Northeast India: a culture defined by tribe and clan

Dear friends and colleagues,

North East India (NEI) is the backwater of this great country.  On a map you’ll see how it’s connected to the mainland by a narrow strip of land bordered by Nepal and Bangladesh, and then opens up to become seven states known as “the tribal areas.”  While those in NEI are Indians by passport, the region is undeniably distinct from the rest of the country, and not only in its remote geography.

Economically, it is impoverished compared to the great cities of South and North India like Bangalore or Delhi.  Electricity goes off regularly during the high demand times in the evening.  Buildings are more modest in size and construction.  And, people prefer jeep-type vehicles to better negotiate the mountain roads.

The facial features of the typical NEI resident appear to be more closely related to those of Chinese or Southeast Asian extraction.  My new friends here tell me they are often mistaken as foreigners when travelling to other parts of their own country.

The culture in these parts is tribal in character.  While most of India is dominated by Hinduism with its caste system, here tribe and clan identity are more significant cultural markers.  Even the church is not exempt from this influence.  Every tribe, for instance, no matter how small in number, wants to have its “own” Bible college or seminary, regardless of the proximity of another seminary offering similar programs.

The most remarkable feature of NEI is the widespread receptivity to the Gospel, which was brought to these parts by Baptist missionaries 150 years ago.  Today Christianity is the “default” religion in the entire region and in some areas 9 out of 10 people would claim to be Christians.  For the most part these are evangelical congregations, though nominalism is a significant challenge.

While in Nigeria one of the first missionaries I met from a non-traditional sending country was Liau Facchai.  Liau and his wife Debbie were serving with SIM in a seminary in Ghana, West Africa.  It came as somewhat of a surprise to me to know of a missionary who had come from India, a country known to me previously as a destination of missionaries, not as a sending country!  “Some day I’d like to see for myself this significant pocket of Christian faith, sending forth the Light, even while surrounded by a sea of Hindus, Muslims, and Buddhists.”  And, by God’s grace, I finally have the opportunity.

For three days two dozen seminary leaders from NEI have gathered to learn how to strengthen their relationship with their congregations and denominations.  It’s been a very encouraging time of discussion, reflection, and presentations.  While somewhat constrained by a traditional system of theological education (originating with the college started by missionary William Carey almost 200 years ago), the seminary principals here have voiced their intentions to respond more effectively to the real needs of Christian leadership.

Tomorrow Dr Ashish and I will be making our way on a four-hour journey over mountain roads to visit one of the seminaries taking part in this mini-Institute.  On Monday we’ll return to Bangalore where next week we’ll be holding our regular Institute for Excellence.

Warmly in Christ,

Scott

(Dean of OC Institutes)