A delegation from Providence University College is in Myanmar to present an alumnus with an honourary doctorate.

Dr. David Johnson is the president of Providence. He says Reverend Dr. Samson Hkalam graduated from Providence in 1999, then went back to Myanmar to be a pastor. He notes he eventually became the Chair of the Kachin Baptist Convention, a denomination that represents 435 churches and 400,000 members. He says with Rev. Dr. Hkalam now stepping down as Chair, Providence is delighted to commemorate his service.

"This is a gift that we are giving to the whole denomination. We are recognizing our brothers and sisters in Christ in another country and it is a whole Christian community there. They need a lot of support because they are not well respected in that country. They are persecuted and so this is raising their profile a bit I think."

Rev. Dr. Samson HkalamDr. Johnson says Providence University College has had a great relationship with the Kachin Baptist Convention for many years and Rev. Dr. Hkalam is been a big part of that.

"The Kachin Baptist Convention chooses one person to be at Providence continually since 1988. We have had at least one, sometimes we have had two people from there and we have number 10 and 11 here now. They come for two years, sometimes three years and then they head back and they have all gone back to the Kachin Baptist Convention and some of them are pastors and some of them are seminary leaders."

Dr. Johnson says he is joined on this trip by his wife Barb, Dr. Stan Hamm Dean of the Providence Theological Seminary, Dr. Hamm’s wife Bev, Director of Providence Institutional Services Gary Schellenberg, and Providence Creative Content Specialist Jerrad Peters. He notes in addition to presenting the honourary doctorate they will spend the two-week trip teaching at a pastors conference, leading seminary classes, and visiting alumni and local pastors.

"We are just so pleased that we have this relationship and it is a very humbling experience to go there and talk to pastors. They talk about the various jails that they have been in for their faith and so I feel humbled because that kind of thing has never happened to me and I am not sure what I would do if I did."

Dr. Johnson says they will also make a stop in Hong Kong to meet alumni there. He notes they left for Myanmar on Thursday, November 16th and will arrive home on Saturday, December 2nd.