Pastor Rachan Ritti-Traiphop, known in his native Hmong language as Xibhwb Lajtsav Xeem Lis, was born in a small mountain village in Northern Thailand to a traditional Hmong animist family. Four of his uncles were shamans, and their loyalty to their home spirits ran deep. One day, however, his grandfather returned from the farm to find a pig on the roof of their home—an omen believed to signal certain disaster that could cost multiple family members their lives. With no solution through traditional means, his grandfather sought protection from the God of the Bible, and the entire extended family, including young Lajtsav, became Seventh-day Adventist Christians.
This decision opened the door to education and ministry for Pastor Rachan. He worked his way through Chiangmai Adventist Academy, earned a Bachelor’s degree in Theology from Asia Pacific International University, and completed a Master of Ministry at the Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies (AIIAS) in the Philippines.
For 26 years, Pastor Rachan has served the church in a variety of roles, including local pastor in his home village, chaplain at his alma mater, and chaplain at Bangkok Adventist Hospital. He has also served as a lay pastor while working as a business owner, public speaker, and life coach, and has had the privilege of baptizing 78 individuals into the faith.
Pastor Rachan’s wife, Pranee, was one of the first Hmong nurses in Thailand. She opened an Urgent Care Clinic to serve the community and support their ministry together. Today, their oldest son, a physician, manages the clinic, while their younger son serves as a teacher.
Together, Pastor Rachan and Pranee have most recently served the Hmong congregation in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, ministering with the conviction that believing in God is not merely a religion, but a lifestyle. Through an agreement between the Minnesota and Wisconsin Conferences, Pastor Rachan will now divide his time between Minnesota and Wisconsin, serving the Hmong congregations in Milwaukee and Madison. He was officially installed as pastor of the Madison and Milwaukee Hmong Churches on February 7, 2026, at the Milwaukee Northwest Church.
Pastor Rachan’s favorite scripture, Hebrews 11:1—“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”—continues to guide his ministry as he begins this new chapter of service in Wisconsin.
Submitted by Bill Ochs,
Ministerial Director