Tay Ninh is a province in the Southeast with 240km border next to Cambodia. Protestantism was evangelized to Tay Ninh in 1930. Currently the province has 12 organizations Protestant sects, of which 6 organizations were recognized as legal status; 14 groups are granted the registration permission. Religious activities of Protestant are as normal, under the law-. Having this result due o the fact that Tay Ninh always apply well Directive No. 01 on some tasks for Protestantism of the Prime Minister. Before the directive 01/2005/CT-TTg was passed
From 1930 to 1989, Protestantism in Tay Ninh had about 300 believers of Protestant sect of Vietnam (South), mainly in the town. They had 1 church, 1 missionary person. The activities of the church and believers of Protestant were in the Sundays and holidays.
From 1989 to 2004, the Party's innovative policy on religious work made a positive change in the religion, to strengthen the trust of people with the Party the State. But besides that, a few bad people also took advantage of religious propaganda to enhance the unauthorized development. Forms of illegal missionaries are often whispering enticement, sending gifts and money or travelling and organizing baptem ceremony ... In this situation, the functional departments of Tay Ninh province coordinated together in fighting and preventing the illegal activities. But the majority of staff working in religious sectors was lack of information, awareness of Protestantism in general and in particular Protestant sects in the world and in the country.
Apply The directive 01/2005/CT-TTg
To concretize the guidelines and policies of the Party and State in the Constitution, the resolutions of the Party Central Committee and the Ordinance on Belief and religion, on 4th, February 2005, the Prime Minister issued Directive No. 01/CT-TTg on some tasks for Protestantism (referred to as Directive No.01). This is a legal basis to guide the organization declared Protestant sects to register with local authorities to operate a transparent, clear and set the state manager for the group.
In order to implement Directive 01, the People's Committee of Tay Ninh province issued Directive No. 09/CT-UB on April 28th, 2008 on some tasks for Protestantism, Plan No.17/KH -UBND on the first of April, 2010 for Protestantism in 2010 in Tay Ninh province. Tay Ninh also reckoned up Protestant group and strengthened management of the Protestant groups which have registration permission for stable religious activities. Provincial Committee issued Document No. 881CV/TU on 3rd March 2010 on the direction to continue performing Report No.160TB/TW of the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee (9th Congress) on work for Protestantism. They also implemented according to the guidance of the Central to the specialized functional agencies of the People's Committees of the provinces and the districts. Assign Government Committee for Religious Affairs consult and help the Provincial Committee implement.
Since implementing Directive No. 01/2005/CT-TTg of the Prime Minister so far, the religious situation in Tay Ninh has had an important change in the perception of Party Committees, local authorities about religious work for Protestant. The freedom of belief and non-believers of people are more respectful and better ensured; all pure religious activities take place normally according to the law. The material and spiritual lives of believers are increasingly improved. Most Protestant dignitaries feel safe, and believe in the policies of the Party and the State. Religious work has been enhanced, more movement of the authorities were participated by dignitaries and religious people positively. The positive factors of religion are constantly developed; the relationships between the Party and government with dignitaries are increasingly open and close. Operation of Protestantism has gradually become more stable; management from the state has been built to guide religious activities in accordance with the law.
Currently, in the province, there are 12 Protestant organizations, of which 06 organizations were recognized as legal status, 5 organizations have not been recognized. The six Protestant organizations that were recognized as legal ones are: Vietnam Protestant Church (South), Christian Fellowship Church of Vietnam, Adventist Church of Vietnam, Vietnam Baptist Church (Southern), Gospel Pentecostal Church of Vietnam, Presbyterian Church of Vietnam.
Vietnam Protestant Church (South) was formed by the organization "CMA" of the United States, the earliest sects spread in Tay Ninh town in 1930. The sect have the most number of believers, there are about 500 Christians living in protestant sect of Tay Ninh Town and Protestant organization in Gia Binh commune, Trang Bang district (the 2 two organizations were certified land use and constructed religious worship place); 04 groups of this sect have got registration activity at Go Dau town; Phuoc Trach commue, Go Dau district; Tay Thanh district Tan Bien and Tan Chau Town, Tan Chau District.
Christian Fellowship Church of Vietnam’s registration on 5th October, 2007 (Certificate No. 844/GCN-TGCP) was recognized on 14th June, 2010 (Decision No. 84/2010/QD - TGCP). There are nine groups of which two groups have got permission paper for religious activities and seven groups have not got permission for religious activities. Operation of this sect in recent years has developed relatively fast. They operate mainly in the communes of Go Dau, Trang Bang district.
Adventist Church of Vietnam’s registration on 18th December, 2006 (Certificate No. 215/2006/GCN-TGCP), have been approved on 4th December, 2008 (Decision No. 235/QD- TGCP). One group and 18 members operate in Binh Tri Commune, Chau Thanh District. They had got permission paper for religious activity.
Vietnam Baptist Church (Southern) registered on 26th September, 2007 (certificate No. 810/GCN - TGCP), was approved on 3rd October, 2008 in Decision No. 199/QD-TGCP). There are one group and 18 members operating in Thanh Tan Town and they have got permission for religious activities. This group performs religious activity infrequently; most believers are the poor and lack of attention of the Church.
Gospel Pentecostal Church of Vietnam registered on 24th September, 2009 (Certificate No. 968/GCN-TGCP). The organization has three group and 187 believers in Hiep Thanh commue, Cam Giang commue, Go Dau district and has got permission.
Presbyterian Church of Vietnam registered on 5th October, 2007 (Certificate No. 843/GCN-TGCP), approved on 4th December, 2008 (Decision No. 234/QD-TGCP). There is one group in Hung Thuan Trang Bang with about 20 members and they have not got permission for religious activity from the authority. Most organizations and sects have the charter, regulations; they have been recognized by the Church and the State.
There are also six other Protestant sects which have not been recognized in Tay Ninh such as: Gospel Pentecostal Church Rema, has 02 points with a total of about 70 groups of believers: one group in the town and one other group in Hung Loc commune, Trang Bang district; Jehovah's Witnesses has two group with about 30 members, they are available at An Hoa, Trang Bang district; Agape sect has one group in Cam Giang district Go Dau, with about 07 believers; Protestant Holy Spirit Sect has ,one group in group Bau Don, Go Dau district with about 11 believers; Vietnam Agape Baptist Church does not have group, they have two households and about 08 residents in Tan Dong, Tan Chau District, they do religious activities in family; Inter Evangelistic Movement doesn’t have group, they have two households and about 14 residents in Tan Thanh, Tan Chau District. They do religious activities in Binh Long district, Binh Phuoc province. Thus, Protestant sects, which have not been recognized as legal organizations, have about 100 followers and six groups. They do religious activity stably in some communes of Trang Bang district and Go Dau district, Tan Chau province.
Implementation of Directive No. 01/2005-CT-TTg of Prime Minister in government management for Protestantism in Tay Ninh helped to change the perception of the Commission and the local authority. The experience of Tay Ninh: regularly propagandize the policy of the Party's and the State to raise awareness for party members in management of the State on religious activities in general, in Protestantism in particular. At the same time mobilizing people, especially those who have understanding and voluntarily to obey strictly guidelines and policies of the Party and the laws of the State on religious matters; continuing to improve the material and spiritual life for religious followers, effectively implementing poverty reduction programs; mobilizing believers to preserve and promote cultural identity, traditional faith of the nation well. Through these activities, it confirms attention of the Party and State for religious believers, including Protestants.
