Lakhuti Baptist Church


Lakhuti Baptist Church



Church History



ORIGIN OF LAKHUTI BAPTIST CHURCH



The origin of the Lakhuti Baptist Church can be traced back to the arrival of the first American missionary in the Naga Hills and the occupation of Wokha as a mission centre in 1885. This saw the beginning of evangelization in the Lotha areas.[1] The mission’s Commission to “go ye into the world” expanded beyond Assam and Impur and that the tidings of the Gospel of the Prince of Peace was brought to Lakhuti village.[2]

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[1] Wokha was the third mission centre established by the American Baptist Mission. Rev Witter and his wife was the first missionary to work among the Lothas from 1885 to 1887. They were followed by F.A.Haggard and his family who stayed from 1896 to 1897 and then third missionary family to work in Wokha mission were Mr and Mrs Howard Houston.

[2] A notable aspect of the mission work among the Lothas was that even though the American missionaries did not stay long to serve the Lothas, it was the local missionaries – the Aos and the Lotha converts who carried on the mission’s commission with diligence.



The Beginning: Tidings of the Gospel



The gospel was first brought to Lakhuti village in 1913 through the initiative of Evangelist Shanjamo Jungi who at that time was the Pastor of Changpang village. He visited the village for the second time in 1917while he was teaching at Impur. This time Shanjamo brought with him the Lotha students who were studying at Impur. During his visits to the village, he shared the gospel to the villagers. Although there were no record of their evangelical works or of their conversion activity in the village it was said that the seed of the gospel had been sown. So when Ibonsao Ngullie and his assistant Rilamo from Okotso village came to Lakhuti in 1920 (which would be the third visit of Christian evangelists into the village), the first thing they declared was this “when you believe in Christ, the devil can do you no harm and only the Christian God can save us from the devil for eternity”. Along with their preaching, they also sang the first gospel “Come to Jesus, Come to Jesus” which was to encourage the villagers to turn away from their animistic beliefs. When the Lakhuti people heard the gospel, they began to experience restless of the spirit and fear which they could not comprehend. It was during this time that Rensao Yanthan, son of Thungsao Yanthan while on his way to Akuk village through N-shidong path was believed to have had an evil encounter and died thereafter. This was followed by the dead of Echungo Ngullie’s son. And not long after the family completed the memorial service of their son, another child of Echungo’s family was taken away after 6 days. While these deaths cast a gloom over the village, the village elder Chuposao Ngullie suddenly fell very ill. The entire village was now gripped with fear. However, the gospel message that “the devil cannot harm if they become Christians” reverberated in the village which stirred the minds of the people. They began to believe that there will be deliverance from all evils only if they become Christians. So in the beginning only 4 houses pledged themselves to become Christians. They were Thungsao Yanthan, Echungo Ngullie, Chiposao Ngullie and Tsonsumo Ngullie along with their respective families.



The First Converts



The elders from Okotso village were then called in and formally converted the four families to Christianity. One day when the new converts Thungsao Yanthan, Echungo Ngullie, Chiposao Ngullie and Tsonsumo Ngullie had gone to Assam for business purpose, the Gaonbura and some village leaders ridiculed their wives for being Christians and threatened to chase them out from the village. The wives fearing for their lives and their families began to make the local drink while waiting for their husbands’ return from Assam.[3] When the husbands returned to the village, the Gaonbura and village elders confronted them and asked them if they have truly been converted to Christianity. If so, they threatened them that they will face dire consequences of eviction from the village. However one of the new converts, Thungsao Yanthan challenged them and questioned them, “How can you expel us from the village when my great grandfather saved this village?” On the contrary, he retorted: “we should be the ones to chase you out of the village!” To this, the village elders could not reply and instead started murmuring and left with a parting shot that “Thungsao Yanthan is such a terrible and horrible person”. The men folk then returned to their homes, but abstained from drinking local brew (soko) prepared by their wives. Instead they reaffirmed their decision to remain true to their new Christian faith. This attitude of the new converts encouraged some families to become Christians, but they were hesitant fearing some backlash.

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[3] When the American missionaries started their evangelizing work in Assam and Naga Hills, one of the first practices which the missionaries prohibited the newly converted Christians were drinking of the local beer/ soko. The new converts had to seriously practice abstinence from local drink. So brewing of soko and drinking it was an act of going back to the old animistic belief.



