Before the lamp of God had gone out, young Samuel lay in the temple near the ark. The Lord called to him. “Here I am,” Samuel replied, running to Eli. This happened three times before Eli realized—it was God calling the boy. — 1 Samuel 3:2–5, 8 (CSB)
I recently met Pastor Samuel Thawng at a bustling Asian restaurant in East Nashville. Over steaming bowls of Sichuan Dan Dan noodles, he shared his remarkable story with careful, fluent English.
Samuel is the pastor of Chin Bethel Christian Church, one of the Nashville Baptist Association’s newest member churches. His journey began in Burma—now called Myanmar—the largest nation in Southeast Asia, home to over 100 ethnic groups. Samuel comes from the Falam Chin tribe and was raised by his grandparents after his father died when he was just a year old.
Though raised in a devout Roman Catholic household, Samuel said he never truly heard the gospel as a child. A childhood friend baptized with a “holy name” sparked his curiosity about faith. He later learned this meant a biblical name, like Matthew or John. That desire for a holy name and baptism lingered.
At age 13, Samuel heard the gospel for the first time at a village crusade and put his faith in Christ. Two years later, he sensed God calling him into ministry.
At 16, he moved to Yangon (formerly Rangoon) to attend Bible college. But after graduation, his ministry dreams were put on hold. His stepfather had found work in Malaysia and called the family to join him. Samuel obeyed—reluctantly—leaving behind his pastoral ambitions.
“Everything crashed down,” he told me.
But God wasn’t finished. In 2013, a friend asked Samuel to take over a church in Klang Meru, Malaysia. He told God, “If my wife agrees, I’ll know this is from you.” She did. They served there for several years, preparing for what came next.
God called again—this time through a friend in the U.S. Samuel and his young family moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he pastored a small group of Chin believers while working a second job. Then, in 2017, God led them to Nashville to plant a new church: Chin Bethel. What began with five families has now grown to over twenty.
In 2023, Samuel reached out to the Nashville Baptist Association to join our network. Chin Bethel currently meets in a Methodist building, but they’re seeking a Baptist church partner with shared theological convictions.
Here’s how you can pray and partner with them:
- They need an English-speaking youth and children’s minister—an ideal role for someone called to cross-cultural work right here in the city.
- Samuel longs to reach more Burmese people with the gospel and partner with local churches to do so.
Like the prophet Samuel, Pastor Samuel Thawng’s life has been marked by repeated calls—and faithful responses. Will we answer God’s call to serve alongside him?
If God stirs your heart to support Samuel and Chin Bethel, I’d love to hear from you.
Brett Boesch
Connections Strategist
[email protected]
