History of Christianity in Mizoram
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The history of Christianity in Mizoram covers the origin and development of all forms of
Christianity in Mizoram Christianity is the largest religion in Mizoram. The majority 87% of Mizoram population are Christian in various denominations, predominantly Presbyterian. More than 98% of the Mizos are Christians by faith. The Government of Mizoram declared th ...
since the British occupation at the end of the 19th century. Christianity arrived as a consequence of tribal warfare, raids of British plantations, and the ensuing punitive British military expedition called the
Lushai Expedition The British Indian Army Lushai Expedition of 1871 to 1872 was a punitive incursion under the command of Generals Brownlow and Bourchier. The objectives of the expedition were to rescue British subjects who had been captured by the Lushais in ...
of 1871. The subsequent annexation of the erstwhile
Lushai Hills The Lushai (Pron: ˌlʊˈʃaɪ) Hills (or Mizo Hills) are a mountain range in Mizoram and Manipur, India. The range is part of the Patkai range system and its highest point is 2,157 m high Phawngpui, also known as 'Blue Mountain'. Flora and fau ...
to the
British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...
opened the gateway for British Christian missions to
evangelise In Christianity, evangelism (or witnessing) is the act of preaching the gospel with the intention of sharing the message and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians who specialize in evangelism are often known as evangelists, whether they are i ...
the
Mizo people The Mizo people ( Mizo: ''Mizo hnam'') are an ethnic group native to the Indian state of Mizoram and neighbouring regions of Northeast India. The term covers several related ethnic groups or clans inside the Mizo group. All Mizo tribes and cla ...
. By the 1890s, the
British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...
occupied all of Lushai Hills. It was still a chaotic administration as the natives were still under the influence of several
tribal chiefdom A chiefdom is a form of hierarchical political organization in non-industrial societies usually based on kinship, and in which formal leadership is monopolized by the legitimate senior members of select families or 'houses'. These elites form a ...
s, practising animistic rituals and completely illiterate. Their
rituals A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed according to a set sequence. Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community. Rituals are characterized, ...
and tribal lifestyles were serious hindrance to law and order. There was an urgent need to introduce formal education. The solution came in the form of Christian missionaries. The pioneers were James Herbert Lorrain (He was given a Mizo name as Pu Buanga) and F.W Savidge (He was given a name Sap Upa) sent by the Arthington Aborigines Mission in London, who entered Lushai Hills in 1894, the year venerated in Mizoram as the "advent of the
Gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...
". The Arthington mission was of Baptist persuasion and the first two missionaries were of the
Baptist Church 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 compete ...
, the first church in Mizoram was a
Baptist Church 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 compete ...
. It was established at Sethlun, Lunglei which is still a venerated establishment by the Mizo populus. Even, the recorded first christian conversion was that of the cheiftain of Durtlang, Aizawl, by the name M.Suaka. Other denominations soon arrived, including
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
,
Salvation Army Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...
,
United Pentecostal Church The United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI) is a Oneness Pentecostal denomination headquartered in Weldon Spring, Missouri, United States. The United Pentecostal Church International was formed in 1945 by a merger of the former Pentecostal C ...
, Seventh-day Adventists and others. Half a century later, the Mizos by and large were converted. A variety of indigenous denominations also emerged. The new religion was immensely effective at overturning the traditional culture. Christianity turned into a new culture and ethnic identity. By the end of 20th century, Mizoram became the most Christian populated state (and third highest in
literacy rate Literacy in its broadest sense describes "particular ways of thinking about and doing reading and writing" with the purpose of understanding or expressing thoughts or ideas in written form in some specific context of use. In other words, huma ...
as of 2011 census) in India, and the native population is almost entirely of Christians.


