Christianity in Bhutan

Bhutan, officially known as the Kingdom of Bhutan, is located in South Asia. The country shares borders with Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north, the Indian states of Sikkim, West Bengal and Assam to the west and south, and the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh to the east. Nepal and Bangladesh are located near Bhutan but do not share a land border. The capital and largest city is Thimphu, while the official language is Dzongkha. There are three major ethic groups in Bhutan, namely Bhutia (also known as Ngalop), 50%; Nepalese, 35%; and Sharchop, 15%.The religious composition of the country by percentage is Buddhism, the official faith, 84.3%, Hinduism, 11.3%, Bon (ancestral worship), 3.2%, Christianity, 0.7%, other faiths, 0.5%. Bhutan has a population of 727,145 people.

Modern History

Bhutan is one of the few countries that have not been conquered, occupied or governed by an outside power. The consolidation of Bhutan occurred in 1616 when Ngawanag Namgyal, a lama from Western Tibet known as the Zhabdrung Rinpoche, frustrated three Tibetan invasions. Subsequently, he subjugated rival religious schools, codified the Tsa Yig, an intricate and comprehensive system of law; and established himself as ruler over a system of ecclesiastical and civil administrators. After his death, infighting and civil war eroded the power of the Zhabdrung for the next 200 years. In 1885, Ugyen Wangchuck was able to consolidate power, and began cultivating closer ties with the British in the sub-continent. The Zhabdrung system ended in 1907. In November of that year, an assembly of leading Buddhist monks, government officials, and heads of important families was held to end the moribund 300-year-old dual system of government. Wangchuck was elected its first hereditary Druk Gyalpo (Dragon King) and he reigned from 1907 to 1926. When Wangchuck died in 1926, he was succeeded by his son, Jigme Wangchuck who reigned until his death in 1952. The incumbent king is his son, Jigme Singye Wangchuck.

God’s Canvass in Bhutan

The land consists mostly of steep and high mountains crisscrossed by a network of swift rivers that form deep valleys before draining into the Indian plains. This great geographical diversity combined with equally diverse climate conditions contribute to Bhutan’s outstanding range of biodiversity and ecosystems. Examples of the fauna and flora of the country are presented below.

Fauna

Bhutan is home to a diversity of more than 160 animal species. These include Asian elephant, Indian rhinoceros, gaur, Asian buffalo, hog deer, clouded leopard, hornbills and trogons. Some of them are shown below.

Flora

The country boasts of about 300 species of medicinal plants and 46 species of rhododendrons. These include magnolias, junipers, orchids of varied hues, gentian, daphne and blue poppy, which is the national flower. Some of the plant species are presented below.

Beaches

Culture

Bhutan is a land of rich mosaic of cultures, lifestyles, languages and belief systems. Its traditional culture is alive in its performing arts, such as dance and music, which are integral parts of ceremonies and festivals all over the country. Bhutanese language and literature, arts and crafts, drama, music and cultural values draw their essence from Buddhism. Buddhist monks are respected and play an important part in community life. In the past, it was common for one son from each family to enter the monastic order, a custom that is less prevalent today.

Traditional Attire

The men in Bhutan adorn themselves in knee-length robe like cloth known as ‘Gho’, wrapped around their bodies and secured with belt. The women folk can be spotted in an apron like dress known as ‘Kira’. The pictures below capture the various designs of Gho and Kira.

Cuisine

Bhutanese cuisine employs much red rice that grows on high altitudes, buckwheat and maize. Buckwheat is popular in Bumthang, maize in the Eastern districts, and rice elsewhere. The diet in the hills also includes chicken, yak meat, dried beef, pork, pork fat, and lamb. Soups and stews of meat, rice, ferns, lentils, and dried vegetables, spiced with chili peppers and cheese, are the favourite meals during the cold seasons. Some of the countries popular dishes are presented below.

Status of Christianity in Bhutan

They are about 12,255 Christians in Bhutan, with about 1,000 of them identifying as Roman Catholics. The Christian population is more in Southern Bhutan. The majority of the country’s Christians are Pentecostals. The Church of God in Christ, which claims to be the denomination supplying most gospel tracts in Bhutan, has two separate congregations in the country. The Indian New Life League is another Protestant denomination in Bhutan. There are other Protestant groups like El-Shaddai, while about 400 Christians called the ‘Brethren’ who claim to be non-denominational gather in the name of Jesus.

        Evangelism is a challenge in the country due to the law that prohibits Christians from practising their faith in public. They can only do so at home. It is also illegal for a Buddhist to convert to any other faith, including Christianity. Bhutanese who practice their Christian faith publicly can be expelled from the country and stripped of their citizenship. This situation underscores the need for other believers to pray for God’s intervention to break the hold of demonic principalities and powers holding these people in captivity.

Prayer Points

Let us present the following requests to Almighty God on behalf of unsaved Bhutanese.

1. Pray that God would uproot all the gods that did not create the geographical space known as Bhutan. Jeremiah 10:11 declares that, “The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and under the heavens”.
2. Ask the Father pour out His Spirit upon all unsaved souls in the country to bring them to genuine repentance.
3. Pray that the Holy Spirit would convict them of their sins and cause them to yearn for God’s holiness.
4. Pray that God would destroy all infrastructure of satan in Bhutan through which he is keeping its people in bondage.
5. Ask the Father to remove the coverings of darkness that have prevented the people of Bhutan from accepting the truth that is in Jesus Christ alone.
6. Pray that God would sanctify believers with His word and cause them to be bold in sharing the gospel.
7. Ask the Father to give them favour with the authorities and to protect them against attacks by radical Buddhists.
8. Ask the Father to destroy faulty foundations laid in the lives of some Christians through doctrines of devils propagated by the various denominations.
9. Pray that the Father would expose these false doctrines and lay new foundation in Christ in believers that would help them to mature in faith.
10. Ask the Father to send labourers into His vineyard in the country for the end time harvest of souls.

Intercession Checklist

1. Pick a town, city or region from the political map of Bhutan provided in the article for focused prayer.
2. Present the chosen geographical space to the LORD and tell Him that you are claiming it for Jesus Christ as His ambassador. Remind the Father that He told the Messiah in Psalm 2:8, “Ask of Me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost part of the earth for thy possession”.

***** Materials sourced from Bhutanese Culture, https://www.mfa.gov.bt; History of Bhutan, https://en.m.wikipedia.org; Bhutan Church Records, https://www.familysearch,org; Bhutan; https://en.m.wikipedia.org; and Flora and Fauna of Bhutan, https://www.rspnbhutan.org. Bhutan, https://www.britannica.com.