Mizoram Presbyterian Church Synod | |
---|---|
Classification | Protestant |
Orientation | Calvinist |
Scripture | Holy Bible |
Polity | Presbyterian |
Governance | Synod |
Moderator | Rev.R.Vanlalhngaka |
Associations | Presbyterian Church of India North East India Christian Council National Council of Churches in India World Communion of Reformed Churches Christian Conference of Asia Council for World Mission |
Region | Mizoram |
Headquarters | Aizawl |
Founder | Foreign Missionary Society of the Calvinistic Methodist Church |
Origin | 11 January 1894 |
Branched from | Presbyterian Church of Wales |
Members | 600,000 [1] |
Ministers | 506 |
Hospitals | Synod Hospital, Durtlang and John Williams Hospital, Lunglei |
Official website | http://www.mizoramsynod.org |
Mizoram Presbyterian ChurchSynod (Mizoram Presbyterian Kohhran Synod in Mizo) is the largest Christian denomination in Mizoram, northeast India. [2] It was a direct progeny of the Calvinistic Methodist Church (officially named the Presbyterian Church of Wales in 1928) in Wales. It was the second church in Mizoram and is now one of the constituent bodies of a larger denomination Presbyterian Church of India (PCI), which has its headquarters in Shillong, Meghalaya. The administrative body called the Mizoram Synod has its headquarters at Mission Veng, Aizawl. As the first church, it remains the largest denomination in Mizoram. [3]
In June 2012, the Mizoram Presbyterian Church revoked its official partnership with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) with which it was allied since 1999. In its 239th Executive Committee meeting, Mizoram Synod decided that ordination of gay clergy and the practice of gay marriage recently endorsed by the North American church were against biblical teachings. [4] [5]
Mizoram Presbyterian Church was established and founded by Welsh missionaries. The Welsh church had formed Foreign Missionary Society in 1840 in Liverpool to provide missionaries to India. Chosen for Mizoram, Jones arrived in Aizawl on 31 August 1897. The pioneer missionaries F.W. Savidge and J. H. Lorrain, commissioned by Arthington Aborigines Mission, welcomed him and prepared him for his mission. The two missionaries had arrived in 1894 and started school, created Mizo script, and prepared grammar and dictionary. Jones stayed with them until the two departed on 31 December 1897 as Arthington Aborigines Mission handed over the mission field to Welsh Mission. On his birthday on 15 February 1898, Jones opened a school at his bungalow, which was subsequently used as a congregational meeting place for worship and Sunday schools. [6] In August 1897, the Welsh Mission had arranged for a Khasi Christian, Rai Bahadur, and his family from Khasi Hills to help Jones; the first enlisted members of the congregation consisted of 6 Khasis in addition to Jones and his wife. [7]
Statistics (as of 2019) | Number |
---|---|
Presbyteries | 51 |
Districts | 288 |
Churches | 1,137 |
Minister (Pastor, etc.) | 560 |
Probationary Pastors | 66 |
Ordained Elders | 5159 |
Families | 126,916 |
Communicants | 413,209 |
Male members | 291,296 |
Female members | 303,161 |
Total members | 594,457 |
Women Fellowship is a fellowship for women under Mizoram Presbyterian Church, and its members are mainly married women. According to the report of General Secretary of Kohhran Hmeichhia, in December 2009, it has 1,43,159 members from 91,423 families.
Kristian Ṭhalai Pawl (Christian Youth Fellowship) is a fellowship for young people in the church, with motto 'Saved to serve'. It has four main stated objectives.
According to the report given in the General conference held during 1–4 March 2018 the KṬP (Kristian Ṭhalai Pawl) had 147,665 members and 860 branches, and supports more than one thousand missionaries, inside and outside of Mizoram.
Synod Mission Board is the body in charge of the missionary works of the Mizoram Presbyterian Church, within and outside India. It looks after 17 mission fields in India (including Nepal, Home Mission North and South), and sends missionaries to Taiwan, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, China, Nepal, United Kingdom, Samoa, Madagascar, American Samoa and Kiribati. Under Synod Mission Board, 1,758 workers are working for the Kingdom of God. [1]
Statistics of Synod Mission Fields:
Synod Mission Board established the Missionary Training Department from 1978. The Objective of this centre is to promote knowledge and understanding of the Bible, Missiology and Theology, growth in Christian discipleship and developing skill for cross cultural ministry. In 1991, a pre-service training for the 'would-be' missionaries was instituted, and has become a one-year course, which each missionary of the Church has to go through. This missionary training centre was upgraded in 2010, and it became Missionary Training College, where anyone can study Missiology.
