Samaw.com

SIAHA – Maraland Presbyterian Church (MPC) has merged with Evangelical Church of Maraland (ECM) boosting the unification drive among Mara Churches in India.

Evangelical Church of Maraland Hqrs office (right) and Vaihpi ECM Local Church (left), pic taken during Maraland Gospel Centenary Celebration in 2007.

Talks are also on between ECM India and Congregational Church of India Maraland (CCIM). They split when the original Church – Independent Church of Maraland (ICM) adopted the new name ECM which caused opposition to part ways with them to form CCIM.

Independent Church of Maraland (ICM) was founded in 1907 by the late pioneer Missionaries Rev. & Mrs. Reginald Arthur Lorrain.

A couple of years ago, about 300 members left CCIM to form Maraland Presbyterian Church (MPC) which is now merged with ECM, opinion polls have often revealed the members of the three Churches wish to remain under one denomination as they are all the off-shoot of the Church founded by the Pioneer Missionaries.

ECM, being a member of World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC), is theologicaly Reformed in faith, it is the largest denomination among Mara Churches, it has about 36,000 members in 2008.  It is closely associated with Mara Evangelical Church in Myanmar, also known as Burma; another Church under the same pioneer missionary until India’s partition in 1947. The Church ministers are usually trained from Theological colleges under the Senate of Serampore College, a deemed University founded by William Carey and friends in 1818.

The last pioneer Missionary to Mara people Mrs Violet Vaili Mark (Violet Lorrain) is still alive and is with CCIM, currently living in the mission compound at Saikao (also known as Serkawr in Mizo) used by her grandfather.

The missionary town Saikao remains the Headquarters of CCIM, ECM uses Siaha (Saiha) as their headquarters.

The Churches celebrated 100th year of gospel to Mara people on September 26, 2007.

Samaw.com News Network.