Burma: Church Bombed, Christians Scatter, CFI Sends Aid

When the Burmese military dropped a 500-pound bomb directly on a church in Mae Ka Nae in Karen State, the church caught on fire and was completely destroyed. Soldiers then burned down 12 houses.

The pastor of the church said his home is now in an active war zone and he cannot return.

Burma’s military “are Buddhist extremists,” a Christian leader said. “That’s why they targeted the church when fighting. The troops knew that the Christians are innocent and peaceful people, but they would like to plant fear in the hearts of all [ethnic] Karen people,” he said.

“They intentionally destroy churches and Christian villages without any mercy.”

Christian Freedom International was able to get in touch with the church’s leaders and get food to stranded families. The rice and cooking oil helped to relieve some of the burdens of the Christians who had been displaced by the attacks.

“These people weren’t sure where their next meal would come from,” the Christian leader said.

While the conflict in Burma (Myanmar) is one of the world’s longest civil wars, the violence has escalated since a military coup in 2021. The fighting is the highest since World War II. The human cost is high, especially for Christians belonging to the country’s ethnic minority groups like the Karen.

In April 2023, airstrikes took the lives of hundreds of people and displaced even more. The church bombing on April 11 was a particularly alarming attack.

With a red cross over the doorway and a tall steeple, the church was once a beautiful testament to the faith of those in the village. Its thriving ministries included running an Awana child discipleship program and providing shelter for civilians that were fleeing from the fighting.

Transporting the rice across the rough terrain to the displaced Christians was not easy. Church members were scattered and it took almost two days to reach some. A church youth leader and local young adults managed much of the food distribution in more remote areas.

In the face of immense grief and fear, it is deeply meaningful to persecuted Christians to know that fellow believers from around the world remember them, pray for them, and support them.

Reaching this church in a war-ravaged area with life-saving food was an answer to their prayers.

The pastor “sends his strongest thank you,” said the Christian leader. “They had prayed and the body of Christ answered.”