Prelude


Alexandrapur incident and British military expeditions

Before the mid-19th century Mizos were virtually unknown. The British Empire, which had
occupied ' (Norwegian: ') is a Norwegian political thriller TV series that premiered on TV2 on 5 October 2015. Based on an original idea by Jo Nesbø, the series is co-created with Karianne Lund and Erik Skjoldbjærg. Season 2 premiered on 10 October 2 ...
all the surrounding
Chittagong Chittagong ( /ˈtʃɪt əˌɡɒŋ/ ''chit-uh-gong''; ctg, চিটাং; bn, চিটাগং), officially Chattogram ( bn, চট্টগ্রাম), is the second-largest city in Bangladesh after Dhaka and third largest city in B ...
and
Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
, had little or no interest in the tribes or their hilly land. The Mizos then lived in small and isolated clusters of tribal chiefdoms, often raising warfare against each other. Their religious views were dominated by
paganism Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christianity, early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions ot ...
and they led
animistic Animism (from Latin: ' meaning 'breath, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence. Potentially, animism perceives all things—animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather systems, hum ...
world view, with unique concept of afterlife called Pialral. They practised elaborate rituals including
animal sacrifice Animal sacrifice is the ritual killing and offering of one or more animals, usually as part of a religious ritual or to appease or maintain favour with a deity. Animal sacrifices were common throughout Europe and the Ancient Near East until the spr ...
, and worshipped or feared almost all conceivable inanimate objects, diseases and unusual natural phenomena. The British officers used to describe them as "irreclaimable savages". Around 1850 the Mizos started to encroach the British plantations in the neighbouring
Cachar Cachar district is an administrative district in the state of Assam in India. After independence the undivided Cachar district was split into four districts in Assam: Dima Hasao district (formerly North Cachar Hills), Cachar district alongside ...
. The raid was most severe in 1871 when a series of attacks resulted in several deaths on both sides, with extensive damage on the plantations. A number of workers and soldiers were taken prisoner, and among them a six-year-old Mary Winchester. Mary Winchester was taken as hostage by Bengkhuaia warriors, while other prisoners were executed on the way. To retaliate, the British military organised punitive expedition named
Lushai Expedition The British Indian Army Lushai Expedition of 1871 to 1872 was a punitive incursion under the command of Generals Brownlow and Bourchier. The objectives of the expedition were to rescue British subjects who had been captured by the Lushais in ...
in 1871–1872 in the northern region. The Mizo villages were crushed one by one, and Mary Winchester was rescued. Mizo chiefs made a truce not to make further encroachments. But the truce was soon broken. In 1889 British military was forced to subjugate all the major chiefdoms throughout Mizoram (then called
Lushai Hills The Lushai (Pron: ˌlʊˈʃaɪ) Hills (or Mizo Hills) are a mountain range in Mizoram and Manipur, India. The range is part of the Patkai range system and its highest point is 2,157 m high Phawngpui, also known as 'Blue Mountain'. Flora and fau ...
), and got permanently fortified in major villages such as Aijal (now
Aizawl Aizawl (; Mizo: ) is the capital of the state of Mizoram in India. Aizawl was officially established on 25 February 1890. With a population of 293,416, it is the largest city in the state. It is also the centre of administration containing all ...
) and Lungleh (now
Lunglei Lunglei (Pron: /ˈlooŋgˌleɪ/) is a town, situated in the south-central part of Mizoram state, northeastern India. Lunglei, literally meaning 'bridge of rock' got its name from a bridge like rock found in the riverine area around Nghasih - a ...
). The land came under military occupation and subjected to the British rule.


Missionary reconnaissance

The British administration over Mizos was a hectic problem. The totally illiterate people still practised their own tribal customs, which often got in the way of law and order. The obvious option for the government was to introduce education, and a simple solution was through Christian missions. A young Welsh Presbyterian missionary Rev. William Williams who was working in Khasi Hills happened to meet Mizo prisoners at
Sylhet Sylhet ( bn, সিলেট) is a metropolitan city in northeastern Bangladesh. It is the administrative seat of the Sylhet Division. Located on the north bank of the Surma River at the eastern tip of Bengal, Sylhet has a subtropical climate an ...
prison in February 1891. Learning their stories, he acquired a strong desire to work in Lushai Hills. With three friends he made an investigative trip in March 1891 to Aizawl. After four weeks, he returned to Khasi Hills with a determination to start a mission. While the Welsh Mission approved the extension of mission in Lushai Hills in 1892, he unfortunately died of
typhoid Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several ...
on 21 April 1892. On closer scrutiny of Williams activities during his visit, the date of his arrival, 15 March, is declared as the true "Missionary Day" by Mizoram Presbyterian Church in its 89th General Assembly in 2012.


