Evangelical Church of Maraland
Encyclopedia
Evangelical Church of Maraland is a Church in southern 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...

 in Northeast India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. It was founded by English missionary Rev. & Mrs Reginald Arthur Lorrain in 1907. It is the largest Church among Mara people
Mara people
The Mara people are a recognised scheduled tribe in India, native to northeastern India, primarily in the Mara Autonomous District Council of the state of Mizoram, where they form the majority of the population. Significant numbers of Maras are also found living south-eastern part of Burma, in Chin...

. It is one of the three Mizoram Churches pioneered by English Missionaries in the 19th century. Others are Mizoram Presbyterian Church
Mizoram Presbyterian Church
Mizoram Presbyterian Church is the largest Church in Mizoram state in Northeast India. It is one of the constituent bodies of a larger denomination Presbyterian Church of India which has its headquarters in Shillong, Meghalaya in Northeast India. Mizoram Synod, as it is known, is one of the three...

 and Baptist Church of Mizoram
Baptist Church of Mizoram
Baptist Church of Mizoram, abbreviated BCM is a Protestant denomination of India and the second biggest Church in Mizoram state in Northeast India....

.

History

Prior to his arrival in British India, the Rev. Reginald Arthur Lorrain founded Lakher Pioneer Mission in 1905 in London. Two years later he arrived in Saikao (also known as Serkawr), a sleepy town in Saiha District of 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...

. He started the Church as an Independent Church of Maraland (ICM) which split later into Evangelical Church of Maraland, India ECMI and Congregational Church of India (Maraland), his ministry oversaw all the Mara inhabited areas of British India that included Mara people in Western Myanmar, who are now functioning as a separate church under the name of Mara Evangelical Church after India partition in 1947.

The Church held a series of celebration of the 100th year of Gospel to Mara people and land in September (September 26, 2007) and November 2007.

Rev. S.T. Zawsi is the present Moderator of the Synod
Synod
A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...

 of Evangelical Church of Maraland.

Association/Membership

Evangelical Church of Maraland(India) is a member of
  • World Alliance of Reformed Churches
    World Alliance of Reformed Churches
    The World Alliance of Reformed Churches is a fellowship of more than 200 churches with roots in the 16th-century Reformation, and particularly in the theology of John Calvin...

  • India Evangelical Mission
  • All India Sunday School Union


And it also has partnership with Mara Evangelical Church in Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....

.

Name factor

Evangelical Church of Maraland(India) continues to use the word "Maraland" signifying un-administered part of the world. Maraland
Maraland
Maraland is one of the three Autonomous District Councils within Mizoram state of India. The Mara Autonomous District Council government is headed by Chief Executive Member, Puhpa S.Khipo, a veteran Congress politician.-Religion:...

 was not part of any country until British conquered the area inhabited by Mara people
Mara people
The Mara people are a recognised scheduled tribe in India, native to northeastern India, primarily in the Mara Autonomous District Council of the state of Mizoram, where they form the majority of the population. Significant numbers of Maras are also found living south-eastern part of Burma, in Chin...

in 1922, whereas the Church was already founded in 1907.

Theologians holding doctorate degrees

  • Rev. Dr. T. Laikai, D.D (Serampore, India), 2004.
  • Rev. Dr. M. Zakonia, D.Min (United Theological Open University, India), 2002.
  • Rev. Dr. Laiu Fachhai, D.Th (Stellenbosch University, South Africa), 2007.

See also


External links

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