Andrews University Digital Commons @ Andrews University Dissertation Projects DMin Graduate Research 2001 Church Growth in the Khasi-Jaintia Conference, Meghalaya, India Khrawbor Kharbteng Andrews University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dmin Part of the Practical Theology Commons Recommended Citation Kharbteng, Khrawbor, "Church Growth in the Khasi-Jaintia Conference, Meghalaya, India" (2001). Dissertation Projects DMin. 593. https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dmin/593 This Project Report is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Research at Digital Commons @ Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertation Projects DMin by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ABSTRACT CHURCH GROWTH IN THE KHASI-JAINTIA CONFERENCE, MEGHALAYA, INDIA by Khrawbor Kharbteng Adviser: Nancy Vhymeister ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH Dissertation Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary Title: CHURCH GROWTH IN THE KHASI-JAINTIA CONFERENCE, MEGHALAYA, INDIA Name of researcher: Khrawbor Kharbteng Name and degree of faculty adviser: Nancy J. Vyhmeister, Ed.D. Date completed: January 2001 The population of the Khasi-Jaintia Conference territory is made up of 80 percent Khasis and 20 percent other ethnic groups. The Khasis, an accepting and happy people, are receptive to the Christian message. This receptivity comes from their monotheistic concept of God and their admiration for the dedicated missionaries who brought the gospel but did not attempt to modify their culture, except for their refusal to accept social evils such as drinking, gambling, and sexual promiscuity. Seventh-day Adventism came to the Khasi region in 1915 with the arrival of E. G. Hardinge and family. The actual work o f the Seventh-day Adventist Church started around 1933 with the arrival of the regular missionaries such as the Burgesses, the Barlows, the Ashlocks, and the Langes. The establishment of the Assam Training School provided a center for spreading the Seventh-day Adventist message throughout the Northeastern region o f India. The church grew slowly until 1996, when the Khasi-Jaintia Conference became a separate administrative unit. Earlier, funds, programs, and personnel had to be distributed among all fields. As of the year 2000, the church membership is more than double what it was in 1990. Major factors in the growth of the church during the period were public evangelism in areas where churches and companies already existed, the day-to-day witnessing of members, evangelism through the secondary boarding school, and biological growth. In spite of the improved growth of the last few years, the task of evangelizing presents a mammoth challenge, given that the Seventh-day Adventists are only 0.3 percent of the population. To enhance the growth rate, the strategies that produced results in the 1990s should be continued and improved. In coordination with already-familiar evangelistic methods, Life Transformation Cell Groups should be developed. These groups will function in local churches, under the supervision of the pastor, with the support of the conference. The groups will provide fellowship, nurture, and an opportunity for outreach. A training program for group leaders will precede the initiation of the groups; further training of groups leaders will maximize the benefits of these groups. Andrews University Seventh-day-Adventist Theological Seminary CHURCH GROWTH IN THE KHASI-JAINTIA CONFERENCE, MEGHALAYA, INDIA A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor o f Ministry by Khrawbor Kharbteng January 2001 CHURCH GROWTH IN THE KHASI-JAINTIA CONFERENCE, MEGHALAYA, INDIA A dissertation presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Ministry by Khrawbor Kharbteng APPROVAL BY THE COMMITTEE Coordinator, India D.Min. Program Jon L. Dybdahl Boxter Kharbteng Dean, SDA Thj John K. McVay V- / ? -A 0 0 £ - Date approved TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................... vii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS........................................................................................... vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS............................................................................................... viii Chapter I. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................... 1 P u rp o se ........................................................................................................... 1 Justification.................................................................................................... 1 Significance.................................. 2 Limitations...................................................................................................... 2 Overview o f the S tu d y .................................................................................. 2 II. A DESCRIPTION OF THE COMMUNITY ................................................... 3 The Land: Topography and C lim ate........................................................... 3 Demographics ................................................................................................ 5 E conom y........................................................................................................ 7 The Inhabitants................................................................................................ 8 The Non-Khasis: The Minor Groups.................................................... 8 The Bengalis...................................................................................... 8 The Nepalis ...................................................................................... 9 The M arw aris.................................................................................... 10 The Assamese.................................................................................... 11 The G aros........................................................................................... 12 The Mizos ......................................................................................... 12 TheNagas ......................................................................................... 13 The Khasis: The Major Group .............................................................. 14 Their O rigin ...................................................................................... 14 Their Appearance............................................................................. 16 Their Characteristics......................................................................... 16 Their Social Institutions ................................................................. 18 iii Religion ........................................................................................................ 27 Christianity............................................................................................... 27 Churches of Foreign Origin............................................................. 28 Churches of Indigenous O rigin...................... 32 The Indigenous Khasi Religion{Ka Niam Khasi) .............................. 38 The Concept of G o d ......................................................................... 38 Sin and Salvation ............................................................................. 39 Good and Evil S p irits....................................................................... 41 Ancestor W orship............................................................................. 44 The A fterlife...................................................................................... 45 Rituals and Ceremonies.................................................................... 47 Revival o f the Khasi R elig io n ......................................................... 52 Festivals........................................................................................................... 53 Ka Shadsuk Mynsiem Festival................................................................ 53 Ka Shad Nongkrem F estival.......................................................... 54 Ka Behdeinkhlam Festival .................................................................... 55 III. HISTORY OF THE KHASI-JAINTIA CONFERENCE................................ 57 The Beginnings ............................................................................................. 57 Early Development................................................................................... 59 The Ashlock-Lange Foundational Period .................................................. 62 From Ashlock and Lange to Indigenous Leadership................................ 68 From 1971 until 1999............................... 70 Church Growth 1934-1965 ........................................................................... 72 IV. CHURCH GROWTH OF THE KHASI-JAINTIA CONFERENCE ...... 74 An Overview: 1990-1999 ............................................. 74 Pre-reorganization Period, 1990-1995 ....................................................... 79 Post-reorganization Period, 1996-1999 .................................................... 83 1996 ........................................................................................................... 83 1997 ..........................................................................................................