Release International

Christians have had mixed reactions to the news that the Vietnamese authorities have legalised three church groups in Ho Chi Minh City.

The three churches concerned, which had all applied for official recognition some time ago, were all small groupings of major denominations and are not considered to have a high profile. They are a faction of the Vietnam Mennonite Church under Rev Nguyen Quang Trung, a small Grace Baptist church led by Rev Le Quoc Chanh, and a group of the Seventh-day Adventist church.

While some have described this as a hopeful sign, others have dismissed it as gesture politics. A Mennonite missionary told Compass that the announcement was a 'significant setback' for more prominent churches such as Rev Nguyen Hong Quang's Mennonite congregation.

The case of the Mennonite Six who all hailed from the latter church gave it international renown -- and a black mark against its name as far as the Vietnamese authorities were concerned. Given that Rev Quang has made numerous attempts to gain official recognition for his church, some look on the legalising of a smaller sister church as a rebuff for Rev Quang.

All three churches that have been legalised have congregations scattered throughout the country: these satellites will remain illegal until they receive recognition from the relevant local authorities. All were active before 1975, in keeping with the current guidelines for church registration.

Hundreds of thousands of Protestants and their churches in Vietnam remain unregistered.

• Thank God for this small step forward in the campaign for religious freedom in Vietnam. Pray that fears that this gesture is mere political posturing will prove unfounded.
• Pray for each of the three congregations in Ho Chi Minh City which have been legalised. Pray that this official 'stamp of approval' will allow them to flourish, rather than limiting their religious freedom.

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