When Pastor SB Cin and his family came to resettle in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2012, he found some of his very own Zomi people in the area. This gave his family a wonderful gesture of welcome and a sense of homecoming. Some of these people were Adventists, many of them were his acquaintances from back home. Together they worshiped at the same English speaking church.
Right away, Pastor Cin saw the need for a spiritual leader for his people group. Although the Zomi Adventists were loved and warmly welcomed by the native English speaking Pastor and his congregation, most of them were not spiritually fed due to language barriers. Seeing this spiritual starvation Pastor Cin recalls the number of Zomi Adventist adults excited upon his arrival to the area and calling him to lead their preexisting Sabbath School Lesson study group in Zokam (Zomis' Native Language)- Hence, he understood their hearts' cry.
As months goes by the Zomi Adventists group in the Church attracts other Adventists from Myanmar living in the area. Hence, the group grew larger and larger. Then, there were about two to three families from different ethnic groups other than Zomi that joins the church. To bridge the language barrier Burmese language was interchangeably used in the Sabbath School Lesson discussion. Eventually, the group decided to meet for Friday night vesper, Divine Service after the English service, and an Adventist Youth (AY) program on Sabbath evenings. It brings joy to Pastor Cin as he sees the church permission for these activities to take place, which brought life in the once sedentary members. Hence, the nucleus of a church plant was conceived.
Pastor Cin envisioned a church plant for this small but growing group of this minority ethnic group. Throughout the years there where several concerns and challenges so with the blessing of the Pastor Dan the Zomi Group move out of the mother church under Pastor Cin's leadership. Since that exodus the church plant became solidified and meets in the rented facility of the Wyoming Park Methodist Church to this date.
As a servant-leader Pastor Cin leads from the front and back, empowering both young and old in the various ministry aspects of the church. Hence, He claims, "this church is God's church, and it is ours." Highlighting that everyone's role is important and everyone's contribution is vital to the growth of His church. Poised with a spiritual gift of patience and perseverance Pastor Cin dodged through different challenges along the journey with his new church plant. With God's blessings, Pastor Cin found support from mission minded leaders from within and beyond his group. As the church plant prays for their growth these leaders fervently and earnestly worked and advocated for this faithful growing group. After a while, on May 21, 2018, the church plant was promoted to a company status by the Michigan Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Two years later they were promoted to a full fledge church status with the celebration ceremony on January 15, 2022.
Pastor Cin's compassion for the Zomi Adventists families, who were malnourished every Sabbath even when attending the very welcoming English speaking church they belong to; and the desire to reach the larger community of people groups from Myanmar rekindled his calling to the ministry. Hence, he stepped out in faith as a volunteer Pastor for the group in 2012 until 2018.
Family:
Pastor Cin is married to his dearest wife MaAye and they have three precious children. Cady (Siannu) Cin, their oldest daughter works as a HR Specialists and oversees the community service ministry organization of the church - Myanmar Community Services (MCS). KhaiKhai Cin, their middle child works as a Pastor in the Washington Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. SangPi Cin, their youngest song is finishing is Account Major from Andrews University and will work with General Conference Accounting System (GCAS) soon after.
Vision:
Pastor Cin continues to dream big! His vision for the Grand Rapids Zomi Seventh-day Adventist Church is to nurture a Burmese speaking church plant. He believes that God did not give his current Zomi church has a unique experience of His grace for nothing. But, to help, nurture, and show the same grace to others who are a long the same journey.
By His Grace Alone! (Ama Hehpihna Hang Bek!)