Mara Evangelical Church

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Mara Evangelical Church, or MEC in short, is one of the churches in Myanmar, formerly Burma, founded by English missionaries Reverend and Mrs. Reginald Arthur Lorrain in the year 1907. [1] It is one of the oldest churches in Chin state, Myanmar. It was part of the unified Mara Church among the Mara people until it had to become independent after India and Myanmar attained independence from the British Raj in 1947. The Mara Church in India became the Evangelical Church of Maraland and Congregational Church of India, Maraland (CCI-M), while the one in Myanmar became MEC.

Contents

Headquarters

Mara Evangelical Church (MEC) has its headquarters at Lialaipi (Lailenpi) and Sabyhpi (Khihlo) in Chin State, Myanmar. [2] It has its mission headquarters at Sittwe, previously known as Akyab, Rakhine State. It also has an office in Yangon, the largest and former capital city of Myanmar.

History

English missionaries Reverend and Mrs. Reginald Arthur Lorrain (brother of missionary James Herbert Lorrain) founded Lakher Pioneer Mission in London in 1905 to engage in mission work among the Mara people in British India, which included modern-day Myanmar. Finally, the missionaries arrived at Saikao, a village in southern Mizoram on September 26, 1907, and started spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ among the Mara people who inhabit today's Saiha District in Mizoram, India and the southwestern part of Chin state in Myanmar. The church grew rapidly. In 1960 the church became fully self-supporting. In Chin state, the area inhabited by the Mara people falls under three townships – Thantlang, Matupi and Paletwa. When India and Myanmar attained independence, Mara-inhabited areas were divided among the two nations. The church founded by the missionaries was also divided. Thus, the Mara Evangelical Church (MEC) was born in Myanmar, while the Evangelical Church of Maraland and its sister church Congregational Church of India, Maraland (CCI-M) were born in India. The Maras embrace Christianity today; 87% of Mara Christians are members of the Mara Evangelical Church. [3]

Association/Membership/Affiliation

Mara Evangelical Church (MEC) is:

As of 2004 the church had more than 17,200 members and almost 100 congregations in Myanmar in 2004. [5]

As of 2021, according to its website, the church has 21,573 members, 87 congregations, and 9 preaching points with 27 pastorates. The denomination has a theological seminary and Private Mission middle school and Center of Maraland Education. [3]

Related Research Articles

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Maraland

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The Tlosaih are one of the major groups of the Mara people, who inhabited the southernmost part of Mizoram under the Mara Autonomous District Council. The Tlosaih language was transliterated into the Roman script by late missionary Reverend Reginald Arthur Lorrain, founder of the Evangelical Church of Maraland, and it is used as a liturgical language and in literature. The Tlosaih language formed a common language for all of the Mara people and is commonly known as the Mara language.

Frederick William Savidge was a pioneer English Christian missionary in northeast India. He and James Herbert Lorrain brought Protestantism to Mizoram, and some parts of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Together they were entirely responsible for the creation of written language in Mizo, beginning of literacy, origin of formal education and establishment of churches in Mizoram. They devised the original Mizo alphabets based on Roman script, prepared the first book and dictionary in Mizo, started the first school among the Mizos. Mizoram has become the most Christian populated state in India. As a professional educator Savidge was single-handedly responsible for introducing quality education in Mizoram. He is deservedly known as the Father of Mizo Education.

History of Christianity in Mizoram Christianity in Mizoram

The history of Christianity in Mizoram covers the origin and development of all forms of Christianity in Mizoram since the British occupation at the end of the 19th century. Christianity arrived as a consequence of tribal warfare, raids of British plantations, and the ensuing punitive British military expedition called the Lushai Expedition of 1871. The subsequent annexation of the erstwhile Lushai Hills to the British Empire opened the gateway for British Christian missions to evangelise the Mizo people.

References

  1. ↑ Beita, BeiRokhu. "Mara Church History". Maraland.net. Archived from the original on 4 March 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
  2. ↑ Vako, Rev. "Mara Church History". MEC History. Freewebs. Archived from the original on 12 May 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
  3. 1 2 "GENERAL BACKGROUND OF THE MARA EVANGELICAL CHURCH | Mara Evangelical Church Official website". www.mecassembly.org. Retrieved 2021-04-29.
  4. ↑ Official website of Myanmar Council of Churches (MCC) www.mcc-mm.org
  5. ↑ "Address data base of Reformed churches and institutions".


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