Rev Lauren Bethell
Morung Express News
September 5
DIMAPUR: Reverend Lauren Bethell will be leaving for Changki Village to attend the Centennial celebrations scheduled for September 7 and September 8, of the Changki Baptist Church Women Department. In that, Reverend Bethell would have in mind more than about delivering speeches on the occasion,–the occasion would be an opportunity to drive the message to womenfolk to be bold enough to stand up and be counted; Interacting with them and delving into their lives to buttress her vision to educate women against the needless barriers of discrimination, societal compulsions and cultural exigencies that dissuade them from participating in the change process and making a mark on the society. The Reverend would be one of the two theme speakers of the Centennial, the other being Alongla P Aier, Associate Professor Oriental Theological Seminary.
It is only natural to Reverend Bethell’s calling, considering that she serves as a Christian consultant to encourage and facilitate Christ-based ministries that address the issues of exploitation and abuse of women and children. The Reverend has been working on women’s issues for the last 2 decades in Asia and is also the recipient of the Human Rights Award bestowed on her at the Baptist World Alliance Congress in Birmingham, England on July 30th in recognition of her selfless work. She’s presently based in Prague, Czech Republic.
Interacting with The Morung Express Reverend Bethell said there was much the Church could assist in highlighting issues like prostitution, child-trafficking and HIV/AIDS. “Churches have the responsibility to go and encourage, to minister, to counsel and to care – the Church is the bridge to inform” the Reverend said as she implied that the Church and Christians should come out of their comfort zones and not be ‘afraid’ to deal with the issues. She observed that there were a host of initiatives by various agencies, both civil and governmental but “rarely a project comes from the church.” Reverend Bethell was also of the opinion that the Church was one of the most effective platforms to address the issues of prostitution and that it had the role of an interpreter to elicit response from the Christians. “In other communities, a woman can be forgiven and integrated with her society again but it’s pretty scary that most Christian communities have a reserved attitude towards accepting the erring woman again” said the Reverend as she cited the story of the Samaritan woman who changed her ways after Jesus told of her past transgressions at a well in Samaria. “She is the first woman evangelist of the world” Reverend Bethell said.
“ I would like to encourage Naga women to be bold, fearless and to take risks , think creatively and move forward without fear” she called affirming that women should no longer be ‘afraid of judgmental attitudes and hierarchies’.
Reverend Bethell is the daughter of an American Baptist pastor. She used to teach at a school in Hong Kong when she experienced God’s call to missionary service. After graduation from seminary in the U.S., she was commissioned by the International Ministries for service in Thailand. She helped in establishing the New Life Center in Chiang Mai, Thailand in 1987, offering freedom and hope in Jesus Christ to women who were sold, tricked or willfully drawn into prostitution. The New Life Center, now with branches in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, provides Christian education, literacy, and vocational training, and also rehabilitates former prostitutes and works to reduce risk factors among other women. Throughout the 1990s, Lauren shared her knowledge and experiences in international venues, continuing to direct the New Life Center.
Meanwhile, the Changki Baptist Church Women Department’s centennial celebrations under the theme “Witness” are scheduled for 7th and 8th September at Changki. Like most Naga villages, Department started off as a women’s fellowship. The Changki Women’s fellowship first began in 1905. The Changki Women Centennial celebrations will be held at Baptist Church, Changki, and delegates from different parts of Nagaland are expected to participate. Rev. Bethell will be speaking on the topic “Called to be witnesses in the family” during the evening service on 7th Sept. She will also be closing the centennial celebrations on the evening of 8th Sept by speaking on “Called to be witnesses in the world.” Alongla Aier will be speaking on the topic “Called to be witnesses in the Community” during the morning service on 8th Sept. A centennial souvenir will be released on Sept 7 by Pastor R. Lima.