Arthington and his mission

A British philanthropist and stern follower of Christ, moved by his passion for missions among the pagans started from his own pocket, without the help of a church, a mission with the help of the BMS or Baptist Mission Society. With this enthusiasm he established what he called Arthington Aborigines Mission in 1889 for evangelisation of tribal people in
northeast India , native_name_lang = mni , settlement_type = , image_skyline = , image_alt = , image_caption = , motto = , image_map = Northeast india.png , ...
. For Mizos he chose J.H. Lorrain and F.W. Savidge of the
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
Southgate Road Southgate Road is a street in London, England, that runs from Baring Street in the south to the junction with Mildmay Park and Ball's Pond Road in the north. The street forms a part of the B102 road, leading from Newington Green to The City. The ...
Baptist Church 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 compete ...
.


Arthington Aborigines Mission

The arrival of Christianity and formal education in Mizoram is due to Robert Arthington. Lorrain reached India on 1 January 1890. But not knowing further steps to take he stayed in
Chittagong Chittagong ( /ˈtʃɪt əˌɡɒŋ/ ''chit-uh-gong''; ctg, চিটাং; bn, চিটাগং), officially Chattogram ( bn, চট্টগ্রাম), is the second-largest city in Bangladesh after Dhaka and third largest city in B ...
(now in
Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
) for almost two years. Then Savidge arrived in
calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...
in November 1891. The two met at an evangelical campaign at Brahmanbaria (now in Bangladesh) organised by the New Zealand Baptists. They planned to start camping in
Tripura Tripura (, Bengali: ) is a state in Northeast India. The third-smallest state in the country, it covers ; and the seventh-least populous state with a population of 36.71 lakh ( 3.67 million). It is bordered by Assam and Mizoram to the east a ...
, but were bluntly objected by the ruler,
Maharaja Mahārāja (; also spelled Maharajah, Maharaj) is a Sanskrit title for a "great ruler", "great king" or " high king". A few ruled states informally called empires, including ruler raja Sri Gupta, founder of the ancient Indian Gupta Empire, an ...
. Dejected they travelled northward into deeper Chittagong. After a long wait for permission from the government to enter Lushai Hills, they were only allowed to stay at Kasalong village, the nearest possible location. This was due to constant insurgency from the Mizo tribes. After several months of starvation and
dysentery Dysentery (UK pronunciation: , US: ), historically known as the bloody flux, is a type of gastroenteritis that results in bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, and a feeling of incomplete defecation. Complications ...
they moved to
Darjeeling Darjeeling (, , ) is a town and municipality in the northernmost region of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located in the Eastern Himalayas, it has an average elevation of . To the west of Darjeeling lies the easternmost province of Nepal, ...
and finally to Silchar. They waited for one whole year in 1893 for fresh permission. Fortunately while at Silchar they frequently met Mizo travellers, from whom they started learning their language. Finally, a permit was issued and they immediately set off on
Tlawng River The Tlawng is a river of Mizoram, northeastern India. Its tributaries include the Tut River, Tut, Teirei River, Teirei and the Ngashih. The city of Aizawl lies in the Tlawng valley. In 2012, a dam (Tlawng Dam) was proposed for the river. Histo ...
in a canoe on
Boxing Day Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide (26 December). Though it originated as a holiday to give gifts to the poor, today Boxing Day is primarily known as a shopping holiday. It ...
of 1893. They arrived in Aizawl on 11 January 1894. The day is now observed as public holiday as "Missionary Day" in the state. They made camp at Thingpui Huan Tlang ("Tea Graden"), MacDonald Hill, Zarkawt. They immediately worked on creating Mizo alphabets based on Roman script. After only two and half months, Savidge started the first school on 1 April 1894. Their first and only pupils were Suaka and Thangphunga. They translated and published the Gospels of Luke and John, and
Acts of the Apostles The Acts of the Apostles ( grc-koi, Πράξεις Ἀποστόλων, ''Práxeis Apostólōn''; la, Actūs Apostolōrum) is the fifth book of the New Testament; it tells of the founding of the Christian Church and the spread of its messag ...
. They also prepared ''A Grammar and Dictionary of the Lushai language (Dulien Dialect)'' which they published in 1898, and became the foundation of Mizo language. The Arthington Mission mandated the missionaries to move to new fields after two-three years, and had no intention of establishing churches. The mission at Aizawl was called off and was handed over to Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Mission in 1897. Lorrain and Savidge departed from Aizawl for England on 31 December 1897.


