Northeast’s first woman reverend from Nagaland passes away; funeral at her native village on Feb. 22

DIMAPUR — The mortal remains of the first ordained woman Minister from North-east, Rev. Dr. L Noksangchila Ao, who died at Suhoi village on Tuesday evening, will be laid to rest at her native village Yaongyimsen in Mokokchung district on Thursday.

She was 96 and was just 12 days shy of her 97th birthday.

A memorial service was held in her honour at Chümoukedima Ao Baptist Arogo (CABA) on Wednesday before her body was taken to her native village for the final rites.

People gathered at CABA to celebrate the life of the reverend and honour the legacy she had left behind, while the community was implored to carry forward the teachings she had imparted, the love she shared and the compassion she embodied.

The CABA said that her achievements and altruistic contributions will continue to live and serve as a source of inspiration for posterity; that her legacy is not just in the titles she held or the awards she received, but in the personal connections she made and the lives she enriched.

It may be mentioned that the reverend donated her plot of land at Chümoukedima to Ao Baptist Arogo Mungdang (ABAM) and raised INR 4.5 lakh through a fund drive initiated with the permission of the NBCC, to purchase a plot of land for Naga guest house in the premises of Christian Medical College Vellore.

Brief biography

Born on March 3 1927 to late Lanumeren and Chubamenla, Rev. Dr. L Noksangchila was the 11th of the 13 siblings.

Following the footsteps of her father, who was the first pastor of Yaongyimsen Baptist Church, Ao pursued theological studies and went on to do B.TH from Eastern Theological College at Jorhat in Assam, Bachelor of Religious Education (BRE) from Leonard Theological College Jabalpur in MP and Master of Religious Education (MRE) from Andover Newton Theological School, Boston Massachusetts USA, Counselling at Tusberry, Catholic Hospital Boston.

She eventually earned her Doctor of Divinity, Honorary, in 1991 from the Academy of Ecumenical Indian Theology and Church Administration Gurukul Theological College in Chennai. On May 31 1992 she was ordained a reverend by the Ao Baptist Arogo Mungdang (ABAM) Ordination Council, making her the first ordained woman Minister from the north-east.

She rendered her service in various capabilities, including Junior Lecturer at Eastern Theological College, Jorhat in Assam; Associate Pastor (Women) Police Baptist Church Chümoukedima; Chaplain Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, Tamil Nadu; and warden at Christian Institute of Health Sciences and Research (CIHSR), Nagaland.  

Honours and awards

•             The reverend received Dr. DW Mategaonkar Award in 2007 for her outstanding service to the Healing Ministry.

•             Received the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007 from Department of Women Development (GoN) for her pioneering role in guiding the society and for inspiring women to achieve higher goals.

•             Dimapur Yaongyimsen Fellowship Building was dedicated in her honour in 2014.

•             Received Distinguished Senior Citizen Award on International Day of Older Persons from the Department of Social Welfare (GoN) in 2016 and 2019.

•             A girl’s hostel named after her by the CIHSR in 2017.

•             Received the Ao Theological Association’s Rev. L. Kijungluba Ao Lifetime Ministerial Award in 2017.

•             The Father’s House Church honoured her with the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019 for her selfless contribution, dedication, devotion, leadership and lifelong commitment to God.