Vietnam was still
under persecutions, and, in fact, they were much worse.” Three emperors after Tu Duc were
assassinated, and Vietnam was in one of the darkest times. Many people, under the label
“patriot,” took advantage to kill others in order to gain control. When Vietnam was facing
the threat of being invaded by the French, a group known as the Van Than Patriots, went
around the country to kill Vietnamese Catholics. According to history of VCC, “In just a few
years, the number of people who were killed by the Van Than Patriots was almost as many as
under persecutions in the previous two centuries, from the reign of the Trinh and Nguyen
rulers to the end of the reign of Tu Duc.”63
1862-1941: No Evangelicals
After the persecutions during the Van Than Patriots, many places in Vietnam fell
under the control of the French military. The VCC started growing solidly since the French
priests worked hard for the freedom of faith in Vietnam. However, the evangelicals were
62
Chi Cam Dao, http://www.catholic.org.tw/ vntaiwan/ghvienam/tudaovn4.htm
63
Chi Cam Dao, http://www.catholic.org.tw/vntaiwan/ghvienam/lichsu1.htm.
23
having a hard time to plant the seeds. As mentioned above, there were treaties signed
between the French government and the Nguyen emperors in 1874 and 1884 which allowed
the activities of French and Spanish missionaries in Vietnam. Missionaries from other
countries had to leave Vietnam. And as mentioned earlier, the missionaries from CM&A
came in the late nineteenth century, but they could not settle their works because of those
treaties. According to Mai Huong, “In March 1928, an authoritative officer sent a private
letter to Rev. Cadman. It stated, ‘I know you are sent by the CM&A for the evangelical
works in many places of North Vietnam and specifically in Nam Dinh province. But this
violates the treaties of 1874 and 1884 which were signed by the French government and the
Vietnamese emperors, so I ask you stop the evangelical work.’”64 However, the works in the
city were not too restricted since the officers let the French authorities handle the
evangelicals. During this time, several evangelical pastors were put in prison for not obeying
the rulings of the French officers, and many churches were forced to stop their activities.
Even though the works of the CM&A missionaries and the VAC were not allowed, they
fearlessly continued the work of God until the VAC was legally recognized in 1942. It is
worth to notice that during this time persecution was nothing in comparing to the
persecutions during the reigns of the emperors as previously discussed.
1954-1975: No Buddhists
This is the study of Christianity in Vietnam, but it is good to learn about some other
relating things. In 1954, Vietnam was divided into the North and the South by the Geneva
Accords. North Vietnam was under controlled by the Vietnam Communists, and the South
Vietnam was operated by the Republic of Vietnam government led by President Diem Dinh
64
Mai Huong. http://www.vnbaptist.net/Tai_Lieu/LichSuCDG/02.htm.
24
Ngo. Under his leadership, President Diem caused many conflicts between the government
and the Buddhists, which took a majority in Vietnam, since Diem had a Catholic background.
In fact, his brother, Thuc Dinh Ngo, was an Archbishop. Edwin Moise, in the article The
Fall of Ngo Dinh Diem, stated in details:
In the Spring of 1963, Archbishop Thuc persuaded local officials in Hue to enforce an
edict forbidding the display of Buddhist flags during a major Buddhist holiday. The
Buddhists, who remembered that Catholic flags had been widely displayed on a
Christian holiday a few weeks earlier, refused to obey the government's ban and
demonstrated in protest. Government forces opened fire on the demonstrators and
nine people were killed. When the government refused to apologize, or even to admit
that the dead had been killed by government fire, the conflict became acute.65
Under Diem’s dictatorship, some Buddhist monks attracted world’s attention by a
bizarre form of protest against the policies of the government. They committed suicide by
sitting down in conspicuous locations in Saigon, pouring gasoline over them, and burning
themselves to death. Then many students went on the streets to demonstrate in support of the
Buddhists, and they were arrested. This was the period in which Catholics persecuted
Buddhists, and this period had brought many bad reputations to Christianity in Vietnam. At
that time, the VCC was known as the Romans Catholic Church before the reformation of
Martin Luther. Whenever there is a debate or discussion about religions among the
Vietnamese, these very bad images would come up as a reminder of the bad Christians,
specifically the bad Catholics.
After 1975: No Beliefs
After the Geneva Accords, many Vietnamese in the North Vietnam, especially people
who deeply cared for their beliefs, fled to the South Vietnam since they had learned that
65
Edwin E. Moise, The Fall of Ngo Dinh Diem, The Vietnam War,
http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~eemoise/viet6.html
25
“Communists equally meant atheists.”66 During 1954-1975, under Communist government,
“There were 670,000 Catholics to leave their hometowns to avoid the persecutions of the
atheist government.” Many churches and seminaries of the VCC were forced to close
including evangelical churches and seminaries. The Communist government used the law of
“no religions” to apply to all Vietnamese. With the Fall of Sai Gon in April, 1975, people in
both North and South Vietnam were threatened for what they believed. Again, many people
left their homeland, but it was not like in 1954, this time, they had to leave their own country
for another one. After uniting the country, the Communists started to persecute any believers
from any religions. They put many priests, pastors, monks, and religious leaders in prison,
and they tortured many believers. Rev. Cuong Huu Nguyen, the president of Union College
of California—a Vietnamese Bible Institute, had spent 8 years in prison for being a Christian
leader, and my best friend, Rev. Hue Nguyen, the founder of Gospel for Vietnam, had spent
years in prison for being a pastor before the Fall of Sai Gon. Many believers were sent to
wild and undeveloped lands to live. The Communist government kept punishing God’s
children even though the constitution mentioned the freedom of belief. Many churches were
destroyed and many good facilities such as Nha Trang Bible College and House of
Orphanage were taken away and became government’s properties. The persecutions of the
church were still reported by the media lately. Reuters from the Bangkok Post reported:
Vietnamese security police have raided an evangelical Bible meeting in Hanoi and
detained 20 people for participating in an "illegal religious event", sources close to
those arrested said yesterday. The group, who belonged to the VN AoG church, had
met for a three day bible study session in a hotel when police burst in yesterday
evening, added one source, who declined to be identified. Eighteen people were
released after being charged with breach of the peace while one man Lo Van Hen,
66
Most Vietnamese believe this unofficial definition.
26
was taken under police escort to his home in remote Dien Bien Phu, 500 km west of
Hanoi.67
And another source, which came just about a week later, reported:
A Vietnamese Protestant leader detained after Hanoi police broke up a Bible meeting
on May 7 has appealed for help for himself and his family to leave the country, a
source closed to the arrested man said. Reverent Tran Dinh (Paul) Ai asked that
foreign ambassadors in Hanoi and international groups raise his case as he seeks
political asylum for himself, his wife and children, said the source. Rev. Ai did not