The first church

Calvinistic Methodist Church (now properly the Presbyterian Church of Wales) took over the Lushai Hills as its mission field and sent the first missionary Revd. D. E. Jones, who arrived in Aizawl on 31 August 1897. This marked the foundation of
Presbyterian Church Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
in Mizoram. Lorrain and Savidge, the pioneer Baptist missionaries offered him hospitality at Thingpui Huan and provided him necessary preparation for his works, as it seemed, they felt, a plentiful harvest but with too few a workers, gladly accepted the helping hand as a gesture of good faith, and therefore soon moved their camp at Mission Veng, to the southern part of Aizawl and departed soon after for a more ripened field, rather than sitting stagnant on an already harvested field. On his birthday on 15 February 1898 Jones opened a school at his
bungalow A bungalow is a small house or cottage that is either single-story or has a second story built into a sloping roof (usually with dormer windows), and may be surrounded by wide verandas. The first house in England that was classified as a b ...
which was soon used as a place of congregation meeting such as worship and Sunday schools. This organised congregation in 1898 is considered as the origin of church in Mizoram, and the establishment of Mission Veng Kohhran. An entirely separate church building was constructed only in 1913, at a place called ''Hriangmual bawlhmun'' (the current location of Mission Veng Church), which was an ancient altar of pagan worship. In August 1897, the Welsh Mission had arranged a
Khasi Khasi may refer to: * Khasi people, an ethnic group of Meghalaya, India * Khasi language, a major Austroasiatic language spoken in Meghalaya, India * Khāṣi language, an Indo-Aryan language of Jammu and Kashmir, India See also * Khasi Hills * Gh ...
Christian Rai Bahadur and his family from Khasi Hills to help Jones, therefore the first enlisted congregation consisted of 6 Khasis in addition to Jones and his wife.


First baptism

Two young men named Khuma and Khara became the first fully converted Christians among the Mizos. Khuma had been tutored under Lorrain and Savidge but initially showed no sign of apparent interest in the religion. But in 1898 he became more and more impressed, and with his friend Khara, they were baptised by Jones on 25 July 1899. However, the first individuals to be baptised in Lushai Hills were two Khasis, who received baptism in earlier mid-July. Khara was however not fully devoted and soon reverted to the old faith after getting into government service.


First church building

Although the first congregational worship started in Aizawl, northern Mizoram, the first independent church building was established in southern Mizoram, at a small village called Sethlun, near Lunglei. It was constructed in 1902.


Baptist church

The first ever denomination to come up was the Baptist Church propagated and established by the duo Arthington Missionaries. However, with the coming of the Presbyterian missionaries and their consequent setting up on the harvested fields of the Baptist missionary duo; with endeavour and sincerity, the Welsh mission, in 1901, agreed to divide the Lushai Hills into two separate fields, and gave the southern part to
Baptist Missionary Society BMS World Mission is a Mission (Christian), Christian missionary society founded by Baptists from England in 1792. It was originally called the Particular Baptist Society for the Propagation of the Gospel Amongst the Heathen, but for most of its ...
(BMS) of London. BMS had received inheritance from the will of Robert Arthington, and with that they could manage the mission field of southern Lushai Hills. Their missionaries Lorrain and Savidge, of the same Arthington mission workers, arrived in Lunglei in March 1903. They were greeted by some 125 Mizo Christians from Sethlun. They settled at
Serkawn Sêrkâwn is a village within Lunglei Administrative Block, Mizoram, India. It is continuous with Lunglei within 1 km area. It is 107 km from the state capital Aizawl. The place chosen by British missionaries, it is the home of Christi ...
and this Lunglei-annexed village became the eventual headquarters of Baptist Church in Mizoram.


