James Jimomi
Bangalore
In the past NBCC/NMM pledged to God that ten thousand missionaries would be sent out from Naga churches before AD 2000. Accordingly all the Naga churches were exhorted and encouraged about this pledge and almost all the churches formed Mission Boards to raise funds for supporting missionaries. By and large the churches were successful in raising funds according to the members and even more.
But what about Association leaders in providing missionary manpower to these mission churches? The first Naga Missionary conference was held in Dimapur in 2005. On the target of sending ten thousand missionaries only little above eight hundred were sent, (that also after a lapse of 5 years after 2000 AD).
Have we fulfilled our pledge to God? It is a serious matter before God. Making promises and not fulfilling it is a crime and offense whether it is before men or God.
What are our leaders in NBCC/NMM and Tribal Association leaders thinking and doing about it? Are Naga Church leaders doing any post-mortem as to why this pledge has utterly failed? 8% out of 100% can be termed as utter failure. What are the remedial measures you are bringing out?
A pledge is a pledge- and you must fulfil it or bear the consequences.
At present almost all the local churches have resources, meagre though it maybe. They are willing to send out missionaries, they are eagerly willing to support missionaries and Naga church leadership are not able to provide missionaries to them. What are you doing about it? Or what can and should you do about it?
This shows that the churches are ahead of leaders.
It is a high time to awaken from the deep slumber you are in.
You may put the blame to more than Forty Bible Colleges and Training institutions in Nagaland and other institutions outside of Nagaland saying that they are not producing missionaries. But what about your (NBCC/NMM? Tribal Associations) connection, encouragement and help to these institutions? In my view it is dismal or none except for the few institutions run by Associations. Moreover, just as an Art (BA) student cannot perform the technical work performed by Engineering student, Theological graduates cannot do missions which missiological graduates are does. It is an entirely different stream. Therefore, missionaries must be missiologically trained or missiological graduates. Then only missions will be successful and fruitful.
You may make an excuse by saying that ten thousand mark was too high.
No, it is not too high. It is achievable if we have proper workable strategy. In an average of ten graduates each year from more than forty Bible colleges and institutions in Nagaland plus hundreds of graduates from Bible Colleges, Seminaries and Training institutes all over the country and abroad, a minimum of eight hundred to one thousand graduates each year. According to this survey it will only take ten to fifteen years to fulfil this pledge.
A present trend needs to be looked into; there is an issue of unemployment problem for the theological graduates in the churches whereas in mission we don’t have manpower.
The following strategies could be of some use for remedial measures.
1. Have a working relationship with all the Bible Colleges and training institutions within and outside the state for recruiting church planters. Especially having mission seminars at least once in an academic year in the respective institutions by bringing missionally qualified resource persons. Highlight the present world mission scenario and its needs, especially 10/40 Window need.
2. Introduce Missiological courses in the Bible Colleges by appointing Missiologically qualified faculty with first-hand experience as a missionary if at all possible. Introducing only curriculum without proper resource people is not adequate and cannot serve the purpose.
3. Set up short term missionary training for the theological graduates and lay people who are willing to be missionaries. A separate curriculum should be made for both. This kind of training needs to be given in different languages and dialects are required by the context.
4. Asses and pool resources from each and every local church for missions endeavour; it could be done on three levels for sending- through local churches, through Tribal Associations or through NMM level.
5. After assessing financial resources place advertisement for recruitment in the daily medias for manpower resources- irrespective of tribal divisions. This should be an invitation for missiologically qualified, theologically qualified and even lay people at large.
6. Advertisement for supporting missionaries also can be placed in the media giving the opportunities for individuals, families, clans, local churches, institutions, unions etc. to support missionaries.
7. Monthly circulation should be circulated among all the churches and institutions as well as supporters under NBCC to show the progress and needs of mission. Here, monthly reports of missionaries working in different fields/locations both far and near should also be published on regular basis.
8. Since mission is the sole purpose for the existence of the church on planet Earth, yearly teaching schedules in all the local churches should be mission oriented- mission education for the masses of believers. (This method is applied by the Mizo churches. We have to understand that Israel was put aside by God because she failed in mission which was the purpose of her election- in the same way churches are also being put aside and para-churches are being used by God for mission since the churches have failed in mission. This trend needs to be reversed.
9. Youth Camps are one of the most fruitful opportunities to solicit young people for missionary work.
10. Provide sponsorship for Missiological studies and short term trainings.
11. Organize short mission trips (not sightseeing trips or excursions). This surely motivates people to either go as a missionary or elicit support for mission through finance and prayer.
12. Mobilize recruits through local churches by encouraging young people to do missiological studies to become missionaries.
13. Mobilize prayer support on a mass scale in every local church that the Lord of the harvest will give more harvesters into his field.
I call Nagaland as “the sleeping giant in missions” because,
1. From a farmer in the village up to the Chief Minister in the state, is a Christian. This pictures the vast unmobilized mission resource regarding finance.
2. There are hundreds and thousands of potential unmobilized mission manpower resources. Many young people both theologically trained as well as secular graduates and under graduates who are willing but there is no one to motivate and train them for mission enterprise.
3. Many Christian leaders are not aware of the purpose of the existence of the church on the earth which is mission.
4. Hence, the members are not made aware of it too.
If manpower resources and financial resources are mobilized; leaders and the churches are adequately educated in missions, the ten thousand mark would be crossed within one decade.
Are you listening?
Are you willing?
Are you ready?
Ready to swing into action, fulfil the pledge- redeem it and be blessed.
Nagaland for Christ
May it become a reality and not just an empty slogan or a dead pledge.
Godspeed NBCC/NMM and Naga Churches
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Readers can get in touch through jimomij44@gmail.com
