The Kingdom of Bhutan, a tiny landlocked nation located within the folds of the Himalayas

between China in the north and India at south. Bhutan is characterized by steep mountains and
deep valleys, which led to scattered population settlement patterns. The country is known for
its unique philosophy - Gross National Happiness (GNH) - which guides
its development strategy. His Majesty the King Jigme Khesar Namgyel
Wangchuck is the present head of the country and executive power is
entrusted in the cabinet, headed by Prime Minister, His Excellency Dr.
Lotey Tshering. Bhutan prides itself on its GNH. Many years ago the king
declared, “Gross national happiness is more important than gross national
product.” Today, Bhutan is ranked eighth happiest nation in the world.
Bhutan is a democratic, constitutional monarchy with a population of approximately
785,191 based on projections of the latest United Nations data. The UN estimates the July
1, 2022 population at 787,941. There are 206 Gewogs (Block/County), 1044 Chiwogs
(villages) and 20 Dzongkhags (Districts). Thimphu dzongkhag is the capital city. The
Constitution guarantees citizens the right to freedom of thought, conscience
and religion while providing the safeguard that no person shall be compelled
to belong to another faith by means of coercion or inducement.1 The
constitution recognizes Buddhism as the state’s “spiritual heritage,” approximately
75% of the population follows either the Drukpa Kagyu or the Nyingma school of Buddhism.
Hinduism is the second most practiced religion in Bhutan after Buddhism and comprises 22.6%
of the total population. There are several Hindu temples in Bhutan, especially in southern
Bhutan.
There are barely 30,000 Christians in Bhutan which make of 3.6% as estimated.
Christians are present in small numbers, especially in the Nepalese ethnic group
mainly in southern foothills parts of Bhutan. The Southern foothills of Bhutan (also
known as the Himalayan Foothills) are located in the southern part of the country.

1
National Assembly of Bhutan, Religious Organizations Act 2007 (Thimphu: National Assembly of Bhutan, 2007),
https://www.nab.gov.bt/assets/uploads/docs/ acts/2014/Religious_organisation_act_of_BhutanEng2007.pdf.

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 The average rainfall here is quite high reaching up to 200 inches. As a result of this rain, the
Southern Foothills are known for lush vegetation and tropical forests. These forests are full of
diverse wildlife and days here can get very hot. The altitude of the southern foothills ranges
from about 200 meters at the lowest point to 2000 meters. This zone is rich in dense and sub-
tropical vegetation.
In 1627 Stephen Cacelo and Joas Cabral was first Portuguese missionaries to arrive in
Bhutan about 17th Century while they were travelling the journey of mission n to Tibet. It took
350 years before Christians entered Bhutan again when in the early 1970s, Roman Catholic
priests and nuns were invited by the Government of Bhutan to manage a few schools in specific
areas in the country.2 In October 1963, the Canadian Jesuit priest, Fr.William
Mackey, was invited by the king and to take residence and set up an English-
language school system as part of a series of modernization efforts, and stayed until
his death in 1995. In Bhutan, he was a teacher, principal, chief inspector of schools
and eventually an educational adviser to the government. He was the only foreign
missioner awarded Druk Thuksey medal (Son of Bhutan) in 1973 and became a
Bhutanese citizen in 1985. On the contrary, after Father Mackey went to Bhutan,
several priests and nuns also went and worked in government schools. But they had to return to
Darjeeling since the government did not approve of some of their activities.
Today there are several Christian small fellowships in Bhutan due to extreme
denominational influence and indo-Bhutan Christian services. In 1961 (ALL BHUTAN
CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP) which was established in Phuntsholing which was organized by
the teachers, labors, civil workers of India who were working in Bhutan as per the oral
information and sources. Roman Catholics are a small minority with most Christians belonging
to a variety of Protestant denominations and majority is in Pentecostal. There is no any precise
historical records of Pentecostal movements entering the country. There are various traditions
and concept about the historical movements of Protestantism in Bhutan. Some of the Believers
were converted in nearby indo- Bhutan areas whereas especially in Indian borders. Many of them
were healed from diseases and deliverance which were the means of their conversion to new
faith. They believed that along with western education, Christianity may have come into Bhutan
through Christian teachers recruited from India and Jesuits brought in to manage schools in
Bhutan. They reasoned that Christianity may have spread mostly in the 1960s and 1970s,
extrapolating from the time their parents became Christians. The growth of other sects is linked
2
Baillie, Liza. ‘Father Estevao Cacella’s Report on Bhutan in 1627’, 1627, Translated from Portuguese, Journal of
Bhutanese Studies (1999), http://himalaya. socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/jbs/pdf/JBS_01_01_01.pdf.

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to the Christian movement in neighboring India. Most Christians belong to the Lhotsampa
minority group and however, there are some Sharchogpas (from eastern Bhutan) and Ngalongpas
(from western Bhutan) who have also adopted Christianity.
There are several Christian denominations arising from differences in doctrines
regarding their understanding of truth and practices. While practices of some denominations are
orthodox in nature, others are liberal, charismatic, and etc. The Bhutanese Christians in minority
have to practice the faith in their respective homes. Most of the fellowship, services, worship and
other Christian programs are held at the home of local Christian leaders in basis to the home cell
church. There is no any registered church or organization in Bhutan. Christians are allowed to
practice their faith within their community without any influence to conversion. There is no any
suitable allotted place for the burial grounds or cemetery in the country. Some of the Christians
take their corpses to a town on the Indian side of the Bhutan-India Border for burial in the land
purchased. Roman Catholics usually take their dead to North Bengal, India for burial. Some
Christians bury their dead bodies in the river banks of Gelephu, Bhutan, whereas it is also not
safeguarded for the graveyard. The fresh and old cemeteries of Christians were exhumed by
thoedpa (cranium) and kangdung (thighbone) hunters in the absence of people in secret deep
woods for the profits and ritualistic purposes. The Christians in Bhutan enjoyed certain freedoms
to practice their faith however, that it was not clear if propagation of faith, publishing of books
and the right to Christian burial were allowed in the country. Bhutan officials have given
assurances that freedom for Christians to worship "within the cultural norms” of the tiny Buddhist
nation in the Himalayas will not be violated. The cultural norms include a prohibition against
proselytizing.
The constitution recognizes Buddhism as the state's "spiritual heritage." It provides for the
freedom of religion and bans discrimination based on religious belief. The constitution states
religious institutions and personalities shall remain "above politics." The law restricts religious
speech promoting enmity between religious groups and requires religious groups to obtain
licenses to hold public religious gatherings. Christianity in Bhutan is under observation and not
yet registered by the government of Bhutan. Still, today Bhutanese Christians observe and
practice their faith in their respective house-cum Church and fellowship.
Blessed Be the Bhutanese Christians!!

By Chinku Rai

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