The Legacy of Eric B. Hare

Eric B. Hare is a name that is cherished worldwide by descendants of the Karen tribe of Myanmar. Eager to begin their mission work, Eric and his wife, Agnes, arrived in Yangon in 1915 to study the Sgaw Karen language. For six months they studied diligently, struggling to learn the high, low, descending, short high, short low, and singsong notes of this tonal language.

The Hares began their work in Ohn Daw by establishing the first Adventist mission school in Myanmar. Despite the challenges of building on property that the villagers believed was haunted by evil spirits, the little school prospered and grew. More schools were built and the gospel began to spread throughout the jungle.

In July 2015, one hundred years after Eric and Agnes Hare went to Myanmar as missionaries, more than 650 Karen Adventists gathered at Andrews University for a centennial reunion. They reviewed how God had led them in the past and how God is still leading them today.

Today there are more than two thousand baptized Karen Adventist members scattered throughout North America, worshipping in nearly every state and province. They are interested in reaching out to the many thousands of other Karen and Burmese-speaking immigrants and refugees.

If you would like more information about Adventist refugees and immigrants, please visit RefugeeMinistries.org.

Karen Adventists celebrate Eric B. Hare centennial. Photo: Trudi Myaing Starlin.