The inaugural Tech4Church conference, hosted by Tabernacle Technologies, was held at the Capital Convention Centre, Kohima, to a full audience of over 150 church leaders, media professionals, ministry teams, accountants, and secretaries from across Nagaland, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh.
The one-day event explored how technology can support, secure, and transform church operations in today’s digital landscape.
Under the theme “Embracing the Digital Shift,” the event featured expert keynotes, practical workshops, and live demonstrations on how churches can embrace digital tools to enhance ministry operations, strengthen financial and legal compliance, and reimagine growth in the modern era. The day began with an exhortation and invocation by Rev Dr Mar Pongener, General Secretary of the Nagaland Baptist Church Council.
“Google will start giving the wrong information to the right people if the pastors and churches don’t shift and upgrade towards technology,” said Ashvin Dhyriam, Co-Founder and Managing Director of GoodNews Group and keynote speaker at the conference. “We no longer study computers—computers are studying us.”
The conference also addressed critical issues of financial and legal compliance for churches. Nongothung Jungio, IRS, Commissioner of Income Tax (Admin & TPS), North Eastern Region, Guwahati, alongside Imlimeren Jamir, IRS, Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals), Jorhat, emphasized the role of churches in maintaining financial transparency and legal responsibility.
“Taxes are the price we pay for civilization,” noted Jungio, encouraging churches to stay informed and compliant with existing laws.
They further stressed, “A PAN card is essential for any church in India to carry out financial transactions, even if it is tax-exempt. If churches or their members receive notices from the Income Tax Department, they should not be ignored and must be addressed promptly and appropriately.”
Debashis Sen, cybersecurity expert, warned that “users often believe a common myth: ‘it won’t happen to me.’ However, hackers attack the sweet spot.” He emphasized the need for digital responsibility within faith institutions, including the importance of securing a PAN card for any church operating financial transactions in India, even if tax-exempt, and responding promptly to any Income Tax Department notices.
Other featured speakers included Wabang Moa, Christian Media Strategist and Director of Highland Dawn Media, who shared practical insights on using digital media for ministry, and Arnab Goswami from ESAF Bank, who discussed financial empowerment for churches.
The event was made possible by ESAF Small Finance Bank (Title Sponsor), Our Daily Bread Ministries (Content Partner), Highland Dawn Media (Platinum Sponsor), Life Pro (Sound Partner), and associate sponsors Megavoice and Ilandlo.
“Tech4Church is not just an event; it’s the beginning of a movement to equip churches with tools that help them thrive in the digital era,” said a representative from Tabernacle Technologies, the conference organizer.