Impur, November 3 (MTNews): The Ao Baptist Arogo Mungdang (ABAM) sesquicentennial jubilee to celebrate 150 years of Christianity in the Naga Hills came to a close here this evening. A total of 3195 people officially registered for the sesquicentennial jubilee celebration on the last evening. The celebration closed with a presentation that challenged ABAM and the delegates to set their faith and spiritual eyes toward the coming ‘175 years of Christianity in the Naga Hills’.
The Children Choir, Mokokchung Town churches, comprising 150 young boys and girls presented a choreographed gospel song, directed by Yanglu Pongen, Associate Pastor, MTBA. The presentation from this Children Choir was significant as these children would be the ones who will carry the torch forward from their elders toward the 2072 bicentennial.
Rev. Dr. Bendang Longkümer, Convenor, SQC Planning Committee, gave an overview of the tasks, resources and planning that led to success of the event. He also shared a long list of individuals, churches, groups and institutions that contributed their resources (labor, ideas, time, kind, cash).
Two main speakers of the day
While delivering his sermon on the theme “Preach the Good News to the World” (Mark 16:15), Rev. Sentisashi Aier, President, ABAM, called upon the congregation to pray and ask for forgiveness and seek God’s providence upon the Naga people. Aier lamented that in the past 150 years of Christianity, Ao people have become nominal Christians and, therefore, there is an urgent need for “re-evangelization” among the believers to correct this weakness. This process of “re-evangelization”, Aier noted, should begin from each and every family and by “focusing on our children.”
He encouraged starting to preach the gospel from family as well as share to the neighbours around us.
Preaching from 1 Cor. 15:58 on the theme “Stand Firm in Faith,” Rev. Dr. Prof. Mar Pongener, Executive Secretary, appealed to the listeners that “God’s blessing always follows us when we have faith in God and asking God’s help sincerely.” Christians, especially Ao believers, should be “willing to be a fool in the eyes of men as long as we are walking in God’s plan.” Pongener challenged the Jubilee participants to “reevaluate their faith witness” by their works and not through their words alone. For Ao churches to “step into the years ahead,” Pangener noted, “we must stay rooted in God’s word and seek divine wisdom and understanding.”
Exhortation and greetings
ADC Mokokchung, Chumlamo Humtsoe, who spoke on behalf of the Deputy Commissioner of Mokokchung encouraged the congregation to forgive each other, renew unity, bind ourselves in brotherhood and usher new forms of blessings for each other.
Rev Dr Akheto Sema, General Secretary, Council of Baptist Churches in Northeast India (CBCNEI), highlighted the gloomy challenges faced by the community in the midst of this rejoicing and urged the churches to come out of their comfort zones and face the challenges and “torch the way for the rest of the communities to the world and beyond.”
Rev Imo Aier, the president of the 1972 ABAM Centennial Celebration, and former General Secretary of CBCNEI, spoke on the importance of making firm resolutions which would bring about a paradigm shift not only within ABAM but also for the Naga society as a whole.
Rev Toshinaro, former secretary ABTM lamented that there were “multiple educated leaders” but no truth-seeking leaders. “In the coming future” she expressed she hopes for a structure in the Church and society where “women can also take the top positions and lead the people.”
Rev. Dr. Mar Atsongchanger, former Executive Secretary of ABAM, expressed his gratitude to the Molungkimong and Molungyimsen villages for inviting in Rev Dr EW Clark and bringing the good news to them. Using William Carey’s famous quote, “Do great things for God, expect greater things from God,” Atsongchanger encouraged the congregation to make Clark Theological College an international University, and extend its mission to the ends of North-East India. He asked the SQC delegates whether they were serious about making disciples of every member under ABAM. Atsongchanger concluded his exhortation by stating that the Ao churches should “Go back to the basic word of God because if all of us became good Christians, there would be no corruption in the land.”
Bringing greetings on behalf of the American Baptist Foreign Missionary Society, Kathy Longkumer reminded the gathering that God chose the Ao people at a strategic time in history and raised them up for his purpose and plans. “Let us not rest in our laurels but let’s press on to God’s calling for us today so that we can be his instrument to go to ends beyond,” she said.
Imliwapang, a missionary serving under ABAM International called upon the Ao churches to reclaim the mission of reaching out to the Shan people in China, a community which EW Clark and other missionaries had wanted to evangelize. “To make God’s mission successful, we need to unite and minister together,” noted Imliwapang.
Other highlights of day-3
The morning and evening praise and worship was led by Kohima Ao Baptist Arogo (Youth Ministry) and a special song was presented by Clark Theological College. The Baptist Church of Mizoram Choir presented their last two songs in the last worship service and they were given a long-standing ovation by the crowd. A mass sesquicentennial feast also marked the day.
