MIZORAM PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Mizoram Presbyterian Church (Mizoram Presbyterian Kohhran) is the largest Christian denomination in Mizoram, northeast India. It was a direct progeny of the Calvinistic Methodist Church (officially named the Presbyterian Church of Wales in 1928) in Wales. It was the first church in Mizoram and is now one of the constituent bodies of a larger denomination Presbyterian Church of India (PCI), which has its headquarters in Shillong, Meghalaya. The administrative body called the Mizoram Synod has its headquarters at Mission Veng, Aizawl. As the first church, it remains the largest denomination in Mizoram.

In June 2012 the Mizoram Presbyterian Church revoked its official partnership with the Presbyterian Church of the USA with whom it formed alliance since 1999. In its 239th Executive Committee meeting, Mizoram Synod decided that ordination of gay clergy and practice of gay marriage recently endorsed by the North American church was against biblical teachings.

Origin

Mizoram Presbyterian Church was established and founded by Welsh missionaries. The Welsh church had formed Foreign Missionary Society in 1840 in Liverpool to provide missionaries to India. Chosen for Mizoram, Jones arrived in Aizawl on 31 August 1897. The pioneer missionaries F.W. Savidge and J. H. Lorrain, commissioned by Arthington Aborigines Mission, welcomed him and prepared him for his mission. The two missionaries had arrived in 1894 and started school, created Mizo script, and prepared grammar and dictionary. Jones stayed with them until the two departed on 31 December 1897 as Arthington Aborigines Mission handed over the mission field to Welsh Mission. On his birthday on 15 February 1898, Jones opened a school at his bungalow which was subsequently used as a congregational meeting place such as for worship and Sunday schools.[6] In August 1897, the Welsh Mission had arranged a Khasi Christian Rai Bahadur and his family from Khasi Hills to help Jones, therefore the first enlisted members of the congregation consisted of 6 Khasis in addition to Jones and his wife.

Statistics (as on Synod 2014-2015)

Statistics (as on 2016-2017)         Number

Presbyteries       49

Districts      288

Churches  1,097

Minister (Pastor, etc.)  560

Probationary Pastors  66

Ordained Elders 5159

Families     126,916

Communicants   413,209

Male members   291,296

Female members        303,161

Total members   594,457

Mission

Synod Mission Board is the body in charge of the missionary works of the Mizoram Presbyterian Church, within and outside India. It looks after 17 mission fields in India (including Nepal, Home Mission North and South), and sends missionaries to Taiwan, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, China, Nepal, United Kingdom, Samoa, Madagascar, American Samoa and Kiribati. Under Synod Mission Board, 1,758 workers are working for the Kingdom of God.

Statistics of Synod Mission Fields:

Pastorate 94

Number of churches 350

Number of Branch Churches 502

Fellowship 312

Members 83,797

Elders 514

Synod Mission Board established the Missionary Training Department from 1978. The Objective of this centre is to promote knowledge and understanding of the Bible, Missiology and Theology, growth in Christian discipleship and developing skill for cross cultural ministry. In 1991, a pre-service training for the 'would-be' missionaries was instituted, and has become a one-year course, which each missionary of the Church has to go through. This missionary training centre was upgraded in 2010, and it became Missionary Training College, where anyone can study Missiology.

In addition to MTC, to equip missionaries and new believers, Mizoram Synod run many programmes and institutions. Among these, Presbyterian Hindi Bible School is meant to train new believers of Indian and Nepali. Mission Development Training Centre trained missionaries and new believers in the field of agrilculture, carpentry and dairy farming. Some of the members of the Church, such as Lalsawma, a Padma Shri awardee, has been honoured by the Government of India for their contributions to the society.

Education

The Mizo Synod operates many schools, from primary level to secondary level. Synod Higher Secondary School, Aizawl has a strength of 58 teaching staff and 870 students. 40% of its seats are reserved for students from rural areas. Presbyterian Girls' School is of Middle School level with 32 teaching staff and non-teaching staff and 484 students. Besides, there are 73 schools, run by the Churches with financial grant from the Synod.

Aizawl Theological College is the only theological Institution with M.Th. studies in the State and is upgraded to Doctoral studies in 2013. It is affiliated to Serampore College (University) as a graduate and post graduate college. This theological college is founded by the first Presbyterian missionary in Mizoram, Rev. D. E. Jones in 1907, then refounded by J. Meirion Lloyd. The Master of Theology (M. Th) programme in Christian Theology had been introduced since 2002 and M. Th. (New Testament and Missiology) respectively are also being introduced from 2007 academic session. The college plans to add M. Th. studies in other disciplines in the years ahead. The college has already become a local centre for Bachelor of Christian Studies (B.C.S), Diploma in Christian Studies (Dip. C.S.), and Doctor of Ministry (D. Min) programmes of the Senate of Serampore College.

School and Colleges under Presbyterian Church of India, Mizoram Synod:

Colleges 2

High schools 24

Middle schools 113

Primary schools 179

Teachers/lecturers 1,853

Students 34,924

Healing Ministry

One of the most important in Christian ministries is Healing Ministry. Every mission and church undertaking healing ministry through miracle and medical sciences. Mizoram Presbyterian Church's also taking step in the field of healing ministry. Durtlang Hospital operated by Synod is one of the pioneer medical centres in Mizoram, founded by Welsh missionaries. Besides, it has dispensaries and health centres in rural areas, and clinics inside Aizawl City.

Presbyterian Hospital, Durtlang

Hospital : 2 Nos.

Dispensary & Health Centre: 64 Nos.

Doctors, 32 Nos.

Nurses, 246 Nos.

Association/Affiliation

National Council of Churches in India (NCCI), Member.

World Council of Churches (WCC), Member.

World Alliance of Reformed Churches, Member.

Maraland Presbyterian Church is an affiliated church under Mizoram Presbyterian Church.