What does evangelism look like at St. Paul Hmong Alliance Church (SPHAC)? First, let me give us some context. Saint Paul Hmong Alliance Church is a Hmong church located in the Maplewood/St. Paul area. Most of our members are in the St. Paul area, however some of our members live as far out as Forest Lake, Rogers, and Hudson, Wisconsin.
According to a Pioneer Press article on March 8, 2015, “Minnesota Hmong at 40: First immigrants set the bar high for children,” the population of Hmong people in Minnesota increased from 17,764 in 1990 to 77,575 in 2013. There are a lot of Hmong people in the Twin Cities. The Hmong people are animistic in their religion because most of them migrated to the U.S. from Southeast Asia. The non-Christian spiritual leaders of the Hmong people are shamans (witch doctors, if you will) and sorcerers. Among them are black magic practitioners and psychics.
The non-Christian spiritual leaders of the Hmong people are shamans (witch doctors, if you will) and sorcerers
Spiritual attacks and oppression through dreams, nightmares and physical assaults (manifestations of evil spirits) are very common.
Spiritual attacks and oppression through dreams, nightmares and physical assaults are very common…
The challenge for Hmong churches is that they need to have a very strong foundation in the work of the Holy Spirit and His empowerment in the ministries of healing, deliverance, and spiritual warfare. Evangelism through preaching a gospel of Jesus Christ that has the power to save the soul from sin and eternal death, deliver from the power of the devil, and heal physical sicknesses is a must. The book of Acts is full of this.
…need to have a very strong foundation in the work of the Holy Spirit and His empowerment.
For the Hmong churches, it is not enough to have the right theology, we must live and be led by the Spirit (Romans 8:1-17), be anointed by the Holy Spirit with power, and minister in the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8).
…they want to know that the power of Jesus Christ is greater than that of the evil spirits holding them in bondage and attacking them.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (Ephesians 6:10-13, NIV)
When shamans, sorcerers, and black magic practitioners realize that they are losing their people to Christ, they are not going to walk away quietly without a fight.
…evangelism is very exciting, because we witness the power of Jesus Christ every day in our lives…
Because the Hmong people have such a strong background in animistic shamanism, after their conversion, it is very important that they are discipled in the truth of God’s Word. Otherwise, they will soon revert right back to their old ways. So discipleship is the next most important things that need to be done.
For our church, evangelism is very exciting, because we witness the power of Jesus Christ every day in our lives, exactly as in the days of the disciples in Acts. We have also come to realize more and more why Jesus did his ministry the way he did:
signs will accompany those who believe…
And we have also come to a better understanding of his Great Commission as given through the book of Mark, where he stated that as we preach the gospel, the “signs will accompany those who believe” (Mark 16:17-18, NIV). We have also found and discovered that the Lord Jesus has been faithful to his promise to be with us and to work with us by confirming “his word by the signs that accompanied it” (Mark 16:20, NIV).
Rev. Chong Yang is the Lead Pastor at St. Paul Hmong Alliance Church in St. Paul. He received his degree in Pastoral Ministry from Crown College. He previously planted and pastored New Life In Christ Worship Center as a Second Generation Church. And before that was the pastor of Hmong Alliance Church in Minnetonka, MN. (Pictured here with his wife of 27 years, Bee Her.)