The Role of the Vietnam General Confederation of Evangelical Church for the Protestant Sites, Groups of the Hmong and Yao People in Villages (Case Study in Two Provinces of Dien Bien and Lai Chau)

Abstract

Through the survey of a number of Hmong and Yao villages following Protestantism in two provinces of Dien Bien and Lai Chau, it can be seen that the Vietnam General Confederation of Evangelical Church played a very important role for the protestant sites, groups in the villages. This is expressed in aspects such as persuading Hmong, Yao and other ethnic people to convert to Protestantism, steering activities of Protestant sites, groups at the villages; raising its voice to defend and giving legal assistance; supplying and transporting materials, publications, video tapes and disks to propagate Protestantism, etc. Thus, most the Protestant sites, groups in the villages are the basic Protestant institutions which have not existed independently but have been the important “links” in organizational mechanism of the Protestant Churches, have had the close relationships and have been under the leadership of the Vietnam General Confederation of Evangelical Church.