Jampui Sakhan Baptist Association
Jampui Sakhan Baptist Association (JSBA) is one of the Baptist Christian associations affiliated to the state level Tripura Baptist Christian Union with headquarters at Agartala, Tripura in North East India. JSBA is one of the oldest associations under the TBCU and one of its biggest contributors.
History
JSBA was established in 1947. The association then covered the Sakhan hills range where two Lushai villages existed. After the communal problems that started around 1997, the two villages were evacuated. The Lushai inhabitants moved to Jampui hill and the rest to Mizoram. The Sakhan area remains in the association. In Jampui, there are 10 Lushai villages. Almost 85 percent of the Lushai of Jampui are from the Baptist denomination. There are also people who belong to the Salvation Army, Seventh Day Adventist, United Pentecostal Church (UPC), Presbyterian, Bible Believing Independent Church (BBIC).
Office
The headquarters of the JSBA is located at Vanghmun village at Jampui Hills under Kanchanpur, sub-division of North Tripura district, Tripura.
Organizational structure
The JSBA is headed by one Executive Secretary, a senior pastor under the JSBA. He holds the office for a term of two years, after which he may be re-elected. Normally, he holds the office for a two-year term. There is also an executive committee consisting of the elders of each church affiliated under JSBA. A president heads the committee. All policy matters are decided by this executive committee.
Currently, under the JSBA, there are 11 churches affiliated. The biggest is the Vanghmun Baptist Church.
Activities
The JSBA is a Christian organization dedicated to evangelization. It is tries to improve the moral standards of its members.
It conducts regular bible teachings on Sunday schools in all the churches. Each church also follows the targets and pursues the guidelines of the organization.
For carrying out its evangelization works, JSBA has several full-time and part-time workers scattered in all parts of the state. As of now, there are no evangelists working outside Tripura.
Educational institutions
The JSBA currently runs two schools.
St. Thomas English Medium School, located at Vanghmun village, was established in 1979. It educates to the mostly scheduled Tribes students living in and around Jampui hill. Pu Lalnunsanga is the headmaster of the school. The school has KG to Class X standards.
The school is affiliated to the Tripura Board of School education (TBSE). Every year a considerable number of Madhyamik students appear for their examination and come out with flying colors. The school has contributed greatly to the educational development of the people of Jampui hill. It has a boarding house for both male and female students. A stipend is provided by the Tribal Welfare Department of Tripura, through which each year a number of poor students can pursue their educational careers at the school.
Pohor English Medium School was established in 2008 at Chawmanu under Longtharai Valley Sub-Division of Dhalai District. Currently, the school has KG to Class V standards. The school is headed by a group of dedicated staff members. There are plans to expand the institution and raise standards. Miss Dorothy is the present headmistress of the school.
Statistics
The total population of Lushai in Jampui hills is about 8500, 6700 of whom belong to the 11 affiliated Baptist Churches.
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References
- Debbarma, Sukhendu (1996) Origin and Growth of Christianity in Tripura: With Special Reference to the New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society, 1938-1988, Indus Publishing, New Delhi. ISBN 81-7387-038-1
- Borok Baptist Convention, Rangchak Mukumu, 2010