From thirteen members to a thriving church
A journey of faith, perseverance, and God's grace — from a living room in Spotswood to planting churches across Australia and beyond.
A Small Gathering, A Big God
In 1999, around twenty Chin believers arrived in Melbourne. They were far from home — but they carried their faith with them.
On a January evening in 2000, thirteen members gathered at the home of Rev. Arohn Kuung in Spotswood. That gathering became the Melbourne Chin Christian Fellowship — the seed of what would grow into the first established Chin church in all of Australia.
The early years were marked by movement and faith. The fellowship met wherever they could — living rooms, community halls, borrowed church buildings — always trusting that God was guiding each step.
“As Christians, we love gathering together to worship God wherever we are.”
A Journey Through Time
Each chapter of our story is a testament to God's faithfulness.
A New Beginning in Melbourne
Around 20 Chin believers arrive in Melbourne. As Christians, they gather wherever they can to worship God together.
Melbourne Chin Christian Fellowship
Thirteen members meet at the home of Rev. Arohn Kuung in Spotswood. Melbourne Chin Christian Fellowship is born.
Baptist Union of Victoria
The fellowship becomes a member of the Baptist Union of Victoria, joining a wider family of churches.
A Journey of Places
From living rooms to Baptist churches and community halls, the fellowship moves as it grows — Rev. Japheth Lian's home, Chadstone Baptist, Auburn Baptist, Westgate Baptist Community, Polish Community at Seddon, and finally St. Leo's the Great Catholic Church in Altona North.
Melbourne Chin Church
The fellowship is renamed Melbourne Chin Church, reflecting the growing family of believers.
Land for the Future
The church purchases land at 248 Sinclairs Road, Deanside VIC 3336, trusting God for a permanent building.
Building in Faith
A planning permit is in place. We continue to pray and work toward a building permit for the glory of God.
Reaching Beyond Melbourne
MCC is committed to planting churches and supporting mission work in rural Chin State, Burma.
Planting Churches & Supporting Mission
MCC has been a mother church — joyfully sending out daughter congregations and missionaries as the family of God grows.
Daughter Churches
- Lautu-Chin Baptist Church
- Victoria Matu Christian Church
- Mara Christian Church of Victoria
- Australia Zotung Church
- Zion United Pentecostal Church
Mission in Chin State, Burma
- 8 missionaries serving in 7 villages
- 2 church buildings for new believers
- 2 boarding houses for children in education
Our missionaries serve villages across Chin State — building churches and housing for children who travel far to receive an education grounded in faith.
Explore Our Mission Work“Every member is gifted by the Holy Spirit to take responsibility in God's work, called to grow in peace and love through the use of their received gifts.”MCC Constitution, Chapter 5Read Our Mission Statement
Our Heritage
A resilient people with a rich culture, a deep Christian faith, and a story worth knowing.
The Land
Chin State — often called Chinland — lies in the remote mountains of north-western Myanmar. Its valleys, forests, and peaks have helped preserve Chin culture and traditions over generations.
The People
The Chin trace their ancestry to eastern Tibet. Around 500,000 live in Chin State, with significant communities in Arakan, Sagaing, Magwe, Bago, Mandalay, and Yangon.
Culture & Traditions
More than 50 sub-tribal groups bring dialects and customs, yet a shared identity unites the Chin. Vibrant attire, embroidery, music, dance, and hospitality are hallmarks of community life.
Faith
Over 90% of the Chin identify as Christian, a legacy of American Baptist mission work in the late 19th century. Churches serve as centres of worship, education, and community support.
Life & Festivals
Agriculture — rice, meat, and vegetables — shapes daily life. Festivals such as Christmas, New Year, Easter, Chin National Day, and the Chin Harvest Festival bring people together.
Building a Home in Australia
A vibrant diaspora that has turned a new country into a place of belonging.
Migration began in earnest
Chin Australians in Melbourne
Chin churches in Melbourne
Main community organisations
Political instability and religious suppression have led Chin communities to resettle across the world — Norway, Denmark, Germany, Ukraine, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and beyond. Melbourne has become one of the most significant hubs, with around 10,000 Chin Australians and approximately 30 Chin churches providing worship, support, education, and cultural activities.
Two main community organisations serve the Melbourne Chin community: the Melbourne Chin Community (Western), focused on welcoming new arrivals and supporting integration; and the Australian Chin Community (Eastern), which engages in cultural education and multicultural harmony. Together, they represent the strength and diversity of the Chin diaspora in Australia.
Language barriers, employment challenges, and the trauma of displacement are real. But Chin community leaders provide language classes, vocational training, counselling, and advocacy — ensuring no one faces those challenges alone. Chin Australians today serve in education, healthcare, engineering, the arts, and more.
Our Statement of Faith
Our beliefs are rooted in the historic Christian faith and centred on the good news of Jesus Christ.
The Bible
We believe the Bible is God's inspired Word — true, authoritative, and the foundation for all faith and practice.
The Trinity
We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — the creator and sustainer of all things.
Jesus Christ
We believe Jesus Christ is fully human and fully divine — who died for our sins, rose again, and offers eternal life to all who believe.
The Holy Spirit
We believe the Holy Spirit dwells in every believer, guiding, equipping, and empowering us to live for God and use our gifts in His service.
Salvation
We believe salvation is received by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone — not by human effort, but as God's free and transforming gift.
The Church
The Church is the body of Christ — a fellowship of those united with Jesus in faith and baptism, called to worship, serve, and love.
Baptism
We practise believer's baptism — immersing true believers in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as a symbol of death to sin and new life in Christ.
The Lord's Supper
We observe the Lord's Supper in remembrance of Christ's broken body and shed blood — received by all who have been baptised, until He returns.
Our Story Is Still Being Written
From a living room in Spotswood to the nations — and you're invited to be part of what God does next.