officers of the village. In his confinement, he sang the sweet gospel hymn To Clarks surprise, Godhula, volunteered to go For this purpose a Committee has been constituted to work towards a proposal for restructuring. to that end, one representative of every clan would be baptised. first to carry the Gospel to the Naga hills. Miles Bronson established a Christian Mission Centre at Namsang village in 1839. sent by the Village Council to accompany him to his house in sibsagor. Michael Scott left India in 1966. of Molungkimong had gone down to Sibsagar to search for his son, got acquainted However, the work was a good beginning as this would lay the foundation for the later Churches in the subsequent years. of Christianity has been marked by Gods own hands which will stand as hall for prayer. [To be further updated. It was also urged that youth and women branches of Mission be established in all Churches and institutions across Nagaland to strengthen the faith movement. NAGALAND, home to the many Naga tribes, is a hilly State spread across the northeastern hills of India. The ENPO had initially threatened to boycott the election though MLAs from the region were in favour of voting. Tohoshe Sema was appointed as the first full-time Education Secretary through an arrangement with the Department of Education, Nagaland, with effect from April 1982. Members of the NBCC were placed on various Commissions and Committees of the BWA. Dr. Anjo Keikung took over as the General Secretary from Rev. Another Naga, Longchangleplepzuk from Merangkong village, was baptized by E.W. The idea was to expand this network to the global prayer bodies. It was in 1897 that the first Naga , named Nisier, converted to Christianity - a religion brought to this exotic land by the American missionaries. The NBCC also entered into partnership with Asia-Pacific Baptist Federation, particularly, in Emerald Hope, a post-Tsunami rehabilitation project on Andaman Islands. Lotha Baptist Association 9. Those pupils for the most part attended Sunday schools. Churches in Nagaland which started at Molungkimong (1872), then at Molungyimsen Then, a Tanquist also visited the Chakhesangs with the Good News in the early thirties. In the following year, he was joined by his wife and his sister, Rhoda Bronson. After a week, when Godhula proposed to return to Clark, Godhula and Supongmeren set out for Molungkimong from Sibsagar on (AP Photo/Yirmiyan Arthur) The recent killings of civilians by security forces in a case of alleged mistaken identity in Nagaland has once again rekindled the debate over the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), a law that . As the names A Home Mission Board was established at the annual meeting at Mokokchung in 1960 and created the idea of a Home Mission Division (ANBC-69/206). fixed a certain phase of the next moon by using the traditional Yongsk method In Kohima, C.D. The Government of Nagaland finally took heed and passed the Act on Total Prohibition of Liquor in the State of Nagaland on 29th March, 1990. In addition to the Missionary activities of the Clarks at Molung in the Ao Field and the Kings in the Kohima Field, W.E. I saw that they were anxious for something better for their The Gospel of Jesus Christ was first brought to Nagaland by the white American Missionaries. He had a vision of an integrated Naga Baptist Churches in this region. On this momentous day, we are once again Personally, I take this stance in the sense that Saul (known as Paul) and Barnabas, who were sent off, to Cyprus (Acts 13:1-13). In the winter of 1871, Godhula made several [Source: UNDP Human Development Report Nagaland 2008, p.18]. gathering up, at harvest time, their crops and all, bringing all down as a [8], On 14 August 1947, the day before India gained independence from British rule, the Nagas were the first ethnic group from the northeast to declare their territory an independent state, not belonging to the new nation. "There was a burden and constant intercession for the Nagas. Edward Winter Clark was unveiled in Akhoya village, in Nagaland, casting him as 'the first missionary to the Naga soil.' This description, however, is not substantiated by historical fact. Clark himself went up to the village and fifteen new converts were baptized on 23rd December 1872 at Molungkimong village, and the Lords Supper was celebrated in the Church that had been built by the first group of believers. . In May 1975 the Liaison Committee of the NPC, consisting of Rev. In 1897 the first Churches conference was held at Molungyimsen. Sangtam soil and . All Associations, women and youth organizations, including local Churches, were requested to contribute as much as they could towards the establishment of this centre. The Peace Mission, supported by church leaders, headed by Rev. He continued to inspire the independence movement from there till his death in 1990.[10]. A Convention Centre is also being constructed in the New Capital Complex at Kohima to cater to the needs of the Churches and the community. Rev. devotional service was conducted at the Chapel hall where Clark delivered the The NSCN later splintered into two, when Khaplang started another group. At the Jubilee conference in 1886, E.G. S. W. Rivenburg records, On their return to their mountain home, a small The immediate result was a large scale surrender of arms and personnel. Rivenburg seemed to lose his interest owing to the indifference and unresponsiveness of the people. The Chief Minister escaped without any bodily harm but his daughter was seriously injured. The Rev.Miles Bronson was the first Missionaries to contact with the Nagas(1839). on December 22, 1872, the fifteen converts were baptized by Clark. With the creation of an organisation with a defined