Lakher Pioneer Mission

The BMS could not still cover the extreme southern corner of Lushai Hills. Lorrain therefore urged his younger brother Reginald to start a mission work among the Mara people ("Lakher" to foreigners). Reginald Arthur Lorrain and his wife Maud founded the Lakher Pioneer Mission in London in 1905. They entered Maraland (now includes southern end of Mizoram and adjoining
Chin State Chin State (, ) is a state in western Myanmar. The Chin State is bordered by Sagaing Division and Magway Division to the east, Rakhine State to the south, Bangladesh to the south-west, and the Indian states of Mizoram to the west and Manipur t ...
of
Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
) and settled at Serkawr (Saikao) village on 26 September 1907. The Lorrains were refused financial support by missionary societies in England, and were entirely financed by a fund-raising group based in Lorrain's home church at
Penge Penge () is a suburb of South East London, England, now in the London Borough of Bromley, west of Bromley, north east of Croydon and south east of Charing Cross. History Penge was once a small hamlet, which was recorded under the name Pence ...
. In the 1930s, additional finance came from Bruce Lorrain-Foxall's family and a church in Bridgnorth,
Shropshire Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to th ...
. With the additional fund few assistant missionaries joined the mission. By 1950 all Maras became converted. As an independent and self-supported mission the church had no official name until 1960, when Albert Bruce Lorrain Foxall, the son-in-law of R.A. Lorrain, gave the name "Lakher Independent Evangelical Church" at a conference on 26 March. "Lakher" was replaced by "Mara" at the General Assembly in 1967. After administrative separation of India and Burma in 1947–1948, Maraland was split and the Mara church got divided accordingly. The Indian counterpart became
Evangelical Church of Maraland Evangelical Church of Maraland is a church in southern Mizoram in northeast India. It was founded by English missionary Reverend and Mrs Reginald Arthur Lorrain (brother of missionary James Herbert Lorrain) in 1907. It is the largest church amon ...
. Mara Independent Evangelical Church then faced administrative break up in 1970, to be reconciled only in 1987. The unified church became
Mara Evangelical Church Mara Evangelical Church, or MEC in short, is one of the churches in Myanmar, formerly Burma, founded by English missionaries Reverend and Mrs. Reginald Arthur Lorrain in the year 1907. It is one of the oldest churches in Chin state, Myanmar. It w ...
.


Influence of Khasi revival

In 1903 church statistics showed that there were 46 church members, of which 11 were Khasis. In January 1904 there was an upsurge of Christian revival among Khasis in Khasi Hills. Six Mizo delegates from Lushai Hills attended the Assembly at
Mairang Mairang is the headquarters of Eastern West Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya, India. It is located at about 40 km from the state capital Shillong, and 45 km (approx.) from Nongstoin along National Highway 106. Geography Mairang is ...
in 1906. They received the revival spirit, and when they returned to Aizawl they spread the revival spirit among the Mizos. Evangelism then was in an unprecedented pace throughout Lushai Hills with mass conversions in almost all villages. By 1912 the figure of baptised Mizos soared to 3,999. After a year the number almost doubled (7,423). After the revival of the 1930s the entire Mizo community was considered as Christianised, except for only few individual dissenters.