specify a target county for his request, but referred to the cases of two Vietnamese
evangelicals who in 1991 accepted exile in the US after serving six years in jail added
the source.68
These reports were very true, and these activities of the government happened very
commonly in Vietnam. During the past few years, after recognizing the VAC as the only
restricted registered evangelical church, Vietnamese government started to persecute the
believers of other denominations such as Baptists and Mennonites. Policemen entered the
church to shut down the service during big events like Easter or Christmas services. Many
Mennonite pastors were put in prison and were beaten till nearly dead. The well-known case
would be the case of Rev. Quang Hong Nguyen, who was latest arrested on August 6, 2004,69
and there were many reports about it. Vietnam has changed its policy a bit about religion
since Vietnam wants to build relationship with the United States. In January 2003, it was the
first time since April 1975, Vietnam allowed having a Bible college in Sai Gon, but it is
limited to only 50 students to enroll. Especially, after Vietnam Prime Minister Khai Van
Phan visited the United States last June, Rev. Nguyen and other Christian leaders were
released from the prison.70 Currently, the VAC legally has permission to have church
67
Bangkok Post, “Report of Persecutions,” May 15, 1999,
http://www.infomekong.com/p_group_Vietnam_2.htm.
68
Bangkok Post, “Report of Persecutions,” May 20, 1999.
69
Linh Luc, “Letter to Chris Smith, a member of House of Representatives,” vol. 135, August, 2005.
70
Vietnamese World Christian Fellowship, “Tin Vui,” vol. 64, October, 2005. In this article, Rev.
Quang Hong Nguyen was released from the prison, and Rev. Truong Van Than was released from the mental
hospital.
27
activities, but any other activities such as seminars, conferences, or training are still very
restricted and are usually supervised by local police officers.
III. The Present Church
The Fall of Sai Gon caused a scattering of the church. Like the church in Jerusalem
in the first century, with many people fleeing to other countries, Vietnamese churches are
growing in many places both inside and outside of Vietnam.
Inside of Vietnam
Under the persecutions of Vietnamese Communists, an atheist government, the
church is naturally growing under God’s protection. Government could destroy the church
buildings and other facilities, but they couldn’t destroy the faith of people who have
experienced the love of the Almighty God. Through sufferings, more people come to know
Him. According to a VCC report, there were over 5 millions Catholics in 2000.71 The VAC,
after the Communists took over the South of Vietnam, like other religions, has been under
persecutions; however, the church has been growing, and its number of evangelicals is about
one million. According to a report from the government, “There are currently 2.2 millions of
evangelicals, 273 official ministers, 119 unofficial ministers, 1500 underground church72
leaders, 282 registered churches, 253 houses of prayer, and 1500 underground churches.”73
These numbers include the believers and ministers from other denominations since ministers
and churches of the VAC are registered and the underground churches and ministers are not.
71
Vietnamese Missionaries in Taiwan, “Tinh Hinh Giao Hoi Viet Nam (trans. The Current Vietnam
Roman Catholic Church,.” Lich Su Giao Hoi Viet
Nam.http://www.catholic.org.tw/vntaiwan/y2vienam/58vietin.htm.
72
Underground churches are the ones which are not recognized by government. They take turn to meet
in the houses of church members.
73
Nhan The Ho, 30 Years of Wheaton Alliance Church, 9.
28
There are a number of new churches which are being planted by the Southern Baptist
Convention, the Mennonite Mission Society, the Baptist General Conference, the United
Methodist Church, and others, and they are underground churches which are illegal to hold
public services.
Outside of Vietnam
The title of this study is The History of Christianity in Vietnam, but since the
Christianity in Vietnam has expanded to oversea territories, it is worth to brief its presence.
Starting in April 1975, the event of the Fall of Sai Gon forcefully sent thousands of
Vietnamese out of the country. Vietnamese today are scattering in many countries around
the world, especially in the United States, where there are almost a million of Vietnamese.
They have more freedom than the people in Vietnam. Believers freely come to church, and
non-believers have many opportunities to come to know Christ. There are no persecution to
any religions. After 30 years of exile, many churches for Vietnamese have established in the
United States, Canada, Australia, and countries in Europe. Thanks to God for the seeds of
the gospel of Jesus Christ, which were planted in the hearts of Vietnamese through hardship
and persecution, and these seeds, in many countries, have produced good fruits. These
churches include the Vietnam Catholic Church, the Vietnamese Alliance Church, the
Vietnamese Baptist Church (SBC), the Vietnamese Mennonite Church, the Vietnamese
United Methodist Church, the Vietnamese General Baptist Church, the Vietnamese
Presbyterian Church, the Vietnam Pentecostal Church, the Vietnamese Covenant Church, the
Vietnamese Nazarene Church, and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
As mentioned above, Catholic is a major religious system in Vietnam. Many
Vietnamese Catholics left the country in 1975, and many of them came later by boat or
29
crossing borders. Wherever there is a Vietnamese community outside of Vietnam, there is a
local Vietnam Catholic Church, and the Catholic church is usually larger than that of other
denominations. In the United States, the VAC, after 30 years anniversary, has 89 churches,
12,000 members, 126 ordained and licensed ministers, and 21 Christian workers. In addition,
the VAC has established the Vietnamese Evangelical College, which trains people to serve
among the VAC. The Vietnamese Baptist churches which are planted by the SBC workers
and planters are growing rapidly. After 30 years since the first Vietnamese Baptist came to
the United States, there are currently over 150 churches with 145 licensed and ordained
ministers74, and a Vietnamese Baptist Theological Institute. The United Methodist churches
and the General Baptist Conference churches are also experiencing a growth; there are 75
and 40 churches respectively.
IV. Conclusion
Looking back to the history of Christianity in Vietnam, I feel deeply grateful to the
Almighty God, who has continuously showed his love and mercy to Vietnam and its people.
He sent the early mission-minded Roman Catholic priests, the C&MA missionaries, the
Southern Baptist Convention missionaries, Mennonite missionaries, and many other
missionaries and Christian workers to the field in Vietnam. He used them to plant the first
seeds of the good news to Vietnamese so that the living truth of Jesus had shined on many
lives. He had protected His church through countless hardship and persecutions. Many
Vietnamese were transformed, sanctified, and had experienced the extraordinary rebirth.
With steadfast faith in Jesus Christ, either staying in Vietnam or being far away in foreign
74
The numbers are taken from the directory of the Vietnamese Baptist Fellowship, 2005.
30
lands apart from their loved ones, the children of God are still faithful and are living as “the
salt of the earth and the light of the world” according to the teaching of Jesus.
31
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_____________________________.“Giao Hoi Duoi Che Do Cong San (trans. The Vietnam

