Akangjungla
Is the Christian church struggling today? The religion of Christianity and the institution of the Church are closely intertwined with every aspect of Naga society. What the clergy community has to say about the liquor prohibition, unethical and corrupt practices involved in election process, women in leadership role, inclusivity etc influences the outline and structure of policy making and the law. When the word Church is mentioned, many people imagine it as a building or a denomination, and others think of the leader or the pastor. Likewise, when the word Christianity is mentioned, people think it is the gospel, evangelism and worship. Similarly, when the question is about Church Leadership, the answer gets lost in the organisation and structure of the church administrative aspect. Perhaps, an important question that needs to be asked is ‘what kind of leader is leading the church?’
History is witness to the fact that the arrival of Christianity and the Church has massive significance on where the Naga people are today. There is no doubt, the Church is a ‘divine institution’ and throughout its history, the church took on different forms over time, evolved as it interacted with changing cultures, and amplified as its authority grew. The understanding of the Church and of Christianity, like every other institution and idea, are constantly in the process of evolution. In the words of Episcopal Bishop and author, John Shelby Spong, ‘The church was not tied to a place, a corner or a building. Rather it was wherever the people gathered.’ In an article dated back to 1979, Spong has observed that ‘the work of the church was to encourage the spread of religion, to elicit that elemental religious response that seems to be native to human nature. Worship, religious education and social service constituted the church’s vocation, but before long, religion came to be identified with whatever went on inside the church structures. More and more the maintenance of structures came to be substituted for mission. Institutional service and institutional preservation became dominant themes.’ It is sad to note that this observation made over 45 years back has stayed on.
For the laymen, the context of church and theological education is a complex subject, but is easier to relate the church with its purpose and mission. Today the Church faces the challenge of responding to a generation who are radically engaged in the new communication technology. The churches in Nagaland, of late, have been the topic of discussion for the wrong reasons, leading to a growing consensus among Christians in the Naga society that churches need transformation. The current generation measures the church transformation from the lens of social justice. While the principals of love, mercy and forgiveness remain unchanged, there is a yearning for the church to embrace justice. One of the wholesome believes of Christianity and mandate of faith is to be “transformed.” In the midst of the grim reality with conflicts surrounding the church today, this perhaps is the right moment to seize as a transitional period offering opportunity to reclaim itself as an incorruptible institution.
Comments can be sent to akangjungla@gmail.com
