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The Kuki Churches Unification Movements
The coming of Christianity among the Kukis is now almost a hundred years, and today the Kuki church is flourishing and has a Christian population of approximately 95 percent of the population. The coming of Christianity brought to them not only a life of spiritual salvation but also an end to the old ways of living; their outlook to life and lifestyle was transformed.
Christianity was brought among the Kukis by two main Christian missions, the Baptist and the Presbyterian. In the Naga and Mikir hills, Baptist missions came in and the churches were known as Kuki Baptist churches. Similarly, in Tripura and Burma, Christianity among the Kukis was brought in by the Baptist missions. In a North Cachar hills and Lushai hills, Presbyterian missions first set in their foot and the churches in the Kuki areas were known as Ngalsong Presbytery.
William Pettigrew was the first foreign missionary ever to have landed on the soil of Manipur on the 6th Frbruary1894, sponsored by the American Baptist Mission Union. He, together with Dr. Crozier, worked together in the North and the Northeast of Manipur. In the south, Watkins Robert of the Welsh Presbytery mission organized the Indo-Burma Thadou-Kuki Pioneer Mission in 1913. To have a broader scope, the mission’s name was changed to North East India General Mission (NEIGM). Later, under the division of NEIGM, according to languages, the people who still prefer Kuki were grouped under Kuki Christian Association. In the 1996 Annual assembly of the KCA at Tuibuong, its name was rechristened as Evangelical Churches Association (ECA).
In the Northeast of Manipur, North East Kuki Baptist Association, Manipur (NEKBAM) exists. Kuki Baptist Association was established in 1950 at South Changoubung, which comprises of Kuki Baptist churches in other areas. Imn March 1958 KBA and NEKBAM combined together and formed the Kuki Baptist Convention at the Tujangvaichong conference with T.Lumkim as its first Executive Secretary. Unfortunately many leaders who formed this convention later left to join other organization.
In March 1959, seven delegates representing all the Kuki inhabited areas of Manipur met at Kaithelmanbi military village to search the reason of disintegration of the Kuki Christians and to prevent further disintegration before unification. Resolution No.1of the conference underscores the need felt by the delegates to form a Christian literature organization of the commonly spoken language.
In May 15-16, 1959, two delegates each from all denominations met at Molnom village to discuss the matter further. At the Molnom conference federal organization of the Kuki Christian called “Kuki National Christian Council” was formed comprising the then existing Kuki Christian Denomination organizations. The council comprised of three-committees: K.N.C.C Literature Committee, Inter-denominational Committee and Church Union Planning Committee. T.Lunkim was elected as the President Khupjapao Singson as Secretary of the Council.
The delegates met again in August 1959, at Molvom village in the Naga Hills where the council’s mane was changed to “Kukis Christian Council”. T.Lunkim and Rev. Seikholet Singson were given the charge of drafting the Constitution. At this juncture the Welsh and American missionaries, while hearing about the proposed unification of churches, said that if such a Christian association is to emerge they have no work to do and must leave the mission works. So, due to the sympathy of the American and Welsh missionaries the proposed unification movements was postponed indefinitely.
Nevertheless, the leaders of the unification movements revived the works again in the late 1970’s. All church leaders were invited for a conference at Nomjang. At the 16th Conference of K.C.C at Nomjang, North Cachar Hills, Assam in April 1977 a resolution (No.11) was passed underlining the need to transform the ‘Council’ in to a ‘Church’. However, the churches at this time had been fully established and all doctrines have been inculcated at all denominations. The conference was not attended by all important denominational leaders. So, even though the conference was attended by most leaders, the denominational divide was strong enough that upholding ones own doctrines and leaderships over-ride the move for unification. On April 8th 1979 in the18th K.C.C conference at Chalwa, the Federal Organisation was transformed in to a church and some groups stated taking Kuki Christian Council a disappeared. As a result of deep misunderstanding between the Kuki Christian leaders the people in different denominations even developed the felling of themselves as being a different nationality.
After several years of misunderstanding among the Kuki Christian leaders came the Kuki Naga conflict, in which many lives villages and lands of the Kukis were lost. In such period of suffering and turmoil the Kuki Christian leaders thought about reconciliation, keep aside their differences and formed the Kuki Christian Leaders Fellowship (KCLF), which is not church level but a forum for the leaders. This was successful not only in reconciliation and working together of the church leaders but was also successful in inducing more love and closeness among the people.
The consciousness of the need for church unification slowly redeveloped among the church leaders. The nationalists more precisely, the extremists, felt the need for church unification for national, social and political reconstruction and therefore, there was plan for the unification of the churches under their initiative. When this plan was underway, the senior church leaders pleaded to the nationalists to transfer the unification work to them and the nationalists did so. Thenceforth, the church unification work was handled by the church leaders (KCLF).
Regarding the unification of churches, a number of seminars were held and there developed a difference in opinion regarding the structure which would eventually become an organic structure. This issue was put up in the assembly of different denominations and most denominations favoured a federal structure except KBC which favoured an organic structure. The KBC Assembly in 2001 again discussed the matter and agreed for a federal structure.