Roman Catholic Church under the Communists).” Lich Su Giao Hoi Viet Nam.
_____________________________.“Tinh Hinh Giao Hoi Viet Nam (trans. The Current

Vietnam Roman Catholic Church).” Lich Su Giao Hoi Viet Nam.
http://www.catholic.org.tw/vntaiwan/y2vienam/58vietin.htm.
Vietnamese World Christian Fellowship. “Tin Vui.” vol. 64. October, 2005.
33
REFERENCES
Pham, Tin Xuan. Giao Hoi Hoc. He Thong Than Hoc (trans. Ecclesiology. Systematic
Theology). v. 6.
Hoi Thanh Tin Lanh Mien Nam Viet Nam (trans. Southern Vietnamese Alliance Church).
90 Nam Tin Lanh Den Vietnam (trans. A Short Version of 90 Years Gospel Came to
Vietnam). Thong Cong. 2001.
Pham, Nam Van. Dang Tron Cuoc Doi: Hoi Ky 55 Nam Phuc Vu Chua cua Muc Su Pham
Van Nam (trans. Dedicating Life: A Story of 55 Years of Serving God of Rev. Pham
Van Nam). Garden Grove: VCP Printing, 1995.
Truong, Ky Duong Thi. Thien Chua Giao va Tam Giao (trans. Christianity and Three Other
Religions: Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism). Carthage: Tu Sach Dam Dao Ton
Giao. 2000.
__________________. Thien Chua Giao, Dan Nuoc Viet (trans. Christianity and the People
of Vietnam). Carthage: Tu Sach Dam Dao Ton Giao. 2005.
White, Tom. Between Two Tigers: Testimonies of Vietnamese Christians. Bartlesville:

Living Sacrifice Book Company, 1996.
34

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THE HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN VIETNAM

MOODY GRADUATE SCHOOL

in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the course

HT602 Church History

I. The Beginning of Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Vietnamese Roman Catholic Church

II. The Persecution of the Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

From Beginning to 1861: No Roman Catholics

III. The Present Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

small country with an “S” shape in Southeast Asia.

Christianity came to Vietnam in various forms, denominations, or organizations. In

I. The Beginnings of the Church

The Vietnam Catholic Church

document of Vietnam history, evidently states:

four years in Vietnam, significantly provides:

In addition, according to Annamite7 History (Cours d’Histoire Annamite) of Truong

Christian community and for the future church.”9

In Lish Su Co Doc (History of Christianity), it mentions about Alexandre de Rhodes, “He

geography of Vietnam.”13 Alexandre de Rhodes is also known as the founder of

Vietnamese—the current national language of Vietnam where he used Latin alphabets to

opened for missionary work and other times forbid.

Hoang Le, an evangelical minister, in his doctoral dissertation, highly praises:

In fact, the Vietnam Catholic Church is a well-organized religion—the most

Hades will not overpower it” (Matt. 16:18b, NET).

to work in Vietnam. However, in spring 1911, R. A. Jaffray, a C&MA missionary, made a

nine missionaries home. Then, in 1916, R. A. Jaffray, a representative of C&MA in China

and everywhere including Vietnam.

moved to Da Lat in 1943 and to Sai Gon in 1950.

From 1931 to 1933, it was an evangelical movement in Vietnam. Many Christian

leaders in Viet Nam.

will be discussed later.

Vietnamese Baptist Church

victims. This would be a motive for missionaries to come to Vietnam.

to outreach Vietnamese; many came to know Christ through this plan.

Vietnam Mennonite Church

through the Mennonite Mission Society (MMS) in Lancaster in Pennsylvania. In Vietnam,

Discussing the work of the MMS, Luke S. Martin, in details, states:

Dong Elementary School was also housed.

through the most persecutions is the VMC.

II. The Persecution of the Church

From Beginning to 1861: No Roman Catholics

when he came in 1585.40

stepped on three young women: Joanna, Maria, and Luxia.”47

the work of Christianity. He wanted this group to be disconnected with Vietnamese

being caught by thousands of eyes.”58

In the reign of Emperor Tu Duc (1847-1883), there were 17 firmans regarding to

itself alone. But if it dies, it produces much grain” (John 12:24-25).

rulers to the end of the reign of Tu Duc.”63

persecutions during the reigns of the emperors as previously discussed.

Fall of Ngo Dinh Diem, stated in details:

Under Diem’s dictatorship, some Buddhist monks attracted world’s attention by a

specifically the bad Catholics.

After 1975: No Beliefs

restricted registered evangelical church, Vietnamese government started to persecute the

restricted and are usually supervised by local police officers.

III. The Present Church

growing in many places both inside and outside of Vietnam.