Officials from the Central Highlands Steering Committee paid a pre-Christmas visit the Southern Evangelical Church of Vietnam (SECV) in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai on December 22.

Deputy Head of the Steering Committee Tran Viet Hung praised the achievements of local Protestant dignitaries and parishioners throughout the year which have shown their solidarity as well as confidence in the leadership of the Party and State.

He was also delighted that they have worked hard to build a better life and help ensure social order and security in the area.

Furthermore, the official affirmed that the Party and Government always respect the freedom of belief and create favourable conditions for the Protestants to practice their faith without any restriction.

Protestants and secular people have equally benefited from the State’s preferential policies, he added.
He hoped all religions would continue joining hands to strengthen the national unity that enables people to together build a life of happiness and prosperity.

Pastor Huynh Duy Linh, Head of the Executive Board of the provincial Protestant Church thanked the Party and State for supporting the development of religions in the country generally and Protestantism particularly.

He stressed the support of local Protestant communities for the State’s current new rural development plan.
The same day, the committee paid a visit to Tien Son Church in Pleiku city of the province.

Gia Lai is home to four religions including Catholicism, Buddhism, Protestantism and Caodaism with a total of 270,000 followers, accounting for 23.5 percent of its population. Protestantism alone has 120,000 followers.-VNA