Other denominations

#
Salvation Army Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...
was formally established on 26 April 1917 by Kawl Khuma. Khuma was a young Christian preacher. He was inspired by a military system of organisation. When he was introduced to a Salvation Army officer Booth-Tucker at
Shimla Shimla (; ; also known as Simla, List of renamed Indian cities and states#Himachal Pradesh, the official name until 1972) is the capital and the largest city of the States and union territories of India, northern Indian state of Himachal Prade ...
, he was soon converted. He went for formal training at
Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
. In 1917 he became the first commissioned officer in India and started his mission at Aizawl, and called it ''Chhandama Sipai''. India Eastern became a separate command on 1 June 1991 and became a territory in 1993. #
Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
arrived in 1925. In a brief visit from Chittagong, Fr. Boulay, CSC, baptised two infants on 6 December 1925 which marked the beginning of Catholicism. However, early opposition arose from Protestants, and as a result, the first Catholic church came up only in 1947. With permission from the Governor of Assam, two Canadian Holy Cross Fathers Fr. George Breen, CSC, and Bro. Gilbert, CSC, arrived in Mizoram on 15 April 1947. They established their headquarters at Kulikawn. #
United Pentecostal Church The United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI) is a Oneness Pentecostal denomination headquartered in Weldon Spring, Missouri, United States. The United Pentecostal Church International was formed in 1945 by a merger of the former Pentecostal C ...
(UPC) emerged as an offshoot of the great spiritual revival in the 1930s, which resulted in many highly spiritualised Mizos seeking a more flexible church, particularly unsatisfied with the strictly Welsh-influenced system. Led by Zakamlova, a separate congregation was organised in Aizawl, but they lacked any denominational support. After several attempts to contact international missions, they established an "Apostolic Church" in 1948 with moral support from the
Apostolic Church of Pentecost The Apostolic Church of Pentecost (ACOP) is a Pentecostal Christian denomination with origins in the Pentecostal revival of the early 20th century. Although multi-national, ACOP has its strongest membership in Canada. In 2002 ACOP reported "appr ...
in United States. The first church was opened at Lungleng Vawkzawn village in October. However, Zakamlova knew the need to get full affiliation, so that he contacted Pentecostal Assemblies of the World worker Roxie A.R. Telie Dover, who was stationed at
Bhagalpur Bhagalpur is a city in the Indian state of Bihar, situated on the southern banks of the river Ganges. It is the 2nd largest city of Bihar by population and also the headquarters of Bhagalpur district and Bhagalpur division. Known as the Silk ...
. Upon invitation Dover visited Aizawl on 16 January 1949. Learning their enthusiasm and doctrinal inclination, Dover suggested them to join UPC. After getting government permission Rev E.L. Scisma inaugurated UPC on 19 February 1950. # Seventh-day Adventist arrived in 1946. It was initiated by Lallianzuala Sailo, who first made contact with the Seventh-day Adventist Church at Shillong in Meghalaya in November 1946. OW Lange was the first Adventist missionary to Mizoram.


Indigenous churches

Mass conversion within half a century and frequent bursts of revivals among Mizos led to births of numerous indigenous denominations of Christianity in Mizoram found nowhere else. With extant and existing types there are more than three dozen independent churches throughout Mizoram. The reason largely being a reciprocal revival of cultural values which were strongly opposed by the founding missions. Some notable ones in terms of stronghold and popularity are: #
Lalpa Kohhran Thar Lalpa Kohhran Thar () is a millennialist Christian sect and dissenters of the Presbyterian Church in Mizoram, India.' Started by a World War I veteran Khuangtuaha in 1942, it flourishes in Serchhip district. Originally from Hmawngkawn village, ...
(The Lord's New Church), but more famously known as Chana Pawl or Ziona Pawl, was founded by Chana's brother Khuangtuaha in 1942. The extraordinary practice is
polygamy Crimes Polygamy (from Late Greek (') "state of marriage to many spouses") is the practice of marrying multiple spouses. When a man is married to more than one wife at the same time, sociologists call this polygyny. When a woman is married ...
of the head of the church. Chana had 30 wives. His eldest son and successor (after his death in 1997) Ziona has 39 wives and over 90 children. The church is somewhat a form of '' pater familias'' as the head is revered as supreme leader. The church itself holds a world record of the World Record Academy for being the "biggest family in the world" in 2011. They are concentrated at Baktawng village. #Isua Krista Kohhran (Church of Jesus Christ) was started on 23 May 1970 at Bualpui NG village. A rival sister Isua Krista Kohhran Mizoram split out on 6 April 1977. The church is spread all over Mizoram and also in parts of Tripura, Bangladesh and Burma. #
Kohhran Thianghlim Kohhran Thianghlim (The Holy Church) is a Christian denomination in Mizoram, northeast India. It was founded by Dr L.B. Sailo (Lalbiakmawia Sailo) in 1984. The founder is a certified veterinary doctor working as the Director of Animal Husbandry ...
(Holy Church) was founded by a veterinary doctor L.B. Sailo in 1984. It is headquartered at Chawlhhmun, Aizawl, with its notable
Solomon's Temple Solomon's Temple, also known as the First Temple (, , ), was the Temple in Jerusalem between the 10th century BC and . According to the Hebrew Bible, it was commissioned by Solomon in the United Kingdom of Israel before being inherited by th ...
. #Nunna Lalchhungkua was founded by evangelist Rorelliana on 27 September 1978.