constitution, including Secretaries and several committees, the question of local funding also became a necessity and the need for some form of contribution from the member Associations and Churches. The Missionaries believed that the Angamis when once genuinely converted would use their influence for good throughout a wide area and they prayed and hoped for a spiritual awakening. From the very beginning, education has been one of the major concerns of the Council and this led to the establishment of various Baptist English schools and Church schools. However, according to the UNPO, in 2009 the NSCN considered the biggest impediment to peace to be the refusal of the government of India to officially extend the ceasefire to all Naga-inhabited areas outside of Nagaland. During these years, the Nagaland Peace Council which had maintained a low profile was activated once again, as the volatile socio-political crisis and conflicts required regular intervention of the Council. The Nagaland Baptist Womens Union was organized in the early part of 1967, and it became the womens wing of the Council. In the paucity of written helps to the acquisition of the language, and in view of the fact that as the work advances the Missionaries are likely to be confronted by new and more or less different dialects, thus necessitating eminently thorough acquaintance with the dialect now available. Miles Bronson in 1839, who stayed for a short period among Nocte Naga in Namsang under Tirap district of present day Arunachal Pradesh. suffering if they accept the new religion. It was not until April of 1951 that the first Roman Catholic Church was es-tablished among the Lotha-Naga tribe, and Catholics now number around three percent of Naga Christians. 4 August 1857 - All missionaries recalled to Utah in anticipation of the arrival of Johnston's Army. However, this little movement among the Smis was unfortunately not followed up, and their fervour melted away. The Church also continued to work at restoring peace. in the Associations were changed to a uniform nomenclature as Executive Secretary, and also that of the existing name of NBCC Executive Secretary to General Secretary. to Godhula and Clark and the formers acquisition of basic English and Meanwhile, the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) emerged and this Forum undertook the task of bringing about a reconciliation of all Naga factional groups. The idea of a Nagaland Baptist Church Council was sown in the mid-thirties and its origin can be traced back to 1935. As the number of Associations and network of the NBCC grew, the Nagaland Police Baptist Association also became a constituent member of the Council. Briefly, his associate Lovepreet Singh Toofan had been arrested for allegedly abducting and assaulting a person who was strongly . Clark among the tea garden workers, he became associated with a zealous honor and entire freedom of conversation was allowed. Oral sources recounts that Supongmeren also shared with them about his baptism By the end of 1988, Rev. [11] Clashes continued between the Indian army and the NSCN cadre. The First Missionaries While serving in the Samoa Mission, Elders Brigham Smoot and Alva Butler were assigned to take the restored gospel to the islands of Tonga. Rev. The mist-shrouded hills and the steep landscape makes access difficult. The year 1959 marked a transition for the organization, from a provisional status to a full organizational structure. In the 1870s, Dr. & Mrs. E. W. Clark worked among the Ao people. The National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) was formed in the late 1970s by Thuingaleng Muivah, Isak Chishi Swu and S. S. Khaplang. In 1971, with a view to covering both the Home Mission and Foreign Mission work, the name was changed to Nagaland Missionary Movement (AEC71/87). Missionaries and ministers came to India in the 19th century, found their way into Nagaland, and converted almost all Nagas to Christianity. The Council also continued to respond to social issues and the Nagaland Baptist Youth Front, the Youth Wing of the NBCC set up the New Life Ministry, a Ministry to reach out to drug users and alcoholics, at Dimapur in 1996. However, the Naga violated the agreement and continued to launch raids on British-controlled territories. The Council decided that the new religion will be Dr. E. W. Clark and his wife Mary Mead following his appointment as missionary to India, left Boston in October 20, 1868 and sailed for one hundred and sixty days in the bark "Pearl" bound for Calcutta, and after travelling by trains, steamer and elephant, arrived at Sibsagar in The NBCC also contributed to the efforts at restoration of peace and normalcy in the State and in paving the way for a prospective political settlement (see Part III of this book, The NBCCs Work on Peace). Amidst criticism and warning from other villages, our great Thus Godhula, the young Assamese, became the During this time Rev. . Lack of infrastructure and resources has made it difficult to make sporting events professional but the programme is yielding result. To strengthen the communication between the Council office and the member Associations as well as the local congregations, the Council began to publish a quarterly newsletter. Some of those who appreciate Christianity the most, through Godhula and within a short time of acquaintance; the three developed a Reverend C-D King and Rev. A major achievement was the placement of a Chaplain to the State Assembly (NBCE- 79/390). [3] During the 19th century, British attempts to subdue the Naga tribes and abolish traditional Naga practises such as headhunting and intertribal violence were resisted with guerrilla tactics from the Naga, in particular the Angami Naga. The resolution of the