As Nagaland observes 149th anniversary today since the inception of the first Baptist Church in Nagaland, it is interesting to revisit the momentous day that dawned at Molungkimong on 22 December 1872. We glorify the mighty works of God and also acknowledge the perilous and sacrificial works of the pioneers - Supongmeren, Godhula and Dr. Clark.
Since Clarks commissioning as Missionary to India by ABMU in 1868, Clark and Mary Mead left Boston for India and after travelling for more than four months arrived at Sibsagar in 1869, and took charge as Press Superintendent and general mission works at Sibsagar Mission Station under Assam Mission. During the mission work of Clark, he became associated with Godhula who was converted while at the mission school at Nowgong. Godhula married one of the Christian girls named Lucy from the Mission school. Initially they went as evangelists to work at Majuli island. Later Godhula and his wife returned to Sibsagar again to work with Clark. Godhula was responsible for establishing the first contact between Clark and the Aos who came to Sibsagar for trade.
At a time when Clark’s eyes were set on the Naga hills, he got acquainted with Supongmeren through Godhula. Supongmeren had gone down to Sibsagar in search of his son, who had earlier gone down to Sibsagar because of the prevailing Chicken box epidemic in the village. Within a short while of their acquaintance Godhula and Dr. Clark were drawn into evangelising the headhunters, Supongmeren got fascinated by the teachings of Christianity and school at Sibsagar. With their new found reciprocal interests and with the objective of evangelising the Aos, Supongmeren was entrusted by Clark with a pay to teach the Ao language and Culture to Godhula. In the process Godhula and Clark learnt the Ao language and since the Aos could also speak Assamese they could converse. In the course of their conversation, Godhula explained everything about the new religion and further assured that the God of the new religion will stop head-hunting and sickness in the village and that God would deliver peace and harmony among the people. Supongmeren was fascinated to hear the good news since the natives lived with threat of enemies, deadly diseases and famine. As his interest grew in the promise of the Gospel, he was convinced that this God would liberate them from every possible problem and fear. Supongmeren, along with other Ao natives, persistently invited Godhula and Clark to their village to teach them the gospel and also teach the ways of knowledge to their children especially after what they saw in the classroom at Sibsagar. “I saw that they were anxious for something better for their children…but as for me the risk was too great to be taken at that time.” (Bowers, 1929: 198.) “In the great council of all the warriors, we considered carefully your fear, which my young men reported to me…and with power and assurance, he said, we the men of the town of a thousand warriors guarantee to protect you.” It was then that Dr. Clark promised to visit Molungkimong. To Dr. Clark’s surprise, Godhula, volunteered to go with them immediately and thus said Godhula, “I am a christian, a servant of the Master and in his name and strength I can go with them. You will soon come and then we will work together.” And thus Godhula, the young Assamese, became the first to carry the Good News gospel into the hills to Molungkimong. Eventually, Godhula made a trip to Molungkimong village with Supongmeren and some other Molungkimong natives in October 1871. However, on their arrival at Molungkimong, the village elders suspected Godhula as an agent of East India Company and kept Godhula in confinement. During the confinement he narrated stories from the Bible and sang songs. It is said that Godhula was a very good singer and in his confinement he sang the song “Nearer my God to thee” in Assamese. One song he sang with passionate zeal that touched the natives was ‘Temolung Meyipang, Temolung Meyipangma nu, which was a song of repentance. Later, when the elders found that Godhula was not a spy but a bearer of the new religion, they released him and provided him best of hospitality. As he got access to the people, he sang, prayed and told stories from the Bible with the help of his friend and translator, Supongmeren. After a week when Godhula proposed to return to Sibsagar women and children wept which is a testament of the impact that Godhula had created on the hearts and minds of the natives. Beginning October 1871 Godhula made several trips to the village and in the following year in April, Godhula was accompanied by his wife, Lucy, to Molungkimong to further evangelise the Ao Natives.
As the hearts and minds of the villagers were drawn in closer to the new religion, the general Village Council of Molungkimong resolved to accept the new religion. The council decided that the new religion will be accepted with collective responsibility of consequent adversity or fortune and to that end, one representative of every clan would be baptised. Godhula accompanied by nine natives returned to Sibsagar with his first fruits of labour and were baptised by Clark on 10th November, 1872. On their return to the village, a small chapel was built in the village with the permission of the Molungkimong Kosasanger Village Council.
In a short while, with the seeds of evangelism, there were more natives who were ready to accept the new religion. The Village Council made necessary arrangements and made an appointment and invited Dr. Clark to the village. Since it was a dangerous expedition for Clark, more so it was beyond the British flag, and a very risky task on the part of the natives to protect the life of the White man, the Village Council sent sixty warriors to escort Dr. Clark.
The group set out for Molungkimong from Sibsagar on 16th December through the ‘Rongsensü Lenmang’ (Ao-Ahom Trade Route that ran through Molungkimong and connected Ao villages with Assam). They slept the first night in Buckingham Bunglow (Residence of Tea Garden Manager) at Amgoorie. The next day about mid day they set out into the realm of wild animals and head hunters and by evening they reached the banks of Tero River where they spent the night in the perilous jungle under the vigilant eyes of the warriors. The third day, they started early morning and after the fatiguing uphill journey, they reached Angotsükong hillock from where a smoke to signal was sent out declaring the arrival of the White man, which prepared the eager villagers to receive the group. Clark, safe yet exhausted, arrived at the Molungkimong village gate escorted by the sixty fierce warriors at 12 O’clock on Wednesday, 18th December 1872. The 60 warriors included those 9 men who were baptized on 10 Nov’ 1872. Their services of escorting Clark was voluntary but for the non-Christians Clark paid them Rs. 14/- for their services but before Clark left the village the non-believers returned the money to Clark as a donation to the mission. This was another testament of the natives’ role towards the support of the mission besides building a missionary’s house and a Chapel without any expense to the mission.
Consequently, the following Sabbath on 22nd December, 1872, the fifteen men were baptised by Dr. Clark in the village pond after which they all partook the Lord’s Supper at the chapel hall. This event marked the establishment of the first Church in Nagaland at Molungkimong. The establishment of the first Baptist Church in Nagaland on 22 December 1872 is historic, and which unfolded with a lot of danger, threat and sacrifice. This part of history was carved out in an uncertain pretext of better or worse, blessing or curse upon their clan and village. Amidst criticism and warning from other village, our Naga forefathers accepted the Gospel in simple faith and took the call for baptism that changed the fate and course of life of the Nagas.
Dr. Asangba Tzudir
asangtz@gmail.com