See also

*
History of Mizoram The history of Mizoram encompasses the history of Mizoram which lies in the remotest part of northeast India. It is a conglomerate history of several ethnic groups of Chin people who migrated from Chin State of Burma. But information of their p ...
*
Baptist Church of Mizoram Baptist Church of Mizoram is a Baptist Christian denomination in India. It is affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance. The headquarters is in Lunglei, Mizoram. History The Baptist Church of Mizoram has its origins in an English Baptist mi ...
* Mizoram Presbyterian Church * * Mizo Conference of Seventh-day Adventist *
Roman Catholic Diocese of Aizawl The Roman Catholic Diocese of Aizawl ( la, Aizavlen(sis)) is a diocese located in the city of Aizawl in the Ecclesiastical province of Shillong in India. History * 17 January 1952: Established as Apostolic Prefecture of Haflong from the Met ...
*
Evangelical Church of Maraland Evangelical Church of Maraland is a church in southern Mizoram in northeast India. It was founded by English missionary Reverend and Mrs Reginald Arthur Lorrain (brother of missionary James Herbert Lorrain) in 1907. It is the largest church amon ...


References


Further reading

*James Dokhuma (1975).
Zoram kohhran tualto chanchinte
'. D. Buanga, 122 pages *Chhangte Lal Hminga (1987).
The Life and Witness of the Churches in Mizoram
'. Literature Committee, Baptist Church of Mizoram, pages 365. *Mangkhosat Kipgen (1997).
Christianity and Mizo culture: the encounter between Christianity and Zo culture in Mizoram
'. Mizo Theol. Conference, pages 359. *Liangkhaia. ''Kohhran Hrang Hrang Chanchin''. L.T.L Publications, pages 122. *Liangkhaia (1976).
Mizo chanchin
'. Mizo Academy of Letters, pages147. *Lalsangkima Pachuau (2002).
Ethnic Identity and Christianity: A Socio-Historical and Missiological Study of Christianity in Northeast India with Special Reference to Mizoram
'. Peter Lang Pub Incorporated, pages 205. *Reginald Arthur Lorrain (1920).
The Wonderful Story of the Lakher Pioneer Mission: Founded on Prayer, Launched in Faith, February 11th, 1905, Evangelical & Inter-denominational
'. Lakher Pioneer Mission, pages 27 (BiblioBazaar, 2010 edition. {{ISBN, 9781177284585) *Reginald Arthur Lorrain (1912).
Five years in unknown jungles
'. Lakher Pioneer Mission, 274 pages *Saiaithanga (1969).
Mizo kohhran chanchin
'. Regional Theological Literature Committee, 168 pages *J.V. Hluna (1985).
Church & political upheaval in Mizoram: a study of impact of Christianity on the political development in Mizoram
'. Mizo History Association, 196 pages *V.L. Zaikima (2011).
Lalpa kohhran thar: khuangtuaha pâwl-châna pâwl
'. Lengchhawn Press, 136 pages


External links


Population of Nine biggest Churches in MizoramThe first church building reconstructed at SethlunPresbyterian Church of India, General AssemblyBible Believing Evangelical Church (BBEC)Mizoram Presbyterian Church SynodBaptist Church of MizoramCatholic Directory of MizoramCatholic Diocese of AizawlMizoram churchMara Evangelical ChurchEvangelical Church of MaralandSalvation ArmyMizo Adventists
Christianity in Mizoram History of Mizoram History of Christianity in India