Faith and fellowship are at the heart of the Zotung Burmese church community in Australia. And with almost 1000 members nationwide – half of those in Melbourne – Australia Zotung Church in the inner-west of Melbourne plays a pivotal role in keeping cultural and spiritual connections alive.
Thomas Hmun is a Sunday School teacher and church liaison officer and in the 18 years since he arrived in Australia, Thomas has witnessed wonderful community growth. With it have come the challenges of supporting members’ faith as they adapt to a new country.
Australia Zotung Church was introduced to Baptist Financial Services through its membership with the Baptist Union, when the church was seeking a loan to purchase a building.
“For some in our community, maintaining traditions can occasionally lead to more a conservative approach here, so what BFS offered was very helpful.”
BFS provided 60% of the funding, allowing the church to secure a permanent place of worship.
Previously, the congregation gathered at St. Mark’s Anglican Church in Spotswood, where they had been worshiping since 2012. Starting with just 100 members, the community has steadily grown to 150, with Sunday School now serving around 45 children.
Last year, after years of searching, the church found a property in Melton, that was formally a gym.
Now, they are in the process of securing permits and planning renovations, including building a kitchen. The transformation is expected to take until the later part of 2025 to make the space fit for worship.