Volume 3, Issue 1 – May 2025
OFFICIAL STATEMENT OF CLARIFICATION AND DEFENSE: Regarding the Article Published on the Website of Thai Protestant Theology Titled: “The Gospel or the Hype? Exposing the Dangerous Teachings of Bright Romance and the Crisis in Thai Christianity”
Date: 15 May 2025
Author: Dr. Chansamone Saiyasak (Professor of Religious Studies and Missiology), Theological Commissions of Evangelical Fellowship of Thailand & Asia Evangelical Alliance (a WEA-Regional Alliance)
As the author of the abovementioned theological reflection article published at http://www.thaiprotestanttheology.mf.or.th/reflections/reflection-17.html, I, Dr. Chansamone Saiyasak, make the following public statement in light of threats being made against myself and others who have shared or commented on this theological reflections article.
The article in question is a theological reflection that expresses concerns over doctrinal teachings propagated by the ministry known as Bright Romance. The purpose of the article is:
- To provide biblical and theological discernment for Thai Christians,
- To protect the spiritual well-being of members of Evangelical Protestant churches in Thailand, and,
- To engage in a public theological dialogue on matters that directly affect the faith and unity of the Thai Christian community and my own church members and members of my religious organizations and schools.
This falls within the responsibilities entrusted to me as Theological Commissions of the Evangelical Fellowship of Thailand, a legally registered religious body recognized under Thai law, and of Asia Evangelical Alliance, of which Evangelical Fellowship of Thailand is a member.
This article does not attack the personal character of any individual affiliated with Bright Romance. Rather, it evaluates the public teachings, claims, and practices of the ministry as they relate to biblical orthodoxy. This is an exercise of academic and theological freedom, consistent with religious duty and the role of pastors, theologians, and religious leaders in any society. It is also an expression of legitimate concern for the impact of such teachings on vulnerable members of the Christian community, especially in the digital age.
Thailand’s 2017 Constitution (Section 34) guarantees the right to freedom of expression. Moreover, under Section 329 of the Thai Criminal Code, opinions expressed in good faith for the protection of rightful interests or as fair comment on public matters are exempt from criminal defamation.
Thailand is also a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which protects both freedom of expression (Article 19) and freedom of religion (Article 18). This article, therefore, is a lawful expression of theological opinion, not a malicious attack.
Bright Romance operates as a public religious movement disseminating its teachings widely through online platforms, public services, and mass events. In doing so, it opens itself to public theological scrutiny—just as any preacher, pastor, or religious leader in a plural society must. Theological critique in this case serves the common good, equipping the Church with discernment and promoting transparency and accountability in the public religious space.
As a pastor and theological educator, I have a sacred duty to:
- Guard the faith of believers from teachings deemed unbiblical or spiritually harmful,
- Equip the Church to distinguish between sound doctrine and spiritual distortion, and
- Speak boldly yet lovingly for the sake of truth, justice, and Christian witness.
This duty is consistent with the pastoral role described in Scripture (e.g., Acts 20:28–30; 2 Timothy 4:1–5) and upheld by the global evangelical tradition.
About the Author
Dr. Chansamone Saiyasak (Professor of Religious Studies and Missiology) is a Thai theologian and missiologist based in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand, where he pastors Mekong Church Nonprasert. He serves on the Theological Commissions and Religious Liberty Commissions of the Asia Evangelical Alliance and the Evangelical Fellowship of Thailand, contributing to theological development and religious freedom initiatives in Southeast Asia. He also serves as an Asian theologian for the World Evangelical Alliance General Assembly 2025's Theological Project. With over 40 years of ministry and leadership experience, he has led Christian educational and theological institutions, community development projects, and church planting movements across Thailand and Laos. He holds a Ph.D. in Theology and Religious Studies from Evangelische Theologische Faculteit (Belgium) and Doctor of Ministry and Master of Divinity from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary (USA), and has completed advanced leadership programs at Harvard University, Yale School of Management, and Oxford University. He completed Bachelor of Science in Religion from Liberty University (USA) Through his work with organizations such as the SEANET Missiological Forum and the Lausanne Movement, and World Evangelical Alliance, Dr. Saiyasak is committed to advancing Gospel-centered leadership, contextual theology, and mission engagement in Buddhist-majority societies.
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Cite this Reflection in APA format:
Saiyasak, Chansamone. (2025, May 15). Official Statement of Clarification and Defense: Regarding the Article Published on the Website of Thai Protestant Theology Titled: “The Gospel or the Hype? Exposing the Dangerous Teachings of Bright Romance and the Crisis in Thai Christianity”.Thai Protestant Theology - Theological Reflections 3(1). Retrieved from http://www.thaiprotestanttheology.mf.or.th/reflections/reflection-17.html