Dr Asangba Tzudir
As the year comes towards a close, it is also a time for the Churches in Nagaland to look, assess and reflect upon the activities that were done throughout the year based on the last years general meeting resolutions. Whatever the assessment be, there is a need to relook at the aspect of communication in relation to all the various activities done by the Church.
The word communication finds itself woven in many meanings, and this aspect in relation to the church today finds itself in a more pronounced predicament arising out of what to communicate and how to communicate. Within two fold objectives, communication becomes paramount - mapping the objectives, purpose and vision of the church; and identifying the component of the church within an all-inclusive praxis.
Many churches today finds itself engaged in activities all year round but often fail to really address what necessarily is needs to be communicated and how to communicate and connect with its members. Being enmeshed in its routine activities makes it more of a statistical church than one that is driven by purpose and vision. This happens because the church fails to clearly envision the objectives and how to make the church really grow qualitatively.
More precisely, the church should be very clear about its broad objectives and what it wants to communicate. So long as there is no dialogue and communication among the church members, it will be very difficult for the church even to work out its vision and objectives. The various activities may keep the church engaged but may not really make the church grow.
One aspect of communication is to address the component and nature of its congregation which is a mix of different characters and personalities. There are good people in the church; there are bad people in the church; there maybe even thieves in the church; there maybe drinkers in the church; there maybe members in the church who are just there to criticize; then there are members who hardly come to church and there are a whole lot of different kinds of people who comes to the church with different kinds of thirsts, wants, desires and longings.
Another aspect of communication is to communicate and give insights relating to all the pressing issues confronting church today. NTLP Act and LGBT are couple of instances which throws certain challenges of inclusivity in the pursuit of Church building.
Currently, Naga society is marred by division and fragmentation of all sorts on various sinister lines, which has more than threatened the harmony and well-being of the society. Within such a predicament the Churches in Nagaland to a large extent is structured on tribe lines which primarily act as a bottleneck that prevents moving out of one’s tribe. It is time for the Church to communicate beyond one’s tribe and speak the language of love, peace, togetherness and harmony.
Post-Covid, the Churches need to broaden and reorient its mission statement and activities away from the ritual like formatted mission activities. It needs to embolden and enter into unexplored territories in building support mechanism and which will only add to the growth of the church beyond the church structure.
(Dr Asangba Tzudir contributes a weekly guest editorial to The Morung Express. Comments can be emailed to asangtz@gmail.com)
