2-day sesquicentenary celebrations begin at Molungkimong

Two-day sesquicentenary celebrations to commemorate the setting up of the oldest church on Naga soil began at Molungkimong village in Mokokchung district on Wednesday under the aegis of Molungkimong Baptist Church.
According to the report, the church was established on December 22, 1872 after 15 individuals from Molungkimong were baptised by American missionary Edward Winter Clark in a pond located at the village.
Speaking at the inaugural programme, Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) general secretary Rev Dr Zelhou Keyho extended greetings on behalf of 1708 churches under the council as he declared, “I come to take your blessings and take them to the people.”
In his speech on the theme “The Hand of the Lord is Mighty”, he recalled that the seed of Christianity was sown at Molungkimong when the villagers made the bold decision to protect the missionaries in spite of the headhunting practices prevalent then.
Elaborating on the responsibilities of a 150-year-old church, he exhorted Naga Christians to stand up, walk and run since they had already emerged from darkness to light, and learn to share the great light that had dawned upon them.
He also cautioned them against their propensity to worship history and timelines, and encouraged the congregation to focus worshipping God for what he had done during the sesquicentenary celebrations.
Keyho proposed three subjects to the Nagas to reflect upon – necessity of reconciliation in the context of contemporary Naga society that was divided and fractured by divisive politics, refocusing attention on sharing the Gospel instead of focusing too much on celebrations and erecting monuments, and practising the culture of Gospel beyond the church and integrating it in everyday life.
Chaired by Immoaba, associate pastor, Changtonya, the service began with an opening ceremony by Molungkimong Senso Union, Tuli. S Lanu, Pastor of Purana Bazar ‘B’ Ao Baptist Church, Dimapur gave the invocation prayer, while N Nungsang, Tatar of Molungkimong Village Council gave the welcome address. Rev M Laka Tzüdir, pastor, Chungtia Baptist Church, Imliyanger, pastor, Yajang ‘A’ Baptist Church, Kepelhoutuo Chüsi, chairman, Church Board, Mezoma Baptist Church, and Biren Gowalla, pastor, Central Baptist Church, Sivasagar, Assam, all of whom shared greetings on behalf of their churches.
Original songs composed in Chungli Ao for the occasion were performed by Sesquicentenary Choir, Merenkala B Tzüdir and Molungkimong Senso Union Tuli during the opening ceremony, which also paid tribute to the pioneers who brought the Gospel to Molungkimong like Godhula Brown, Lucy, Edward Winter Clark, Mary Mead, Süpongmeren Tzüdir and the 60 warriors who made the brave decision to escort Clark from Sivasagar in 1872.
The celebrations will witness morning and evening sessions on the concluding day on Thursday where Rev Prof Dr Mar Pongener will deliver a sermon during the main session in the morning.