Rabha Baptist Convention (RBC), previously known as “Rabha Baptist Church Union”, is a
Baptist
Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...
Christian denomination in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. It is in the East of India, primarily in the state of
Assam
Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
. The Union is made up primarily of
Rabha people
The Rabha are a Tibeto-Burman community to the Indian states of Assam, Meghalaya and West Bengal. They primarily inhabit the plains of Lower Assam and the Dooars, while some are found in the Garo Hills. Most of the Rabhas of Dooars refer to thems ...
, an indigenous ethnic group of northeastern India.
In 2017, the RBC has 12,356 members in 64 churches of
Meghalaya
Meghalaya (, or , meaning "abode of clouds"; from Sanskrit , "cloud" + , "abode") is a state in northeastern India. Meghalaya was formed on 21 January 1972 by carving out two districts from the state of Assam: (a) the United Khasi Hills and J ...
,
Assam
Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
and
West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fou ...
, and eight fellowships.
History
In the period 1930–32, Christianity was introduced to the tribes and two young Rabhas accepted Christianity.
The number of Christian families increased to around 20 families and a church established in Kalbhandari.
Two Rabhas, Kamakya and Ganesh Rabha, approached the Glasbys,
Australian missionaries of the
Australian Baptist Missionary Society, for help revitalising the church after many families had returned to Hinduism. The first Rabha Baptist Church was established at
Kalbhandari on May 6, 1959.
Rev Rex Glasby formulated the name “Rabha Baptist Church Union”, registering the RBCU under the society of Registration Act. 1960. The change of name to "Rabha Baptist Convention” occurred on February 14, 2014.
See also
*
Council of Baptist Churches in Northeast India
The Council of Baptist Churches in Northeast India is a Baptist Christian denomination in North East India. It is a member of the Asia Pacific Baptist Federation.
It is also a member body of the North East India Christian Council, the regional c ...
*
List of Christian denominations in North East India
The following shows the Christian denominations present in Northeast India, along with number of churches and approximate number of Church members.
Anglican
* Church of North India (CNI)
** Diocese of Northeast India (275) 50,000
* Church o ...
*
Boro Baptist Church Association
The Boro Baptist Church Association (BBCA) is a Baptist Christian denomination in the state of Assam (Northeast India). Established in 1927 by the American Baptist Missionaries and later nurtured by Australian Baptist Missionary Society ABMS (now ...
*
Boro Baptist Convention
Boro Baptist Convention or BBC is a Baptist churches convention based in Assam, India, with more than 52,000 members and 354 congregations as of 2014. The Boro Baptist Convention was established in 1914 and completed its centenary celebrations i ...
*
Mising Baptist Kebang
Mising Baptist Kebang (MBK) is a Baptist churches convention based in Assam, India. It has six associations and is spread across six districts of Assam. It is an associate member of the Council of Baptist Churches in Northeast India, and has over 1 ...
*
Assam Baptist Convention
Assam Baptist Convention (ABC) is a Baptist Christian denomination based in Assam, India, with more than 37,000 members and 300 congregations.
History
The Assam Baptist Convention traces its origins back to the work of 19th Century Baptists miss ...
*
Garo Baptist Convention
Garo Baptist Convention is a Baptist Christian denomination of India and Bangladesh. It is named after the ethnic group of the name Garo. Most members of this church are in Meghalaya. In Bangladesh the central office of the GBC is located in Bi ...
*
Nagaland Baptist Church Council
The Nagaland Baptist Church Council is a Baptist Christian organization based in Nagaland, India. It is affiliated with the Council of Baptist Churches in Northeast India and the Baptist World Alliance. The headquarters is located in Kohima, t ...
*
Arunachal Baptist Church Council
The Arunachal Baptist Church Council (ABCC) is a Baptist Christian denomination in the state of Arunachal Pradesh in North East India. ABCC is led by Mr. Pema Tshetan, President, and Advocate Tugaso Manyu, General Secretary. The convention has it ...
*
Assam Baptist Convention
Assam Baptist Convention (ABC) is a Baptist Christian denomination based in Assam, India, with more than 37,000 members and 300 congregations.
History
The Assam Baptist Convention traces its origins back to the work of 19th Century Baptists miss ...
References
External links
B. G. Carlsson ''Contested Belonging: An Indigenous People's Struggle for Forest and Identity in Sub-Himalayan Bengal''
Baptist denominations in India
{{Baptists-stub