The birth of Lakhuti Baptist Church



Since the encounter between the Christian families and the village elders and leaders, the Christians were persecuted by the village leaders and elders who not only refused to give them loan but did not allow them to do community work in their fields or even on others field. At the time, when the Christians were being persecuted, Rev Subongwati Ao from Changki village who had been evangelizing the Ao and Lotha areas came to Lakhuti in April 1920.[4] The newly converted families were baptized by Rev Subongwati at Eran pond (chükha) thus becoming the first baptized Christians of Lakhuti.[5] Through these four families, it witnessed the birth of Lakhuti Baptist Church in 1920.

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[4] Rev Subongwati Ao was the first Naga to get ordained in 1917.

[5] The four families who were baptized were: Thungsao Yanthan along with his wife Achumlo Yanthan, Echungo Ngullie and his wife Rashumü Ngullie, Chiposao and his wife Chimono Ngullie and Tsonsumo Ngullie and his wife Tsonsumi Ngullie.



The Persecution



After four (4) months since the birth of Lakhuti Baptist Church, village elders Ahamo Patton, Manchio Odyuo, Rhondemo Odyuo, Chilow Ngullie, Khyodemo and his mother Zuthunglo became Christians. But for Manchio Odyuo, his conversion brought the wrath of his father Asao Odyuo on him. One day his father way laid Manchio with a spear and tried to kill him but failed in the attempt. Manchio now fearing for his dear life left the village and moved from one place to another. Besides Manchio’s father, even Nthio Odyuo tortured his son Rhondemo by tying his legs and hands and then fastened it with a log. He then kept Rhondemo near the village pathway. Rhondemo’s mother watched the torture with great sadness but remained helpless. It was only when the villagers untied him that his mother took him home and fed him. Though faced with persecution, the Christians continued to stand firm in their conviction. One day when the SDO Mokokchung, J.P.Mills visited the village, the Gaonburas and village leaders made a request to the officer asking him to issue an order to expel the Christians from the village. After willfully listening to them, the officer then asked these questions to them: “did the Christians harass you or any of the village members? Or did they break any village customary law? The gaonburas and the village leaders replied that “the Christians neither harassed nor violated any village law!” Then Mills simply told them “you must love one another!” When the Christian converts Yankho Kikon, Ezamo Jami and Thungsao Yanthan heard the response of the British officer, it not only reaffirmed their new found faith but it was a clear proof that they did nothing wrong in being a Christian and had free interaction with the officer. When the Lakhuti Christians were going through a phase of persecution, evangelist Niken Ao from Changki village along with 20 followers came to the village. They went to the village leaders and elders to seek permission to sing and preach the gospel. But the village leaders and elders refused to grant them the permission. Since they were not given permission, evangelist Niken asked the Christians to give the names of those people who refused to convert. The Christians without any hesitation collected the names of the hard core animists and handed over to him.



The Deliverance



Evangelist Niken Ao came to Lakhuti for the second time and this time, he brought with him another evangelist Khuzuba Ao and 40 followers prepared with food and gifts (tsupok-rapoki). These 40 followers stayed in the houses of those who refused to become Christians. They gave them gifts, shared with them their food and their experiences. They once again requested the village leaders to grant them permission to sing and preach the gospel. Eventually, the evangelists were granted permission and they began to preach freely, sang songs and prayed with the villagers. It had a significant outcome as many converted, thus increasing the number of Christians in the village. In 1921, the number of Christians increased from 4 to 33, in 1922 it increased to 49 and by 1923 there were 61 Christians in Lakhuti village. From Lakhuti, Christianity also spread to neighboring village. In April 1921, the first converts of Sanis village- Chichanyimo Murry, Remomo Murry and Shisho Kikon were baptized in the Eran pond. From the year 1923, there was a steady growth of Christians in the village and for which the efforts of the Lotha evangelists are laudable. Besides them, the Ao evangelists have no less significantly contributed towards evangelizing Lakhuti village and for long they had been our spiritual guide and mentor.



The Jubilee celebration



Lakhuti village has come a long way in accepting Christianity and sustaining it thus far. The labor of the early evangelists and the unstinted dedication of the early converts have borne fruits as Lakhuti today has an approximately 3000 Christians residing in the village as well as outside of the village. Since the founding of the Lakhuti Baptist Church in 1920, the Church has progressed manifold and will be celebrating the Centennial Jubilee - its 100 years of existence in 2020. Surely God is great!





Lakhuti Baptist Church, BPO Aitepyong, Lakhuti Village, Wokha - 797111