The four-day Tribal Family Gathering was launched in Chiangmai, Thailand, on the evening of May 2, 2017. About a thousand people from forty countries, including Australia, Canada, Pakistan, Vietnam, Israel, Singapore and China, attended the event according to Rev. David Demian.
The opening ceremony started with traditional and modern hymns sung by young Christians, including "When the Spirit of the Lord."
Welcoming the participants, Rev. David Demian said that homecoming would be a long journey and the gathering here is not only for Thailand, but also for all the nations and its peoples.
"We come here to learn to love one another and walk together... We arrive here, arriving in a home... "he said.
He also mentioned that the conference has two gatherings. The first one is being conducted at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York to mark the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The second conference refers to the gathering of God's children in Thailand. In addition, he shared that the gathering doesn't discuss the rights of indigenous people but worship God, who gives them their rights.
An indigenous brother from Canada prayed for the gathering and also dedicated a flag consisting of the symbols of five countries to the gathering.
- Translated by Karen Luo
