~ Dr Yumri Taipodia, Arunachal Pradesh

The Christian Revival Church Redputu (in short CRC) was intensely home mission oriented from day one of her inception. The pioneers were deeply concerned for the salvation of mankind by helped the people to come under the Lordship Jesus Christ. They sincerely launched out this eternal mission especially to the people that is within their catchment zone. As they lacked in theological education, thus they employed prayer with fasting as a prime means of evangelism. With the arrival of good result with this ingenuous method, they prayed and fasted more as an individual. Prayer with fast became their primary mean that helped them to engage while they carry out great commission. God approbated their effort of wining new souls for Christ into escalation of the church growth within a brief period. Later thus she gradually initiated for the plantations of two new churches within the premise of Basar Township. Some of her members whose houses are nearer to these new churches became founding members of these churches. From very beginning of her inception she gave great ministerial scope to the entire believers whether one maybe biblically literate or illiterate. Their ministerial inputs were particularly done through the giftedness of Holy Spirit on them for the edification of congregation. In her decades of journey, they had an equally inclusive ministry for the intact laymen and the fulltime workers. There were a number of causes for the initial expansion of CRC Redputu.

Following are the few important points of its effectiveness at the early stages in Basar area: –

During the nascent stage, the pioneering members gave more emphasis on the experience than the Church government. Lining their idea consequently, the new converts also became revivalist in every aspect of their outlook. They too gave additional care on the essential on their special personal encountered with Lord Jesus. To have that glorious individual experience they invited the presence of the Holy Spirit in their personal lives. In one accord, they implored it together from the Lord in an unknown tongue via revival songs. Whenever they use to gather for faith seeking fellowship, they do it sincerely without omitting it from the agenda. This was regularly done in church service or house fellowship within the commencement of the service. It set the tone for the rest of the agenda to make the congregation to focus on God through His Word. Their special numbers and message aided the masses to have testimony of personal divine encountered. In that founding epoch they do not stick on structural activities of the church buildings infrastructure development. They did not even give any interest in the writing of literature for the Church governance yet they gave much importance to the power of the scripture to be demonstrated into personal experience. They believed that only experience from God can lead to the formation of the church governance. Experience came first than they learned theory later on. They emphasized that the personal experience is needed to have faith in God which led for church growth. This suggests that they were doing ministry on practical basis rather than on theorizing the works.

Pioneers of CRC Redputu felt that it is a vitalized charismatic movement for the salvation of their neighbors. In their early stages, they never see themselves as a religion group rather they thought it as an only way of life. It is the lone way to save for themselves and also for their neighbour from the eternal hell they understand it. They thought it as a spiritual awakening to save their neighbor from the jaws of hell. With that in mind they often visited friends of other faith with the Good News. Through their witnesses and testimonies, the power of gospel germinated in the listeners’ heart. Ultimately the listeners enrolled themselves in their church. Door to door evangelism was easy for them because the dweller of this province shared the same ethnicity. In this way or that they are their relatives or family friends. The counting of patrilineal linage system of Galo naming provided ample of scope for that. Beside this people group maintained decent social relation and strong community life. This age-old practice can be clearly visible at the time of marriage ceremony, interment service and unnatural event. Early believers’ faithfully utilized Galo social system for the door to door gospel campaign. Even among their faith circle too they never consider it as a divisive force to start separate denomination rather they thought that it is pious stirred for the faith community. With a Bible in their bag, they equally visited non-Christian for evangelism and Christian’s house for spiritual reawakening to share their own testimony. Latter on this house visitation assisted for the speedy growth of the church.

