Edwin W. Clark
Encyclopedia
Ministry in Nagaland
E. W. Clark and his wife sailed from BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
on October 20, 1868 under the Baptist Missionary Union as Missionaries and Printers. They arrived in Sibsagar
Sibsagar
Sivasagar is a town in the Sibsagar district in the state of Assam in India, about north east of Guwahati....
in March 1869.
The hills beyond their Sibsagar mission were the Naga Hills
Naga hills
Naga hills, reaching a height of around 3825 metres, lie on the border of India and Burma . These hills are part of a complex mountain system, and the parts of the mountain ranges inside the Indian state of Nagaland and the Burmese region of Sagaing are called the Naga Hills.In British India, the...
. The Nagas
Naga people
The term Naga people refers to a conglomeration of several tribes inhabiting the North Eastern part of India and north-western Burma. The tribes have similar cultures and traditions, and form the majority ethnic group in the Indian state of Nagaland...
were known for their practice of headhunting
Headhunting
Headhunting is the practice of taking a person's head after killing them. Headhunting was practised in historic times in parts of China, India, Nigeria, Nuristan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Borneo, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Japan, Micronesia, Melanesia, New Zealand, and the Amazon Basin, as...
.
During their stay at Sibsagar the Clarks had opportunity of meeting some Nagas roaming in search of food. The Clarks developed a burden for the Nagas and wrote to the Home Mission Board in 1871: “Tribe upon tribe of Nagas are accessible to the Gospel. It is certainly painful for us at Sibsagar to be unable to lift our eyes without seeing these hills and thinking of them who have no knowledge of Christ.”
Clark sent an evangelist to penetrate the Naga Hills. The evangelist came down with nine others and they were baptized by Clark on November 11, 1872. Clark was at this time not permitted to enter Nagaland by the British Government
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
and his own mission board was hesitant to approve his plan to enter the Naga Hills. On December 23, 1872 Clark organized the First Baptist Church at Molungkimong in Nagaland.
It was an important day in Naga history when the first Baptist Church was formed. It is no wonder Clark knew his calling would henceforth be with the Nagas. “’I believe I have found my life-work,’ exclaimed Mr. Clark, as he entered the old press bungalow on his return from his twelve days’ absence in the wilds of barbarism.”
The glorious moment for Clark was not without troubles. The village became divided over the new religion. Some felt that Clark could not be trusted because he had the same white face as the British military. The Nagas opposed anything that would promote alliance with the encroaching British power. Clark was determined to dedicate himself to the people and trust the Lord alone for protection.
Clark concentrated on developing a good knowledge of the local language, their character and medicine. These skills proved helpful in soul winning and opened doors in many homes. Clark also would encourage the Nagas to pray for the sick and the recovery of a sick person would lead to a renunciation of animistic sacrifice.
In 1894 Mulong became the center of missions to further the evangelization
Evangelization
Evangelization is that process in the Christian religion which seeks to spread the Gospel and the knowledge of the Gospel throughout the world. It can be defined as so:-The birth of Christian evangelization:...
of the Naga tribes. Mulong is the first Christian village in Nagaland. Then in a later year Clark moved his mission center to Impur
Impur
Impur was established as a mission centre in 1890 by the American missionaries. In 1897, when the Ao Baptist Arogo Mungdang i.e. the Ao Baptist Churches Convention, was formed, it became its headquarter and continues to do so till date. It is 15 kilometres away from the heart of Mokokchung town....
which is presently known as Ao Baptist Arogo Mungdang
Ao Baptist Arogo Mungdang
Ao Baptist Arogo Mungdang is the largest Baptist convention affiliated to the Nagaland Baptist Church Council, with over 125 full-fledged churches, 25 fellowships, and average weekly church attendance between 150,000 to 200,000.-History:The convention was formed in 1897 with Impur of India as...
.
In 1905 Clark saw a record one hundred and ninety baptisms. The work was truly blessed of God but Clark saw that better days were yet ahead. The Nagas were well aware that to accept Christianity would mean drastic changes in their social life. “Adherents of the old, cruel faith were quick to see that the gospel of peace and love would rapidly empty their skull houses and put to rout most of the old customs handed down from forefathers, for whom they held the greatest reverence. The missionaries presence and his teaching had spread like wildfire from mountain peak to peak and everywhere was fostered the suspicious spirit.”
Legacy
ChristianityChristianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
brought an end to the practice of headhunting and destroyed most of the traditional culture and oral knowledge of the various Naga tribes. Clark’s vision for Nagaland came true, for the high price of destroying an indigenous culture. By 1980 the Naga population was 572,742 and the Baptist population was 185,987. Today the Census of India, puts the numbers of Christians to more than 90% of the population of Nagaland thus making it, with Meghalaya
Meghalaya
Meghalaya is a state in north-eastern India. The word "Meghalaya" literally means the Abode of Clouds in Sanskrit and other Indic languages. Meghalaya is a hilly strip in the eastern part of the country about 300 km long and 100 km wide, with a total area of about 8,700 sq mi . The...
and Mizoram
Mizoram
Mizoram is one of the Seven Sister States in North Eastern India, sharing borders with the states of Tripura, Assam, Manipur and with the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh and Burma. Mizoram became the 23rd state of India on 20 February 1987. Its capital is Aizawl. Mizoram is located in the...
, one of the three Christian-majority states in India and the only state where Christians form 90% of the population. Nagaland is known as "the only predominantly Baptist state in the world."
See also
- Ao Baptist Arogo MungdangAo Baptist Arogo MungdangAo Baptist Arogo Mungdang is the largest Baptist convention affiliated to the Nagaland Baptist Church Council, with over 125 full-fledged churches, 25 fellowships, and average weekly church attendance between 150,000 to 200,000.-History:The convention was formed in 1897 with Impur of India as...
- Nagaland Baptist Church CouncilNagaland Baptist Church CouncilNagaland Baptist Church Council is a Protestant church of India. It is in the North Eastern state of Nagaland. It counts more than 1001 congregations. It has over 600,000 members. More than 20 Naga Baptist conventions are affiliated to it. Baptists form more than 80% of Nagaland's population and...
- Angami Baptist Church CouncilAngami Baptist Church CouncilThe Angami Baptist Church Council is one of the 20 Associations in the Nagaland Baptist Church Council . Through the NBCC, the ABCC is part of the Baptist World Alliance , the Council of Baptist Churches in North East India and the North East India Christian Council , to name a few...