08/04/2026
IN LOVING MEMORY OF REV. EVANGELIST FINNEY SEIA
A Life Aflame for the Gospel | 1959–2026
The Christian community, particularly believers among the Zomi people, mourns the passing of Rev. Evangelist Finney Seia, a pioneering Pentecostal revivalist whose ministry contributed to the growth of the Assemblies of God of Myanmar, especially among the Zomi people in Tedim and the surrounding regions.
After more than five decades of faithful gospel ministry, he entered eternal rest in Melbourne, Australia, on August 4, 2026, at the age of 67.
From Transformation to Ministry
Born in 1959 and originally known as Than Seia, he experienced Christian conversion as a young man during an evangelistic crusade in Tedim.
According to his testimony, his life was transformed after he received a gospel tract carrying the simple but powerful message:
“Jesus loves you.”
The young man reached through that message would eventually spend the rest of his life proclaiming the love and saving grace of Jesus Christ.
Tuilangh became deeply connected with his spiritual formation. He remembered it as the village associated with his conversion, baptism, and earliest evangelistic activities.
His call to ministry developed while he was pursuing distance studies through Yangon University. After listening to a recorded sermon, he became deeply convicted that God was calling him to preach the gospel. With tears, he surrendered his life to God and committed himself to Christian service.
He traced the beginning of his evangelistic ministry to Thuklai village in 1975. That early response became approximately 51 years of faithful ministry.
A Travelling Evangelist and Revival Preacher
Rev. Finney Seia became known as an evangelist who went to the people. He preached in villages, towns, cities, mountain communities, emerging congregations, and established churches.
His ministry reached numerous places across Myanmar, including Tedim, Falam, Hakha, Matupi, Thantlang, Paletwa, Mindat, Yangon, Mandalay, Taunggyi, Hpakant, Homalin, Hpa-An, Mawlamyine, Thaton, Khamti, and Mogok.
His evangelistic work also extended to Northeast India, Malaysia, and Australia.
Although his ministry was not limited to one ethnic or geographical community, he held an especially significant place in the history of Pentecostal Christianity among the Zomi people. He preached in the language and cultural setting of his people while remaining committed to the universal mission of the gospel.
His ministry emphasized:
* Salvation through Jesus Christ
* Repentance and personal conversion
* The authority of Scripture
* Dependence upon the Holy Spirit
* Persistent prayer
* Spiritual awakening and revival
* Evangelism and church planting
* Faithful Christian living
He preached with spiritual urgency and called people not merely to identify themselves as Christians, but to experience genuine conversion and live in obedience to God.
A Pioneer of Myanmar AG Among the Zomi People
Rev. Finney Seia belonged to the formative generation that helped establish and strengthen the Assemblies of God in Tedim and surrounding Zomi communities.
During the mid-1970s, he participated with other emerging Christian leaders in discussions concerning the affiliation of Tedim believers with the Assemblies of God of Myanmar. These early contacts helped prepare the way for Myanmar AG leaders to visit Tedim and contributed to the development of the fellowship among the Zomi people.
He later participated in the formation and strengthening of local AG congregations, including early work associated with Kaptel and Gawsing.
The Assemblies of God among the Zomi people did not develop through the work of one person. It grew through the collective sacrifices of many pastors, evangelists, Myanmar AG leaders, congregations, and local believers.
Within that shared history, Rev. Finney Seia will be remembered as one of its early advocates, travelling evangelists, revival preachers, and church-planting participants.
His ministry helped strengthen Pentecostal faith among the Zomi people while also contributing to the wider mission of the Assemblies of God of Myanmar.
Faithful Through Opposition
His ministry was not without hardship. He sometimes entered communities where Christian preaching was strongly resisted. He experienced rejection, expulsion, and serious threats against his life.
Yet opposition did not silence his preaching. Hardship did not extinguish his zeal. Personal danger did not cause him to abandon his calling.
He continued carrying the gospel wherever God opened a door.
“‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.”
— Zechariah 4:6, NIV
Ministry Beyond Myanmar
In later years, Rev. Finney Seia continued serving among Christian communities in Malaysia and Australia.
As many Zomi people established new lives abroad, his ministry helped connect these emerging diaspora congregations with the spiritual heritage of the church in Myanmar.
He later became connected with Bethel Assembly Church in Melbourne and participated in Assemblies of God gatherings in Australia. His presence connected the pioneering generation of Pentecostal evangelists in Myanmar with a new generation of Zomi Christians establishing churches overseas.
In July 2026, the church called believers to prayer after he suffered paralysis and was hospitalized in Melbourne.
On August 4, 2026, Bethel Assembly Church and Tuilangh Assembly of God announced that he had entered eternal rest.
A Legacy That Continues
Rev. Finney Seia’s legacy cannot be measured merely by titles, positions, buildings, or the number of sermons he preached.
His legacy continues through:
* Believers who responded to the gospel through his ministry
* Families whose spiritual direction was transformed
* Churches he helped establish or strengthen
* Pastors and evangelists encouraged by his example
* Young believers whom he guided toward Christ
* Myanmar AG congregations shaped by the pioneering generation
* Zomi Christian communities strengthened through his preaching
* Diaspora churches connected to their spiritual heritage
* The continuing proclamation of the gospel he faithfully carried
A printed tract helped lead him to Christ. A recorded sermon helped call him into ministry. He then spent the rest of his life carrying the gospel personally to others.
He received the message.
He answered the call.
He carried the fire of the gospel.
He remained faithful until the end.
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
— 2 Timothy 4:7, NIV
Rev. Evangelist Finney Seia will be remembered as a faithful servant of God, a courageous revivalist, and one of the pioneering evangelists associated with the growth of the Assemblies of God of Myanmar among the Zomi people.
His earthly voice has fallen silent, but the fruit of his ministry remains in Myanmar and across Zomi Christian communities around the world.
Rest in Peace, Rev. Evangelist Finney Seia
1959–2026
A Life Aflame for the Gospel
Our prayers and heartfelt condolences remain with his wife, children, family, church, fellow ministers, the Assemblies of God of Myanmar, and the wider Zomi Christian community. May the Holy Spirit surround everyone grieving this profound loss with divine comfort, strength, and peace.