During the time of the germination of the CRC Redputu, the pioneering band received people from all classes. At the same time, they were very less in numbers often compelled to live without close friends in the society. It happened after they embraced new faith that all their best friends and dearest relatives leave them at once. There was a great barrier that developed with them and the people of other faith include Christian of other denominations. They hence urgently needed new members whose golden number can facilitate them to form as a called community. This persistent necessitates of companionship urges them to heartily welcome the people of various statuses. In every sphere they themselves were the incredibly weak person during that eon of their life. As they accepted the Lordship of Jesus Christ at their points of physical suffering besides after spends their whole cash in the medical treatment. Akin to them, economically poor, frail individuals and widows were the first people that enrolled as membership register. Those few pathetic persons little by little begin to shape into a larger recognized community. Although those forerunner individuals walked slowly but they never walk back. In their gathering therefore there was no discrimination on gender basis or in status of their wealth. They created sense of belongingness to one another and it was a latest praying community owned by God under the headship of Christ. In this manner in the worship service, anyone was allowed to speak who felt they had been led by the Holy Spirit to do so.

Beginner groups of the CRC Redputu where strictly adherent to emphasize in the personal holiness of every individual. This certain holiness branded by them was their topmost standard to get membership in their church. Instantly they avoided pollution lives which can lead to damage their physical health at the price of spiritual life. That may accordingly lead the indulge person to hell which could cost them to have eternal consequence. Consumption of harmful substance such as liquors and intoxication were circumvented by them. During those days drug were not available in the markets thus question of chemical dependency does not arise. To keep their morality upright to not give room for any kind of question they avoided the immoral life. At one moment they stopped the age-old practices of polygamy and polyandry which was very much popular during that era. Galo have socially accepted polygamy practices which is so unique in nature and character. Continues to preserve their membership each one of them has to constantly uphold the obligatory holiness. They believed that the first and foremost requisite qualifications to be a disciple of Jesus Christ are to consecrate themselves to live a holy life. Christ can return at any time because second coming is at the hand. At one point of time they doubted that He will return in 2000. That added them to lived holiness life so that they will not miss rapture. Accordingly, they tried to maintain holiness in every words and deeds. Due to holiness in personal life, in their new community too, they strongly uphold sanity and serenity.

Since their initial stage those revivalists believed that miracle activities of God are for all generation. Lining with that understanding they acted to implement it in their ministry where they used to get privilege to be ministered. They understood that God is still active in human life and will be active today, resembled to the apostolic time. To follow the ministerial pattern of early church they frequently used to read and preached from the acts of apostle. As most of them became revivalist via the healing ministry so they gave extra accentuate in the healing ministry. By remembered their own misery moment they had a kind hearted for the bedridden peoples although they may not be their kin. In their religious gathering even without the prayer request from those ailing people yet they frequently prayed for their speedy recovery. With the leading of the Holy Spirit, they visited sick in house and hospital. They visited those unwell families often without their formal invitation for prayer assistance. God honor their effort, instantly many of them got healed while praying itself. Out of great joy straight way publicly the healed person accepted Christ as their savior. By looking the gracious divine hands even the families of the ill person also embarked into new faith. The spreading of healed news opened a greater opportunity to have healing ministry in their locality. Even it convinced the general masses to have faith in God. In this way, their service appealed to the lower strata of the society, especially those who are in life and death situation.

The above-mentioned point shows that CRC Redputu is not the outcome of any manmade plan. This is neither the produce that mastermind by the bible graduates nor handy fasting habit of lay preachers. No limited human mind can have such a glorious plan to be cheerfully carried out or effectively run the church governance. It is simply an unconditional favor of God for the native inhabitance of gorgeous Basar prefecture. Also, for those who are temporary resides there for valuable vocational life and education purpose. As this church the blue print of heaven model on orb exists for them they ought to register themselves on her. It will be facilities them to decently work out their own salvation as per divine mandate on each enrolled member. The growth of his church is not because of any believers’ effort so they are not at all boost on their achievement. Moreover, their testimony is also solely souvenir from God thus they recognized that it does not permit to boost on it. It was God who used those sanctified sinners for His own personal end as a result they have that incredibly testimony. They were simply available precious broken vassal for the God to be used for His service in this minster. Progressively new comer too responded to the great commission and lined themselves on it responsibility. God honors their sacrifice and uses them for the extension of His Kingdom on this part of the earth. She is therefore purely a sign of heavenly benediction on beautiful Lappa Rada district of Arunachal Pradesh.

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