Mission walk: Tracing the giant footsteps of Rev. Dr. Clark

Dimapur, Feb. 25: On the theme, ‘Revisiting a Shared History,’ the Molungkimong Baptist Church (MBC) organised a mission walk along the first gospel route (Sibsagar to Molungkimong village) from February 10 to 12.
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It was through this same route that the first American Baptist missionary, Rev. Dr. EW Clark, accompanied by the first evangelist to the Naga Hills, Godhula Brown, an Assamese, had entered Naga soil at Molungkimong in 1872. Dr. Clark planted the first church in Naga soil at Molungkimong on 22nd Dec’ 1872.
According to the organisers, the mission walk from February 10 to 12 was initiated with the “purpose of reaffirming our faith in revisiting the coming of Christianity to Nagaland and also in honour of the great sacrificial works done by our gospel pioneers”: Supongmeren Tzüdir (native of Molungkimong), Godhula Brown and Rev. Dr. EW Clark.

Invitations were sent to 63 delegates for the walk “signifying the mission trio of Supongmeren, Godhula and Dr. E W Clark and the 60 Molungkimong warriors who escorted Dr. Clark all the way from Sibsagar to Molungkimong.” Representatives from Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) youth department, Nagaland Missions Movement, Ao Baptist Church Council, Phom Baptist Christian Association, Yimchunger Baptist Church Association, DABA youth ministry, MTABA and others participated in the walk, it was informed.

On February 10, the participants arrived at Nagaland Gate, Amguri where the pastor of MBC, R Ali briefed them on the details of the journey after which they headed for Central Baptist Church Sibsagar.

“The team also visited the Mission Bungalow where Dr. Clark resided while at Sibsagar. Afterwards, the team headed back to Col. Buckingham Bungalow at Amguri tea estate, the very place where Dr. Clark took rest on the night of 16th December 1872 on his first journey to the Naga hills. At about nightfall, the team reached Tzürang (Tero) river bank to rest for the night. Clark and the 60 warriors had slept on the same river bank on their way to Molungkimong on the night of 17th December 1872,” a statement from the organisers informed.

The next morning, they started the “excruciating” uphill journey at around 9.30 am. After several stops, the team reached Angotzükong hillock in groups around 1 pm. “It was the same hillock, from where a smoke signal was sent out to the villagers declaring the arrival of Dr. Clark on 18th December 1872. Significantly, and reminiscing the past, a fire was lighted sending a smoke signal,” they informed.

After arriving at Molungkimong village “totally exhausted”, the delegates went to the “historic First Baptist pool” where the first fifteen converts were baptised by Dr Clark. The team then climbed the steps leading to the first Gospel gate where a short programme of prayer was held around the spot near the gate “where Clark, on his first arrival, knelt down and prayed with tears for the warring Nagas.”

Eager villagers led by the village council welcomed the delegates and opened the gates to the village. In the evening of February 11, a service was held inside the church where Rev. Ponen, pastor of Mokokchung Town Ao Baptist Church exhorted the congregation. “The team which was scheduled to disperse only on the 13th morning had to leave the village by Sunday evening itself due to news of the bandh from the next day. As such, the last mission walk service was held right after the devotional service,” it was informed.

Richard Yimto, an IPS officer and the special guest of the mission walk, was quoted as saying: “Molungkimong is the holy land of Nagaland because it is from this village that the gospel of Christianity spread out.” He also credited the evangelising work of Rev. Yabang of Molungkimong among the Yimchunger people for over 40 years, it stated.

“Some of the delegates also shared their experiences of the walk while also recommitting their call to duty in the service of the Lord. Overall, it was an enriching walk. In the course of the mission walk from Sibsagar to Molungkimong, the history of the coming of Christianity to Nagaland was revisited in walking through the first Gospel path which was the Ahom-Ao Naga Trade Route,” the organisers stated.

It went on to state: “The history of coming of Christianity to our land is a unique history written by God and it is a shared history of the Nagas. Let it be reminded that, it is a history which unfolded with a lot of danger, threat and sacrifice; a history that was carved out in an uncertain pretext of better or worse, blessing or curse upon their clan of those who got converted and on the whole village. Today, Nagaland shares the fruits of this sacrificial history.”