Baptist Church of Mizoram

Baptist Church of Mizoram is the second biggest church in Mizoram after the Mizoram Presbyterian Church Synod. As of 2020, BCM has 1,69,854 members in 663 local churches along with 148 Pastors and 3,304 Elders in 85 Pastorates and 15 Area Baptist Councils.[1]

Baptist Church of Mizoram
ClassificationMainline, Evangelicalism
OrientationBaptist
PresidentRev. Dr. K.Lalrinthanga
HeadquartersBaptist Church of Mizoram Office, Serkawn, Lunglei, India
Origin11 January 1894
Mizoram, India
Members1,69,854 (as on 2020 Assembly Report)
Official websitemizobaptist.org
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Baptists

History

The church was founded by Baptist English missionaries, Rev. James Herbert Lorrain (Pu Buanga) and Rev. Frederick William Savidge (Sap Upa) in 1894. Its headquarter is at Serkawn, a missionary station and locality in Lunglei city, the second largest city in Mizoram, a minor part of India bordering Myanmar.

Rev. R.A. Lorrain, younger brother of Rev. J.H. Lorrain and founder of the Evangelical Church of Maraland (est. 1907), was the first pioneering missionary to the Mara people in the southernmost part of Mizoram state, completing the task of evangelizing the people of the whole state - Presbyterians in the north, Baptists in the middle and Evangelicals in the south.

Organization and structure

Assembly

Assembly is the highest table of the organisation. Assembly Meeting is held annually which will be called by the General Secretary and the President shall be the Chairman of the Meeting. Several representatives from Area Level and selected representatives from other church organisations may attend the meeting for better diplomacy among religion based organisations.

Area Level

Area Level Meeting is the second highest table in the organisation. Several Pastorate (Bial in Mizo language) ranging from 3 to 10 are supervised from the Area Level Table. The Area Level is headed by an Executive Secretary or Pastors elected to be the Chaiman of the Level. Every Area is affiliated to the Assembly.

Pastorate

A pastorate consist between 3 and 10 local churches. The pastorate is headed by a Designated and Qualified Pastor. The Pastorate level has separate Fellowship Organisation Departments in its own level. Every Pastorate is affiliated to Area Level.

Local Churches

Local churches have their own church in their respective locality. The leaders of the Local Church are elected every 2 years (1 year for Chairman) from Church Elders. Every church is affiliated to Pastorate.

List of Organisational Heads
Name of Post Name Education Office Picture
President Rev. Dr. K. Lalrinthanga B.A., B.D., MTh., PhD BCM Hqrs., Lunglei
President Elect Rev. Dr. V. Laldingliana B.A (Hons), B.D., D.Min BCM Hqrs., Lunglei
General Secretary Rev. F. Ramdinmawia BTh., B.D BCM Hqrs. Lunglei
Associate General Secretary i/c Mission Rev. Dr. C. Vanlaldika B.A., B.D., MTh., Ph.D BCM Hqrs. Lunglei
Associate General Secretary i/c Service Rev. R. Lalbiakliana B.A., B.D. BCM Hqrs. Lunglei
Executive Secretary Aizawl Area Rev. Dr.R. Lalthanmawia B.D., MTh., DTh. Baptist House, M.G.Road, Upper Khatla, Aizawl
Executive Secretary Lawngtlai Area Rev. R. Lalnunzira B.A., B.D., MTh. Baptist House. Lawngtlai

Institutions

The Baptist Church of Mizoram operates the following:

Academy of Integrated Christian Studies (AICS)
Academy of Integrated Christian Studies,Tanhril, Mizoram

The Academy of Integrated Christian Studies (AICS) is a BD Level theological institution established by the Baptist Church of Mizoram in 2000 under the leadership of Prof. Dr. R.L.Hnuni. This institution offers several programs such as Theological Training, Missionary Training, Ministerial Training, Music Training and Research and Development. The institution is located in Shekina Hill, P.O. Box – 80, Aizawl – 796001 Mizoram

Baptist Higher Secondary School (BHSS)
Baptist Higher Secondary School, Serkawn

Baptist Higher Secondary School is a school owned by Baptist Church of Mizoram. The school enrolls students for Secondary and Higher Secondary levels. The current Principal of Baptist Higher Secondary School is Pu. R. Zosangliana. The current Vice Principal is Pu. R.Lalneihthanga.

The school has three hostels, one for Junior section, the Girls’ hostel and one for the boys. The over all administration is run by the Principal with the help of the two Vice Principals. The over all strength of the staff is around 80 in number. The school's motto is "The Utmost for the Highest".

Students gathering for a devotion

Baptist Church of Mizoram expanded the school into lower classes including Nursery to Middle Schools by merging with co-existing school called Baptist English School , thus, from 2005 it is known asBaptist Higher Secondary School Junior Section. It enrolls a number of 1,070 students in the 2019-20 Academic Session with 43 Teaching Staffs. The current Vice Principal for Baptist Higher Secondary School Junior Section is Pu. Z.D. Lalnunmawia.

