Our stories, our faith: Different Burmese Christians hear one another’s stories at Indianapolis conference
VALLEY FORGE, PA (09/01/2026)—The Our Stories, Our Faith (OSOF) gathering on Aug. 7–8 at the Falam Baptist Church of Indiana followed Amplifying the Stories of Burmese American Christians, a project supported by American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS) that began preserving stories of Christian Chin, Kachin, Karen, Karenni, and related communities in the United States. A total of 106 in-person and 84 online conferees gathered for two days of worship and storytelling despite historic and ethnic distinctions.
Nearly two dozen of the 106 in-person attendees of Our Stories, Our Faith, a conference held in Indianapolis this summer, gather outside Falam Baptist Church to commemorate their participation in the event.
“There are over 30,000 Burmese American Christians who call Indianapolis home,” said Nah Eh Phaw, the local liaison for the Our Stories, Our Faith steering committee, in her welcome. “There are many stories of struggle, but also faith and success worth celebrating…lives transformed by God’s grace. Even though we have so much in common, there are not many opportunities to talk together about our shared immigrant experiences.”
Similar issues often arise across the diverse Burmese Christian communities—yet they largely operate in silos. ABHMS seeks to create an opportunity for a network of partnered churches to address these challenges together and amplify their stories within the broader Asian American Christian diaspora and beyond. At this first-ever gathering of diverse Burmese Christians, several themes salient to the community were explored: preserving history and community memory; trauma, mental health, and present-day challenges; intergenerational identity and the future of diaspora churches; biblical grounding; and place and belonging.
“I have not personally experienced a conference like this in the faith communities of the Burmese diaspora…. These are not always easy conversations for us to have, but having a safe space to talk, listen, and learn from one another is so important,” said Tansy Kadoe, a licensed therapist and OSOF keynote speaker who addressed trauma and healing in the diaspora. “Our brothers and sisters gave their time, energy, and resources to be with us and invest in our community. That made us feel seen, cared for, and valued. For me, that was one of the most meaningful parts of the whole experience.”
Kadoe was one of the facilitators of a three-part workshop series delivered by the ABHMS Center for Continuous Learning. The workshop, “Love the Lord With All Your Mind,” which focuses on Asian American communities, is available on the CCL website free of charge.
Rev. Michele Turek, national coordinator for Asian Ministries at ABHMS, delivered a workshop titled “Intergenerational Harmony, Youth Flourishing, and Creative Dialogue” alongside Justin Thang, founder of Hope for Tomorrow, a nonprofit serving Burmese and Chin refugees in Indianapolis. Turek also served as a speaker on the “Intergenerational Thriving” panel. In addition to Asian Ministries at ABHMS, conference partners included the Center for Asian American Christianity at Princeton Theological Seminary, the Asian American Christian History Institute at Fuller Theological Seminary, the Asian Pacific American Religions Research Initiative (APARI), and Epic Movement, a Cru ministry. These partners contributed research expertise, community relationships, resources, and program development.
The conference provided communities with a much-needed space to learn from one another while retaining the distinctiveness of their own histories. “I believe OSOF is changing the landscape of Asian American Christianity,” reflected Turek.
To support mission-driven endeavors that foster the flourishing of all members of Christ’s diverse body, give to ABHMS via its online portal.
Recordings of the conference are available on its YouTube channel.
By Rev. Dr. Anna Piela, ABHMS senior writer and editor of The Christian Citizen