In addition to MTC, to equip missionaries and new believers, Mizoram Synod run many programmes and institutions. Among these, Presbyterian Hindi Bible School is meant to train new believers of Indian and Nepali. Mission Development Training Centre trained missionaries and new believers in the field of agriculture, carpentry and dairy farming. Some of the members of the Church, such as Lalsawma, a Padma Shri awardee, has been honoured by the Government of India for their contributions to the society. [8]
The Mizo Synod operates many schools, from primary level to secondary level. Synod Higher Secondary School, Aizawl has a strength of 58 teaching staff and 870 students. 40% of its seats are reserved for students from rural areas. Presbyterian Girls' School is of Middle School level with 32 teaching staff and non-teaching staff and 484 students. Besides, there are 73 schools, run by the Churches with financial grant from the Synod.
Aizawl Theological College is the only theological Institution with M.Th. studies in the State and is upgraded to Doctoral studies in 2013. It is affiliated to Serampore College (University) as a graduate and post graduate college. This theological college is founded by the first Presbyterian missionary in Mizoram, Rev. D. E. Jones in 1907, then refounded by J. Meirion Lloyd. The Master of Theology (M. Th) programme in Christian Theology had been introduced since 2002 and M. Th. (New Testament and Missiology) respectively are also being introduced from 2007 academic session. The college plans to add M. Th. studies in other disciplines in the years ahead. The college has already become a local centre for Bachelor of Christian Studies (B.C.S), Diploma in Christian Studies (Dip. C.S.), and Doctor of Ministry (D. Min) programmes of the Senate of Serampore College.
School and Colleges under Presbyterian Church of India, Mizoram Synod:
The Sunday School Ministry of the Mizoram Presbyterian Church is a ministry that puts the Mizoram Church at a very important and outstanding place from all others Churches in India. There are 44,060 Sunday school teachers and 3,83,888 learners (students).
One of the most important in Christian ministries is Healing Ministry. Every mission and church undertaking healing ministry through miracle and medical sciences. Mizoram Presbyterian Church's also taking step in the field of healing ministry. Durtlang Hospital operated by Synod is one of the pioneer medical centres in Mizoram, founded by Welsh missionaries. Besides, it has dispensaries and health centres in rural areas, and clinics inside Aizawl City.
The history of Mizoram encompasses the history of Mizoram which lies in the southernmost part of northeast India. It is a conglomerate history of several ethnic groups of Chin people who migrated from Chin State of Burma. But information of their patterns of westward migration are based on oral history and archaeological inferences, hence nothing definite can be said. The recorded history started relatively recently around the mid-19th century when the adjoining regions were occupied by the British monarchy. Following religious, political and cultural revolutions in the mid-20th century majority of the people agglomerated into a super tribe, Mizo. Hence the officially recognised settlement of the Mizos became Mizoram.
Lunglei district is one of the eleven districts of Mizoram state in India. As of 2011 it is the second most populous district in the state, after Aizawl.
The Presbyterian Church of India (PCI) is a mainline Protestant church based in India, with over one and a half million adherents, mostly in Northeast India. It is one of the largest Christian denominations in that region.
James Herbert Lorrain, or Pu Buanga, was a Scottish Baptist missionary in northeast India, including Mizoram, Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh. He and Frederick William Savidge reduced the Lushai language to writing—devised an alphabet using Roman lettering and phonetic form of spelling based on Hunterian system translation; compiled grammar and dictionaries for missionary activities and clerical administration.
William Williams was a Welsh Presbyterian missionary to Khasi Hills, northeast India, in the late 19th century. He was a son of a ship captain in Nanternis, a small village in Wales. Following his father's footstep he became a sailor for five years. Then he took a profession in carpentry for two years. After graduating in theology from East London Missionary Training Institute he became a pastor. Pursuing his ambition he became a missionary of the Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Foreign Mission to Khasi people in India from 1887 until his death. He died of typhoid in 1892.