Higher and Technical Institute of Mizoram (HATIM)

Courses offered by the institution are as follows:

  • Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA)
  • Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com)
  • Bachelor of Arts in English (BA)
  • Bachelor of Social Works (BSW)
  • Bachelor of Business Administration
  • Bachelor of Mass Communication and Journalism
Higher and Technical Institute of Mizoram Main Building

HATIM also established Skill Training programme courses as under:

  • Agriculture (Sloping Agriculture Land Technology)
  • Horticulture
  • Tailoring
  • Carpentry
  • Electrical engineering
  • Mechanical engineering
  • Computer Applications
  • Electronics
  • Plumbing
  • Bamboo processing
  • Leather processing
  • Secretarial training
  • Beautician
  • Hairdressing
  • Cottage Industry
  • Entrepreneurship

The budget for infrastructure development, recruitment of new staff and establishment and running of the courses is INR 20,000,000 ($262,174 USD) [2]

The current principal of the institution is Pu. V. Vuansanga

Mission (Beginning)

The year 1968 had remarkable significance for the Baptist Church of Mizoram. In that year, the Baptist Missionary Society (BMS), after working for almost 65 years, decided to withdraw their mission work in south of Mizoram due to the Indian Government's rejection of their permission to stay longer in Mizoram. In the same year that the BMS decided to withdraw their mission work, the ZBM also sent Rev H. Rokhama as the first cross-culture missionary outside Mizoram. Moreover, on 18 January 1968, Rev C.L.Hminga was appointed as the first full-time ZBM Secretary, and the ZBM had also organized its own office in a separate building. From this time onward, until the Assembly of BCM decided to form a new structure, all the office works of the ZBM was conducted from this office.

A Concise Account of Mission Department

A concise account of the BCM Mission works, as it stands for 46 years (1966 – 2012) from the inception of the BCM Mission Department as the Zoram Baptist Mission, can be made as follows:

Missionary Personnel

ZBM started cross-culture missionary work, employing only two full-time missionaries in 1939. Now, (in 2012) BCM Mission Committee has more than 800 mission workers including missionaries.

Mission Fields and Stations

BCM Mission Committee has 23 mission fields including mission stations in different parts of India and works in partnership with other mission agencies outside India.

Mission Fund

The ZBM (as its previous name) had only Rs. 12.50p (Rupees twelve and fifty paisa) in its initial stage. Now the BCM Mission budget of 2012 - 2013 has grown to Rs.11, 79, 78,000.00(Rupees eleven crore seventy-nine lakhs and seventy-eight thousand).

Churches

BCM Mission Committee has established more than 1436 local churches and 25 preaching stations among different tribes and people groups.

Believers

BCM Mission Committee has roughly 1,81,768 believers in different mission fields and mission stations.

Schools and Students

At present Mission Committee runs 54 mission schools within and outside Mizoram, of which 10 are High Schools, 5 Middle Schools, 39 Primary Schools and having around 6500 students.

Affiliates/Association

BCM is a member of the Baptist World Alliance, the Baptist Union of Great Britain, and an active member of the BMS World Mission.

Statistics

Brief statistics of BCM according to BCM Assembly 2020 are as follows:

Sl. No.ParticlularsFY 2018-19FY 2019-20Difference
1.Total Churches677663-14
2.Families362423633896
3.Church Members173373169854-3519
4.Baptized Members122284122072-212
5.Addition of Members (Incl. Birth; Joining from other denominations; etc.)55695126-443
6.Subtraction of Members (Incl. Death; Joining other denominations; etc.)17932549756
7.Active Ministers154148-6
8.Pensioned Ministers still Alive39390
9.Probationary Pastors2718-9
10.Senior Church Elders (Upa)3229330475
11.Junior Church Elders (Rawngbawltu)41504105-45
12.Pastorates85850
13.Areas15150
14.TKP Members47372487911419
15.BMP Members1568415100-584
16.BKHP Members33746353641618
17.KNP Members3342733384-43
18.Mission Fields & Stations24240
19.Mission Partnerships29290
20.Foreign Mission Partnerships990
21.Missionaries100110010
22.Local Workers2962982
23.Total of Sl. 21 & 22129712992

Area Wise, Bru Baptist Church, Chakma Baptist Church and Non-Mizo Statistics

(Statistics as on 2020)

ParticularsLunglei AreaAizawl AreaLawngtlai AreaBru Baptist ChurchChakma Baptist ChurchNon-MizoTotal
Families17661883650873196130025836338
Members836843771324912164416230874169854
Baptized Members63843268541704797133890725122072
Senior Church Elders (Upa)14988225313429323304
Junior Church Elders (Rawngbawltu)15181005653483378684105
Total Number of Churches187192911047118663

Population of BCM as of FY 2020

  Lunglei Area (49.26%)
  Aizawl Area (22.20%)
  Lawngtlai Area (14.66%)
  Bru Baptist Church (9.67%)
  Chakma Baptist Church (3.66%)
  Non Mizo (0.51%)

See also

References
  1. www.mizobaptist.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/BCM-Assembly-2018-Minute.pdf
  2. https://www.mizobaptist.org/hatim-5/
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