Tây Ninh is a province in the Southeastern part of Vietnam. It has 240km with Cambodia. Protestantism was evangelized to Tây Ninh in 1930. Currently, the province has 12 Protestant churches, among them there are 6 churches to be recognized as legal person status; 14/24 groups are granted the registration permission of their activities. Religious activities of Protestant believers take place normally. Protestant believers observe the law. We have this result because Tây Ninh province always carries out well Instruction No. 01 of Prime Minister on some tasks regarding Protestantism
From 1930 to 1989, in Tây Ninh province there were about 300 Protestant believers. Most of them followed the Vietnam Protestant Church (Southern region). They mainly lived in the town. They had 1 church, 1 missionary person. Their activities were carried out on the Sundays and holidays.
From 1989 to 2004, the Party's innovative policy on religious affairs brought about positive change in the religion, to strengthen the trust of people in the Party and the State. But few bad people took advantage of religion to propagandize religion illegally. Forms of illegal missionaries were carried out under various forms such as: inducing, giving presents or organizing tours for some people and carrying out rite of baptism. In this situation, the relevant departments of Tây Ninh province coordinated together to fight against and prevent the illegal activities. But most of carders dealing with religious affairs lacked information of Protestantism in general and Protestant sects in the world and in the country in particular
Implementation of Instruction 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 Instruction No. 01/CT-TTg on some tasks regarding Protestantism (Instruction No.01 for short). This Instruction is a legal basis to guide the Protestant organizations and sects to register for their activities with local authorities so they can operate publicly under the State’s management.
In order to implement Instruction 01, the People's Committee of Tây Ninh province issued Instruction No. 09/CT-UB on April 28th, 2008 on some tasks regarding Protestantism, Plan No.17/KH -UBND on 1st April, 2010 on deploying affairs regarding Protestantism in Tây Ninh province. Tây Ninh province also checked up Protestant groups and strengthened management of Protestant groups which were granted registration certification for stable religious activities. Provincial Committee issued Document No. 881CV/TU on 3rd March 2010 on guiding for performing of Report No.160TB/TW of the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee (9th session) on affairs regarding Protestantism. The Government Committee for Religious Affairs was commissioned to help the Provincial Committee to implement tasks.
Since implementing Instruction No. 01/2005/CT-TTg of the Prime Minister, the religious situation in Tây Ninh has had important changes in the awareness of Executive committee of the Party and local authorities on religious affairs regarding Protestantism. The right to freedom of belief and non-belief of people are more respectful and better ensured; all pure religious activities take place normally in accordance with the law. The material and spiritual lives of believers are increasingly improved. Most Protestant dignitaries and believers feel safe, and believe in the policies of the Party and State. Religious affairs have been enhanced, religious dignitaries and believers actively take part in many movements and campaigns of governmental levels. The positive factors of religion are constantly developed; the relations between the Party and government with religious dignitaries are more and more open . Protestant activities have gradually become stable; the state management has been built to guide religious activities in accordance with the law.
At present, in Tây Ninh province, there are 12 Protestant denominations, among them there are 6 denominations to be recognized as legal person status, 5 denominations have not been recognized. The six recognized Protestant denominations are: Vietnam Protestant Church (South), Vietnam Christian Fellowship Church, the 7th Day Adventist Church of Vietnam, Southern Baptist Church, Pentecostal Church of Vietnam, Presbyterian Church of Vietnam.
Vietnam Protestant Church (South) was formed by Christian and Missionary Alliance of America (CMA for short), it was the earliest denomination in Tây Ninh town in 1930. It has the most number of believers, there are about 500 believers practicing their religious activities in Tây Ninh Town and Gia Binh commune, Trang Bang district ( 2 groups were grant certificate of the right land use and they constructed church); 04 groups of this denomination are granted permit for their activities in Go Dau town; Phuoc Trach commue, Go Dau district; Tay Thanh commune , Tan Bien district and Tan Chau Town, Tan Chau District.
Christian Fellowship Church of Vietnam registered for its religious practice on 5th October, 2007 (Certificate No. 844/GCN-TGCP). It was recognized as an official religious organization on 14th June, 2010 (Decision No. 84/2010/QD - TGCP). At present, it has nine groups, two groups of them are granted permit for their religious activities and seven remaining groups are not granted permit for their religious activities. In recent years, religious activities of this denomination have developed relatively fast. Its activities are carried out mainly in some communes in Go Dau, Trang Bang districts.
Adventist Church of Vietnam registered for its religious practice on 18th December, 2006 (Certificate No. 215/2006/GCN-TGCP). It was recognized on 4th December, 2008 (Decision No. 235/QD- TGCP). One group and 18 members practice their religious activities in Binh Tri Commune, Chau Thanh District. They are granted permit for their activities. Their activities are stable but the number of believer is undeveloped
Vietnam Baptist Church (Southern) registered for their activities on 26th September, 2007 (certificate No. 810/GCN - TGCP), it was approved on 3rd October, 2008 in Decision No. 199/QD-TGCP). At present, there is one group and 18 members operating in Thanh Tan Town and they are granted permit for their religious activities. Religious activities of this group are not regular, because most of believers are poor and the Church is not interested them.
Pentecostal Church of Vietnam registered for their activities on 24th September, 2009 (Certificate No. 968/GCN-TGCP). At present, this denomination has three groups and 187 believers practicing religious activities in Hiep Thanh commue, Cam Giang commue, Go Dau district and they are granted permit for their religious activities
Presbyterian Church of Vietnam registered for their activities on 5th October, 2007 (Certificate No. 843/GCN-TGCP), it was recognized on 4th December, 2008 (Decision No. 234/QD-TGCP). This denomination has one group and 20 members in Hung Thuan Trang Bang. They are not granted permit for their religious activities by commune authority. These above denominations have the charter, regulations; their organizational systems are recognized by the State.
There are six Protestant denominations to be not recognized legal person statues in Tây Ninh such as: Rema church, it has 02 groups and 70 believers: one group is in the town and one group is in Hung Loc commune, Trang Bang district; Jehovah's Witnesses has two groups with about 30 believers in An Hoa commune, Trang Bang district; Agape sect has one group with 7 believers in Cam Giang commune, Go Dau district; Protestant Holy Spirit Sect has one group with 11 believers in Bau Don commune, Go Dau district; only two families in Tan Dong, Tan Chau Districts follow Agape Baptist Church, they practice their religious activities at home; two families with 14 residents in Tan Thanh, Tan Chau Districts follow Inter Evangelistic Movement. They practice religious activities in Binh Long district, Binh Phuoc province. Thus, unrecognized Protestant denominations have about 100 followers and six groups. Their religious activities are stable in some communes in Trang Bang t and Go Dau districts Tan Chau province.
Implementation of Instruction No. 01/2005-CT-TTg of Prime Minister on government management regarding Protestantism in Tây Ninh has contributed to change the perception of the Executive Commission of the Party and the local authorities. The lessons of religious affairs in Tây Ninh province are to regularly propagandize the policy of the Party and State, to raise awareness of party members in State management of religious activities in general and Protestant activities in particular. Tay Ninh province mobilizes people, especially believers to understand and implement voluntarily guidelines and policies of the Party and the laws of the State on religious matters, improves constantly the material and spiritual life for religious followers and effectively implements poverty reduction programs. Tay Ninh province encourages believers to preserve and promote cultural identity, the good traditional belief of nation. Through these activities, we can confirm that the Party and State are interested in religious believers, including Protestant believers
Quang Thinh