Synod Hospital, Durtlang is a general hospital and nursing school in Aizawl, Mizoram, India. The hospital is widely known among Mizo people as "Durtlang Hospital". It is managed and governed by the Mizoram Presbyterian Church Synod. The hospital was established in 1928 by the Calvinistic Methodist Church as a nursing institute. It is the second hospital established, and the largest non-governmental hospital in Mizoram. It has a registered capacity of 355 beds.
Aizawl Theological College is an ecumenical seminary of the Presbyterian Church in Aizawl, Mizoram, India. It is affiliated to the Senate of Serampore College (University). The college is owned by the Mizoram Presbyterian Church and administered by the Mizoram Synod through its Theological Education Board. Hundreds of pastors and church leaders have received their academic training and ministerial formation under the standards laid down by the Senate of Serampore College since its inception in 1907.
Education in Mizoram consists of a diverse array of formal education systems ranging from elementary to university, from training institution to technical courses. The Government of India imposes mandatory education at least up to the basic level. For this public schools are made free of fees, and provided with free textbooks and school lunch.
Christianity is the largest religion in Mizoram. The majority 87% of Mizoram population are Christian in various denominations, predominantly Presbyterian. More than 98% of the Mizos are Christians by faith. The Government of Mizoram declared that Christianity plays a very important role among the daily life of Mizo community and therefore further declared that Christianity as the religion of the state. The culture of Mizoram is mainly influenced by Christianity. Hence, Christianity was given a special status on the state by the government while maintaining a minimum level of secular environment and approach. In June 2018, the government of Mizoram including Vanlalruata, president of anti-corruption organisation-turned-political party, People's Representation for Identity and Status of Mizoram claim that Mizoram is a Christian state. Hindus form a small minority (3.55%) mainly of Manipuris and there are also around (7.93%) Buddhists according to the 2001 census, mostly made up from Chakma settlers of Arakan origin. There are about 8,000 mostly ethnic Mizo followers of a Judaic group Bnei Menashe, who claim descent from the biblical Menasseh. Muslims make up about 1.1% of the state population.
John Meirion Lloyd was a Welsh Presbyterian missionary in Mizoram, India. He was ordained a minister of the Presbyterian Church of Wales 1941, and followed in the tradition of his countryman in Mizoram David Evan Jones (missionary). He was head of the team responsible for the Bible translation into the Mizo language in 1955.
David Evan Jones, Mizo name Zosaphluia, was a Welsh missionary to the Mizo people in the Lushai Hills, what is now Mizoram, India.
Zairema was a Presbyterian minister, and a pioneer in theology and literature among the Mizo people of northeast India. He was the first Mizo to obtain the degrees of BSc and BD. He died of cardiac problem on the morning of 17 December 2008 at his residence in Aizawl at the age of 91. He is best remembered as the "father of Mizoram Synod".
North East India Christian Council (NEICC) is a Protestant ecumenical council of North East India, affiliated to the National Council of Churches in India as one of the regional councils in the year 1939.
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.
Edwin Rowlands was a Welsh Christian missionary in northeast India and Burma. He was a professional teacher, singer, composer, poet, translator and literary figure among the Mizo people. He was regarded as the most beloved of all British missionaries in Mizoram. He was more popularly known as Zosapthara. He made the major hymns in Mizo and Khumi which are still in use. He modified the original Mizo alphabet and his system became the standard in Mizo language. He created written language for Khumi people in Burma, and for Bhil people in Maharashtra. His literary works are the foundation of Mizo literature. He was the first administrator of education in Mizoram as Honorary Inspector of Schools. Despite objection from various corners he married Thangkungi, a Mizo girl.
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 until Indian Independance. Christianity arrived due to British intervention in tribal warfare, raids of British plantations. The ensuing punitive British military expedition was 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.
Laltluangliana Khiangte is a Mizo academic, playwright and poet of Mizo literature. He was the principal of the Serampore College and a former professor at Pachhunga University College and the North Eastern Hill University. He is presently serving as the senior most professor at the Department of Mizo at Mizoram University. He is a recipient of the Pu Buanga Award, the highest literary award of the Mizo Academy of Letters. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2006, for his contributions to Indian literature.