KCLF agreed that after the unification of churches, the unified organization would be called, “United Church of India”. The aims and objects of KCLF are:
1. Unity of churches according to 1.Gods will, (John 17:11)
2. To make God out nations Lord, (Psalm 33:12) and
3. Nations exercise of strength in unity and in Gods will.
After some years of the inception of the KCLF, especially when the national crisis abated and ended, the associational/organizational leasers meetings were mostly regarded as KBC and ECA. While other looked from a distance, KCC, which dedicatedly and tirelessly worked for the establishment of KCLF, and Chongthu Baptist Association, withdrew from the Leaders Fellowship. And others moved further away and eventually disappeared from the scene. Now, when the workings of the KCLF is observed, it is more like a group of individual activity depending passively upon the donation of some individuals rather than being and associational/organizational level activity.
Among the Kukis there are many types of segregation, but church/religious segregation is much deeper and higher than all others, and this deep religious division is brought about by church/ religious leaders. Rev. Seikholet in his “Good Friday” message in KWS (S) said that the Kukis are segregated into fragments because we do not worship God but the “Church”. It is high time for the religious, social and political leaders especially the most senior leaders to examine themselves. “As people of an older generation and in a position of leadership, if the people cannot follow them and if there is no progress for the nation under their leadership, and because they are still alive and their leadership cannot end, there is a suspicions that God do not use them anymore or has left them.”
In his message in KWS(S), December 2002, Rev Hawlngam said that for unification we must give away our individual preferences, humble ourselves and pray more. Rev. M. Haokhothang said that, “We always have a plan for unification, but it is difficult” he is of the view that we should not hope for unification by creating one more organisation. Only when the people becomes conscious about the need for unification then shall we achieve unity.
We are like Ichabod, which means no glory or the glory of God has departed form Israel, for the ark of Gods has been captured (1Sammuel 4:21-22).The lost of the ark did not mean that God had abandoned his people but did signal estrangement in the relation between God and his people and it demonstrated the error in the thinking that, in spite of their wickedness they had the power to coerce God into doing their will simply because they possessed the ark. We should not think that being a Christian we have the power to coerce God in doing our will. We must realize that the glory of God departs form us because of our wickedness, like the Israelites.
We talk and plan big things, but when it comes to implementation it is diluted. We do not receive what we asked, and what we plan are not successful because we (especially the leaders) ask for and plan with wrong motives, that we may spend in our own pleasures (James4.3). We have faced so many political, social, ethnic, and religious crises in the past decades of the 20th century and we have tried to solve with out own strength and intelligence, but we failed,, So brothers and sisters, let us seek God, draw near to God and he will draw near to us (James 5:8) and make God our nations Lord (Ps. 33:12) in the 21st century.
Published at Ahsijolneng Annual Issue, 2003
Christianity was brought among the Kukis by two main Christian missions, the Baptist and the Presbyterian. In the Naga and Mikir hills, Baptist missions came in and the churches were known as Kuki Baptist churches. Similarly, in Tripura and Burma, Christianity among the Kukis was brought in by the Baptist missions. In a North Cachar hills and Lushai hills, Presbyterian missions first set in their foot and the churches in the Kuki areas were known as Ngalsong Presbytery.
William Pettigrew was the first foreign missionary ever to have landed on the soil of Manipur on the 6th Frbruary1894, sponsored by the American Baptist Mission Union. He, together with Dr. Crozier, worked together in the North and the Northeast of Manipur. In the south, Watkins Robert of the Welsh Presbytery mission organized the Indo-Burma Thadou-Kuki Pioneer Mission in 1913. To have a broader scope, the mission’s name was changed to North East India General Mission (NEIGM). Later, under the division of NEIGM, according to languages, the people who still prefer Kuki were grouped under Kuki Christian Association. In the 1996 Annual assembly of the KCA at Tuibuong, its name was rechristened as Evangelical Churches Association (ECA).
In the Northeast of Manipur, North East Kuki Baptist Association, Manipur (NEKBAM) exists. Kuki Baptist Association was established in 1950 at South Changoubung, which comprises of Kuki Baptist churches in other areas. Imn March 1958 KBA and NEKBAM combined together and formed the Kuki Baptist Convention at the Tujangvaichong conference with T.Lumkim as its first Executive Secretary. Unfortunately many leaders who formed this convention later left to join other organization.
In March 1959, seven delegates representing all the Kuki inhabited areas of Manipur met at Kaithelmanbi military village to search the reason of disintegration of the Kuki Christians and to prevent further disintegration before unification. Resolution No.1of the conference underscores the need felt by the delegates to form a Christian literature organization of the commonly spoken language.
In May 15-16, 1959, two delegates each from all denominations met at Molnom village to discuss the matter further. At the Molnom conference federal organization of the Kuki Christian called “Kuki National Christian Council” was formed comprising the then existing Kuki Christian Denomination organizations. The council comprised of three-committees: K.N.C.C Literature Committee, Inter-denominational Committee and Church Union Planning Committee. T.Lunkim was elected as the President Khupjapao Singson as Secretary of the Council.
