Renewal and Transformation

(Drawing Near to God for Healing and Transformation)

The welcome reception programme of Rev. Dr. Franklin Graham, scheduled for November 30, 2025, at the Indira Gandhi Stadium, Kohima, is a moment we believe God has appointed for our land and our people. At a time when our society wrestles with confusion, division, pain, and spiritual weariness, such a gathering is not merely another event; we believe it is truly the need of the hour.

Although this programme is being organised in collaboration with the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) and the Nagaland Joint Christian Forum (NJCF), the exceptional dedication and spiritual commitment demonstrated by the Kohima Baptist Pastors’ Fellowship (KBPF), is appreciated. The pastors under KBPF have taken up this responsibility with sincere prayers, diligence, humility, and unity. Their commitment, seen through many hours of planning, discussion, coordination, and intercession, reflects a ministry birthed out of genuine pastoral burden. The organising committee has been leading the preparations with maturity and grace, ensuring that every aspect of the program is carried out with excellence. I request all believers, churches, and citizens of Nagaland to appreciate them, uphold them in your prayers, and stand with them as they lead us toward this spiritually significant gathering. Let us recognise their labour not as mere administrative effort but as the outworking of shepherds who long to see their people blessed, restored, and revived.

The vision for this gathering did not emerge from human ambition. It did not begin merely around a table of strategic planning alone; rather, it was nurtured in the hearts of pastors as they encountered the realities of ministry: broken families, discouraged youths, weakened fellowships, wounded hearts, and a growing sense of spiritual stagnation within our churches and communities. Like the prophet Nehemiah, who wept over the condition of Jerusalem before stepping into action, our pastors too have carried a deep burden for the spiritual state of our land. Their longing for renewal, awakening, and transformation is a vision God has placed upon them, affirmed through prayer, unity, and the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Let us affirm in faith that this program is not the result of human planning alone, but the unfolding of God’s timing, God’s prompting, and God’s desire to renew His people. Therefore, let us approach this event with reverence, expectation, and humility, knowing that the Lord Himself goes before us.

As we anticipate this welcome reception and the days that will follow, I want to offer an exhortation to all believers, families, and churches across Nagaland: let us prepare our hearts. We need change. We need renewal. We need revival; not merely in words but in lived experience, in true transformation, and in the way we walk out our faith daily. Our land has reached a point where spiritual awakening is no longer optional; it is essential. Our churches need fresh fire, our society needs healing, our families need restoration, and our young people need purpose and direction. Above all, each of us needs to encounter Christ anew. The Scriptures assure us: “Come near to God, and He will come near to you …” (James 4:8), and “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and to purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). God is faithful, and He calls us to be faithful. He invites us to repentance, renewal, and transformation.

The NBCC urges all pastors, church members, youths, children, elders, families, and citizens to pray sincerely and plan to attend. The size of the gathering, whether thousands or hundreds, is not the emphasis. What matters is that whoever comes with a sincere heart will receive a blessing from the Lord. God does not measure the crowd; He searches the heart. Let us come prayerfully, humbly, and with a deep desire to encounter Christ in a life-changing way. Come with your burdens, your questions, your wounds, and your hopes. Let this be a moment when our communities move one step closer to God. We also encourage everyone not to miss the counselling sessions and personal ministry opportunities that will be offered. Many among us silently carry burdens: unanswered questions, addictions, family struggles, emotional battles, spiritual dryness, and personal pain. This is a God-given opportunity to seek help, receive prayer, and experience healing. Jesus Himself said, “… Let who is thirsty come to me and drink” (John 7:37). Christ invites us to come, to drink deeply of His grace, and to refresh our weary spirits. May this programme be a space where many will taste the living water and never be the same again!

We firmly believe that God is stirring something new in our land. Across villages, towns, and cities, we sense a growing hunger for truth, revival, and authentic discipleship. This welcome reception of Rev. Dr. Franklin Graham does not simply mark the visit of an internationally known servant of God; it marks a moment of spiritual opportunity for Nagaland. Let us not miss what God desires to do among us. Let us not come with scepticism or complacency, but with anticipation and humility. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to rekindle our love for Christ, renew our vision, and strengthen our walk of faith.

Rev. Dr. Mar Pongener

General Secretary

Nagaland Baptist Church Council