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Dimapur, Sep. 5 (EMN): To commemorate 150 years of Christianity in Nagaland, a ‘Gospel Torch’ was lit at its birthplace Molungkimong village in Mokokchung district on September 4 in memory of Dr. Edward Winter Clark, who introduced Christianity to the state.
Commemorating the sesquicentennial celebration, a service was held at Molungkimong with Rev. Daniel Ponraj, Bishop, Shubh Sadesh Foundation, Jharkhand, exhorting the congregation before Rev. Moaliba Tzudir, pastor of Molungkimong Baptist Church, lit the gospel torch, according to an update received on Monday.
The gospel torch procession team was escorted by the villagers and “warriors” dressed in traditional attires till the village gate. It will travel to Molungyimsen, Mokokchung town, Clark Theological College, Alichen, Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) Kohima, Dimapur Ao Baptist Church, Siliguri and several other Indian cities before finally culminating in Delhi at the Youth Festival scheduled to be held from October 24 to the 29th this year.
It was informed that the Gospel Torch Relay was initiated by Vision India and the torch will be lit at five locations in India – St. Thomas (Chennai), Pandita Ramabai (Pune), Sadhu Sundar Singh (Ludhiana), William Carey (Serampore) and E.W Clark (Molungkimong) – to honour the five missionaries at the locations they evangelized.
“Their (evangelists) flames will inaugurate the National Youth Festival,” it said, adding that the festival was organised with a vision to bring missionary torches from five corners of India to celebrate the lives of the “torchbearers and Gospel forebearers”, unite the youth and spread inter-denominational brotherhood.
Earlier on September 3, members of the Vision India team along with 60 Molungkimong “warriors” took the same route taken by Clark and the villagers when he first set his foot in Molungkimong in 1872, said the update.
“Following the trail of Clark and the ancestors of Molungkimong, the Vision India team also trekked the Chubakati-Rongsensü Lemang, which is the famed Naga-Ahom trade route of the 19th century,” it added.