Rev Temsu Jamir,
Executive Secretary, ABAM, Impur
The Gospel has long empowered the Church to move beyond the confines of its worship spaces and engage with the marginalized corners of society, where suffering is often unseen and hope is fragile. For decades, Ao Baptist churches and their pastors have responded to this mandate with steadfast dedication, viewing it not as a mere duty but as a sacred responsibility entrusted by God. Today, amid rising challenges and evolving social needs and struggles, the Church is once again being called to strengthen its commitment to member care and compassionate outreach.
Member Care, a Pastoral Heartbeat: It is an expression of walking with the suffering, supporting the weary, guiding those in confusion, and restoring individuals in moments of failure. It reflects a deep conviction that every member is a soul created by God, deserving of dignity, healing, and second chances. Despite limited resources, pastors continue to serve as counsellors, mediators, comforters, and shepherds, frequently extending their efforts well beyond the formal demands of their role.
Reaching the Broken, The Church’s Unseen Ministry: Much of the Church’s work takes place quietly, often without documentation or public recognition. Yet its impact is evident in changed lives, restored families, and reconciled communities. Across Ao Baptist churches, a steady and sacrificial ministry has been unfolding among individuals battling alcohol and drug addiction, an escalating crisis that poses a grave threat to the future of many young people in Nagaland.
Pastors and church workers have continued this mission with tireless commitment, engaging in a wide range of interventions, including:
• Regular counselling provided by both trained pastors and professional counsellors;
• Organising Alcoholics Anonymous camps, support-group meetings, and systematic follow-up sessions;
• Conducting seminars on mental health, substance-abuse awareness, and preventive education;
• Sponsoring individuals struggling with alcoholism and drug dependence for detoxification and long-term rehabilitation, often through church funds and personal contributions;
• Offering sustained support to families silently burdened by the consequences of addiction;
Additionally, the Church has also ventured into one of the most complex and least addressed areas of social concern – supporting bootleggers and individuals engaged in illegal trade, encouraging them to seek for new directions in life. Rather than responding with condemnation, the Church has offered understanding, counselling, and hope. Many pastors have entered these difficult spaces to guide individuals toward dignified and sustainable livelihoods. Through career counselling, skill-development guidance, and in some cases financial assistance for small business startups or entrepreneurial ventures, the Church has helped numerous individuals abandon illegal means of income and rebuild their lives with integrity and honour.
These initiatives are sustained not by government grants or external aid, but through the sacrificial contributions of ordinary church members, the long hours invested by pastors, and the compassionate involvement of women’s fellowships, youth groups, and dedicated church volunteers who share a common conviction that every life matters to God.
A Ministry of Quiet Impact: It is becoming increasingly significant that Church’s contribution to community welfare deserves broader recognition from both government and society. As debates over policy continue and laws take their course, the Church is quietly carrying out work of significant social value, often in places where pain is unspoken, where individuals hesitate to seek help, and where government programmes struggle to reach.
At the grassroots, the Church has become:
• A counselling centre
• A rehabilitation support system
• A mediator in conflicts
• A provider of dignity to the vulnerable
• A partner in community building
• A moral compass for young people battling hopelessness
These interventions have steered countless young people away from crime, addiction, depression, and self-destruction. While the impact of such transformation cannot be captured in statistics, its significance within society is unmistakable.
A Call to Persistently Stand Together: Despite the steady efforts of the Ao Baptist churches, the challenges facing the community remain substantial. Rising addiction, increasing family breakdown, youth unemployment, and the lure of illegal trades continue to threaten and undermine social well-being. In response, Church leaders say the road ahead demands deeper collaboration and sustained commitment.
To meet these growing needs, the Church aims to:
• Deepen its member-care ministry
• Strengthen counselling services with trained professionals
• Form and strengthen purposeful partnerships with organisations specialising in mental health and addiction recovery
• Continue offering moral and spiritual guidance to individuals in crisis
• Provide long-term support to families affected by substance abuse
• Expand career counselling and livelihood assistance programmes
• Encourage pastors to remain steadfast shepherds in society’s most challenging spaces
As these concerns intensify, the call is clear: the Church and the community must stand together with renewed resolve. While the Church does not seek praise or recognition, its leaders emphasise that the government must understand that the Naga Baptist community is far from passive. It continues to work actively and sacrificially for the welfare of society, filling critical gaps where state initiatives struggle, particularly in areas demanding relational depth, emotional support, and spiritual healing. With stronger partnerships, improved coordination, and a shared vision, a greater transformation is possible.
The Baptist churches in Nagaland have not merely preached the Gospel, they have lived it. Over the years, they have shouldered the burdens of the broken, walked alongside those pushed to the margins, mourned with families in distress, and offered hope to the addicted, the unemployed, and the socially excluded. As we look to the future, the Church renews her commitment, to care more deeply, to reach more boldly, and to transform more lives with the love of Christ. And in this journey, with greater support, understanding, and partnership from the government, the Church’s impact can be further strengthened, contributing to the rebuilding of a society where every individual gets the opportunity to heal, to grow, and to live with dignity.