The delegates met again in August 1959, at Molvom village in the Naga Hills where the council’s mane was changed to “Kukis Christian Council”. T.Lunkim and Rev. Seikholet Singson were given the charge of drafting the Constitution. At this juncture the Welsh and American missionaries, while hearing about the proposed unification of churches, said that if such a Christian association is to emerge they have no work to do and must leave the mission works. So, due to the sympathy of the American and Welsh missionaries the proposed unification movements was postponed indefinitely.
Nevertheless, the leaders of the unification movements revived the works again in the late 1970’s. All church leaders were invited for a conference at Nomjang. At the 16th Conference of K.C.C at Nomjang, North Cachar Hills, Assam in April 1977 a resolution (No.11) was passed underlining the need to transform the ‘Council’ in to a ‘Church’. However, the churches at this time had been fully established and all doctrines have been inculcated at all denominations. The conference was not attended by all important denominational leaders. So, even though the conference was attended by most leaders, the denominational divide was strong enough that upholding ones own doctrines and leaderships over-ride the move for unification. On April 8th 1979 in the18th K.C.C conference at Chalwa, the Federal Organisation was transformed in to a church and some groups stated taking Kuki Christian Council a disappeared. As a result of deep misunderstanding between the Kuki Christian leaders the people in different denominations even developed the felling of themselves as being a different nationality.
After several years of misunderstanding among the Kuki Christian leaders came the Kuki Naga conflict, in which many lives villages and lands of the Kukis were lost. In such period of suffering and turmoil the Kuki Christian leaders thought about reconciliation, keep aside their differences and formed the Kuki Christian Leaders Fellowship (KCLF), which is not church level but a forum for the leaders. This was successful not only in reconciliation and working together of the church leaders but was also successful in inducing more love and closeness among the people.
The consciousness of the need for church unification slowly redeveloped among the church leaders. The nationalists more precisely, the extremists, felt the need for church unification for national, social and political reconstruction and therefore, there was plan for the unification of the churches under their initiative. When this plan was underway, the senior church leaders pleaded to the nationalists to transfer the unification work to them and the nationalists did so. Thenceforth, the church unification work was handled by the church leaders (KCLF).
Regarding the unification of churches, a number of seminars were held and there developed a difference in opinion regarding the structure which would eventually become an organic structure. This issue was put up in the assembly of different denominations and most denominations favoured a federal structure except KBC which favoured an organic structure. The KBC Assembly in 2001 again discussed the matter and agreed for a federal structure.
KCLF agreed that after the unification of churches, the unified organization would be called, “United Church of India”. The aims and objects of KCLF are:
1. Unity of churches according to 1.Gods will, (John 17:11)
2. To make God out nations Lord, (Psalm 33:12) and
3. Nations exercise of strength in unity and in Gods will.
After some years of the inception of the KCLF, especially when the national crisis abated and ended, the associational/organizational leasers meetings were mostly regarded as KBC and ECA. While other looked from a distance, KCC, which dedicatedly and tirelessly worked for the establishment of KCLF, and Chongthu Baptist Association, withdrew from the Leaders Fellowship. And others moved further away and eventually disappeared from the scene. Now, when the workings of the KCLF is observed, it is more like a group of individual activity depending passively upon the donation of some individuals rather than being and associational/organizational level activity.
Among the Kukis there are many types of segregation, but church/religious segregation is much deeper and higher than all others, and this deep religious division is brought about by church/ religious leaders. Rev. Seikholet in his “Good Friday” message in KWS (S) said that the Kukis are segregated into fragments because we do not worship God but the “Church”. It is high time for the religious, social and political leaders especially the most senior leaders to examine themselves. “As people of an older generation and in a position of leadership, if the people cannot follow them and if there is no progress for the nation under their leadership, and because they are still alive and their leadership cannot end, there is a suspicions that God do not use them anymore or has left them.”
In his message in KWS(S), December 2002, Rev Hawlngam said that for unification we must give away our individual preferences, humble ourselves and pray more. Rev. M. Haokhothang said that, “We always have a plan for unification, but it is difficult” he is of the view that we should not hope for unification by creating one more organisation. Only when the people becomes conscious about the need for unification then shall we achieve unity.
We are like Ichabod, which means no glory or the glory of God has departed form Israel, for the ark of Gods has been captured (1Sammuel 4:21-22).The lost of the ark did not mean that God had abandoned his people but did signal estrangement in the relation between God and his people and it demonstrated the error in the thinking that, in spite of their wickedness they had the power to coerce God into doing their will simply because they possessed the ark. We should not think that being a Christian we have the power to coerce God in doing our will. We must realize that the glory of God departs form us because of our wickedness, like the Israelites.
We talk and plan big things, but when it comes to implementation it is diluted. We do not receive what we asked, and what we plan are not successful because we (especially the leaders) ask for and plan with wrong motives, that we may spend in our own pleasures (James4.3). We have faced so many political, social, ethnic, and religious crises in the past decades of the 20th century and we have tried to solve with out own strength and intelligence, but we failed,, So brothers and sisters, let us seek God, draw near to God and he will draw near to us (James 5:8) and make God our nations Lord (Ps. 33:12) in the 21st century.
Published at Ahsijolneng Annual Issue, 2003