First Christian Church - Charlotte, NC

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A Brief History of Vietnam – Montagnard Relations 2001-2009

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First Christian Church and Montagnard People (Children of the Mountains)

In November of 2008, a man named Luar Siu made an initial visit to First Christian Church. He was the first of a large community of Montagnard people to become part of our faith community. In the beginning, there was discussion about the Montagnard group using our sanctuary for a worship service in their languages, but finally the decision was made by leaders Nglol Rahlan and Mpreo Y to have their group worship as one with the whole church. We are blessed to be growing together as one family.

Who are the Montagnards? (pronounced MONT’-an-yards)

Montagnards are one of the indigenous groups of people within Vietnam. Concentrated in the Central Highlands, they are a different ethnic and political group from the Vietnamese and experience oppression because of their uniqueness. While they have traditionally been a peace-loving people, their situation has put them at odds with their government and eventually they fought against the Vietnamese Communists and alongside the U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War. For many years, they have been persecuted for political, ethnic and religious reasons. The group that worships with us at First Christian Church came to the U. S. in order to be free to practice the Christian faith without risking their lives to do so. Many in our group still have family and dear friends in Vietnam who live in constant danger. Many Montagnards were resettled here in North Carolina with the help of the U.S Department of State because of the debt owed to them by the American people and the struggle endured by them in their homeland in part due to their service to help our soldiers.

How Does Worshipping Together Make FCC Different?

We believe God brought us together. We may not all speak the same language, but we all know Jesus and have found that this has been a sufficient beginning. People within our church who have a skill for making things plain have been willing to assist with Bible Classes in very basic English so that the worship experience is better understood each Sunday. One hymn every week corresponds with a hymn in the Jarai language hymnal, so that people who speak that language can sing something in their own language in worship each Sunday. Translation might happen in the pews, as people explain what is being said to one another on a Sunday morning. News may be shared about a new sad occurrence in Vietnam to some friends of a church member. A plea may be made for help in an unexpected way. There’s a lot of hugging and handshaking. And all of us are learning a great deal—about faith, about love, and about what it means to claim God at the center of one’s life, even if it means hardship or leaving everything behind.

We are no longer a typical church. For this, we are grateful. We are living out a unique calling at First Christian Church and learning all about blessing because of it.

This is the new flag created in 2006 for Nglol’s group of Montagnard Christians. It appears on Nglol’s website; and the flag is hung, along with an American flag, whenever the group meets. The cross on the flag signifies that all members of the Montagnard Refugee Organization are Christians who believe in God. The red stripes are for the blood spilled by Montagnards who refused to deny their faith in God. The green stripes represent the Montagnard lands. The white stripes stand for the desire for freedom of all Montagnards. The yellow represents a request that Vietnam return all Montagnard lands. The lower blue “mountain” is because the Montagnards are “mountain people.”

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