Findings Committee was that all Nagas should come together for establishing a closer Church Ministry with a united effort. They arrived in Sibsagar in March 1869 and relieved William Ward who had long need of furlough."1 The NNC agreed to the unconditional acceptance of the Indian Constitution and surrender of arms. According to their traditions, each village is an independent republic; initially, they wanted to be free from all outside domination. enemies, deadly diseases and famine. The first legislative assembly was formed on February 11, 1964. NBCC being committed to genuine reconciliation and peace, held a series of consultations. Hence, a budget allocation was made to bring in the local resources, and naturally more contributions were expected from the stronger Associations. Borrowing its name from the State Bird of Nagaland, that is the Hornbill, this festival is meant to celebrate the spirit and the cultural diverseness of the state. Its first session in the form of a Youth Convention was held at Kohima from 31st March to 2nd April, 1972. Youtube. Moaliba Tzudir and village council chairman Imsutemjen Tzudir holding the Dr. EW Clark gospel torch at Molungkimong. In order to provide a space to men and women to participate in the Ministry of the Council, a networking structure called the Nagaland Intercession Network (NINET) was planned and approved by the Executive. As the Council continued to make rapid advances in work, the number of staff expanded to meet arising needs. In a short while, with the seeds of people, till these many hills shall be vocal with Your praise. Entering the The colonial authorities responded by launching a series of successive punitive expeditions, which brought this resistance to an end. Sibsagar in March 30, 1869. The King Invites Missionary: Here we see the king of Nepal invited the missionary to come and do mission work in the country. First School of Engineering in the State of Nagaland: First Autonomous College in the North East / Nagaland: First American Baptist missionary to start a school in Kohima: First Naga Post-Graduate: Mr. Sashimeren Aier. In the Ao Field, F .P. December 1870 till October 1871 at Sibsagar and was baptized in 1871 by Clark from their fields and huddled around Godhula and listened to newer Biblical into evangelising the headhunters, Supongmeren was fascinated by the teachings through Molungkimong and connected Ao villages with Assam). They were baptized at Sibsagar on 11th November 1872. Kohima Diocese is situated in the north-east of India, sharing the international border with Myanmar. Sibsagar, women and children wept, and to do him proper honour fourty men was Phillips, who was the Secretary, had written to the Mission office in America thus: After this we solicit your prayerful regard to the Naga Hills. Constitution Preamble For unity of the Baptist Churches and united ministry of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ in and outside of Nagaland, the Nagaland Baptist Churches Council was organized in 1937. Missionaries, like J .E. Fratricidal violence among revolutionary groups continued into the 1990s. Amazingly, in 1997 only 86 years later, the number of baptized believers had increased to 767,784. Kohima 797001, Nagaland. The major languages spoken as per the 2011 census are Konyak, Ao, Lotha, Angami, Chakru, Sangtam, Bengali, Zeme . Sign up here to get the latest news, updates and special offers delivered directly to your inbox. Hornbill Festival. The Council has also initiated the Clean Election Campaign from 2011 and renewed efforts are being made to create awareness through seminars and publication of literature on elections. Witter started learning Lotha Naga language, prepared books in it and taught them along with preaching. event in Naga history unfolded with a lot of danger, threat and sacrifice. I refused every invitation for I knew that there was This is the first known instance of a ruler of Nepal giving permission for Christians to live and propagate their faith in the country. For the first time in Nagaland religion has emerged as major poll plank for the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly elections. to baptise. Culture change among the Angami Naga (Thakro, Zhanuo), Nagaland Current Affairs Digest May 2019, Nagaland Current Affairs Digest February 2023, Nagaland Assembly Election 2023 Updates- Dates, Candidates, Parties, Nagaland Current Affairs Digest January 2023, Nagaland Current Affairs Digest December 2022. Longri Ao joined the Council service in January 1967 as Executive Secretary, at the invitation of the Executive Committee. The delegates to the NBCC annual meet held at Impur in 2000 approved the creation of a platform to enable all denominations to come together. J.E. However, the neighboring British Empire annexed Assam in 1828 following the 1826 Treaty of Yandabo. Rev.Miles Bronson made another visit on Namsang village at the end of 1839 to study the possibility of living there with his family and of starting a elementary school for the Naga children and preach Gospel of John and Mathew to the Nagas. At the Council headquarters, the compound not only looked bare and old and despite visitors preferring to stay at the compound, it was not possible to host guests. Even within the Naga leadership, there was a difference in ideology among Angami . Some believe that the word Naga has evolved from the Sanskrit word Nagna which . listened. some twenty-three or thirty, Godhula says, have been talking seriously of In 2006, the NBCC published a booklet stating its position toward HIV/AIDS and the Council has since been actively involved in addressing the issue. All the talk was official, with the King on 30th August, 1885. 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