The three-day-long Mission Conference 2024 of the Chakhesang Baptist Church Council (CBCC), held under the theme “God’s Mission, Our Task,” concluded today at Phek Town Baptist Church.
The Sunday worship service on November 10 witnessed an attendance of around 7,000 people, including 1,437 registered delegates comprising Reverends, Pastors, Youth Leaders, Children’s Teachers, Women Pastors, church leaders, and 38 missionaries.
During the valedictory service this afternoon, Rev. Dr. Zelhou Keyho, General Secretary of the Nagaland Baptist Church Council, spoke on the topic “God’s Mission, Soul Winning.” He emphasized that “the best thing foreign missionaries gave was the word of God. Thus, building churches, establishing schools, and raising leaders is not the first priority; the first priority is sharing God’s word.” He stressed that the main focus of missionaries should be soul-winning, saying, “Soul-saving is a missionary calling. It is a missionary task.”
Rev. Keyho encouraged the missionaries not to be discouraged if they do not see immediate results in their missions. “Their task is to share the word of God, and changing hearts is the task of the Holy Spirit,” he said. He reminded the congregation that the field is ready to be harvested and called on them to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to win souls.
At the Sunday worship service, Rev. Sehu Belho, Strategic Coordinator of Course Mission, Nagaland, spoke on the topic “God’s Mission, Our Task.” He shared Clark’s prayer when he first entered Nagaland, where he asked for strength and good health to spread the gospel to the Nagas and beyond. Rev. Belho stressed the importance of making God’s mission our task, adding that there is an urgent need to take missions to a greater level and reach the unreached. He also shared statistical figures about unreached countries and people groups, noting that India ranks at the top among the world’s top 10 unreached countries. He encouraged the Naga people to send more missionaries and to focus on unreached people groups, praying for the nation and working corporately for missions as a church and family.
Rev. Lipok Pongener, Secretary of the Nagaland Missions Movement, NBCC, shared greetings during the event and emphasized that the Northeast is a key region for mission work. He challenged the congregation to recommit to missions at a greater level and send missionaries, regardless of whether the target of 10,000 missionaries had been reached. He also stressed the need to plan and send missionaries to unreached people groups and to go to places that have not yet been penetrated by the gospel.
In a plenary session with local mission board leaders on Saturday, Rev. Dr. Sülüveyi Rhakho, Coordinator of Globe Serve International in Minneapolis, USA, highlighted that 2.9+ billion people have heard the Gospel but are not Christians. He shared that there are approximately 7,400 unreached people groups, comprising 40% of the world’s population. He pointed out that churches often send missionaries to regions with established Christian communities rather than to unreached people groups. Rev. Dr. Rhakho urged church leaders to focus more on reaching these unreached groups.
During a plenary session with pastors, Ravikho-ii Kera, former Women Secretary of the Angami Baptist Church Council, stressed that mission work must continue as long as the church exists. She emphasized the need for cross-cultural training before sending missionaries into the field and highlighted the importance of working guidelines, networking, coordination, and partnership in mission work. She urged pastors and deacons to awaken to the mission concern and to remain available to support missionaries after sending them out.
On Saturday evening, Dr. Rema Chhakchhuak, Asia Mission Mobilizer for Baptist Mission Australia, spoke on the topic “God’s Mission for the Nations.” Rev. Dr. Kedoungulo Mero, former Director of CMS, CBCC, led the evening Gospel service, followed by experiential sharing by Vetalii Rhakho, a missionary in Kulajan. Rev. Dr. Thiipucuyi Khesoh, pastor of Phek Town Baptist Church, led the Sunday worship service on November 10, with experiential sharing by Vechivolii Chizo, a missionary in Jonai. Vesalii Swiiro, a member of the CMS Board, led the valedictory service, with experiential sharing by Kiidephuyi Tetseo, a missionary in Ollo. Rev. Dr. Vezopa Tetseo, Senior Pastor of CBC Diphupar, prayed for the missionaries, and a vote of thanks was proposed by Rev. P. Bonny Resii, Chairman of the CMS Board, CBCC.
MT