Cloud of Witnesses – Celebrating 210^th Anniversary of International Ministries

Rev. Tugaso Manyu (Advocate)

General Secretary of Arunachal Baptist Church Council

I am very thankful to the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society (ABFMS, aka International Ministries/ IM) for pioneering the gospel work in the northeastern states of India since 1836. Through the ABFMS mission, many souls have been saved and many lives have been changed. Directly or indirectly, I am one of the fruits of ABFMS’s mission to Northeast India. I came to know Christ and accepted Christ in the year 2001. I come from an indigenous animist faith tribe, but I was influenced by Hinduism through my sixth grade in school. I was a volunteer worker at Arun Jyoti, a branch of Hindu society. I got multiple trainings under this organization to preach and propagate Hinduism. When my parents became Christians, I tried many things to stop them. I even made a complaint to the Head Gaon Bura and the police with the help of full-time workers of Arun Jyoti, Lohit Branch. But we could not stop my parents. Instead, after one year I joined my parents in the church. A Naga missionary shared the gospel with me and later paved the way for me to pursue theological studies.

I belong to the Mishmi tribe of Arunachal Pradesh (State). After the completion of my theological studies, I entered full-time ministry for God as an evangelist in 2008, but without any financial support for two years. However, God paved the way for me in the ministry and I was able to do a lot of evangelism among my Mishmi community in Arunachal Pradesh. Besides theological education, I also studied secular education and even earned a law degree.

Since, the starting of full-time ministry, I have been spreading the gospel among my tribe and other tribes as well. God has enabled me to be involved in leadership ministry among my tribe and in the State as well. God has been instrumental in bringing social awareness, education, and healing to my society. I have been constantly preaching God’s words, and teaching and alerting the effects of opium addiction among my tribe. God has blessed me to be part of the Child Welfare Committee in our district. Through this, we have been giving awareness programs about the abuse of child domestic workers, human trafficking, sex trade, child marriage, etc. I apply the biblical principles and the law of the county in my awareness programs. God has immensely blessed my ministry and my family as we share His gospel and see lives being changed for Christ. Praise the Lord!

Top picture: Rev. Manyu, third from the left

*Ben Chan: Special thanks to Cathy Holmes for proof-reading the article.