ZCF: Though Your Beginning is Small…
A brief testimony of a Founding Member
By V. Dongzathang
The Zomi Christian Fellowship had a very humble beginning. It all started at 7 Canning Lane, the residence of Pu N. Gouzagin, M.P., with few families, and friends meeting, and singing Gospel songs on Saturday evenings. The students from the University of Delhi, the J.N.U. and other institutions gradually joined the meetings and took active part in the fellowship activities. As more and more members joined the fellowship, the meetings were held on Sunday evenings on a regular basis at the side corridor-room of the house.
The House Fellowship Meeting grew up to become the Zomi Christian Fellowship of Delhi with regular services on Sundays at the Free Church, Parliament Street. As it celebrates its Silver Jubilee, it can rightfully claim to be the progenitor of all the other fellowships that came out of it, namely, the Kuki Worship Service, the Hmar Christian Fellowship, the Vaiphei Christian Fellowship, the Gangte Baptist Church, the New Testament Baptist Church and the Evangelical Baptist Convention Church etc. In other words, these fellowships are the direct offshoot of the Zomi Christian Fellowship, Delhi.
The offspring of these fellowships from the main Fellowship, I now realized and am fully convinced that it is for a specific purpose in the plan of God. It is his handiwork and in the very scheme of the Lord. By this process, we have not only one but a dozen of fellowships covering more colonies and wider areas. Today we have not just ten or twelve deacons/elders but hundreds of them to guide and lead each of the fellowships. The members have increased from hundreds to thousands. It is the Lord’s way of expanding his network in the city of Delhi. We are lucky and rejoice to be part of this great plan of the Lord.
The Zomi Christian Fellowship and the sister Fellowships have a number of challenges before them. Our home churches are over institutionalized on communal basis. They are too sectarian and ethnic based, so much so that it becomes unusual for a non-member to attend another church for worship and fellowship. Far from being welcomed in the fellowship by members of the other churches, he feels rejected like an outcast and an un-welcome guest. He becomes a total stranger in a church, which also claimed to be the same true and living Church. This is because there has not been any fruitful meeting and fellowship of the church leaders. No common action programs have been framed for the churches operating in the same areas. Lack of fellowship and cooperation among the churches has become the main setback and hindrance to the unity of the churches to carry out of the will and purpose of God. The atmosphere has been vitiated and contaminated degenerating into misunderstanding and enmity, which led to ethnic violence and internecine war between brothers. Consequently, the preaching of the Good News to the non-believers becomes ineffective. The believers have been ridiculed, slandered, and made the butt of joke by them. The growth and extension of the kingdom of God is stunted. Even now, we are still overshadowed by fear of violence, famine and hunger and a blanket of despondency covered the entire land. Oh how wretched we are! Who can deliver us from these miseries?
However, there is still a ray of hope and a silver lining in the otherwise dark cloud as we look toward God and the way he is leading us. The Lord who began a good work through the Zomi Christian Fellowship will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. We should therefore edify and nurture this good work for the glory of God the Father and the extension of his kingdom. Inter-action among the various Fellowships should not be confined to annual joint- meetings and joint- Christmas celebrations only. We should mutually visit each other more often to remind our oneness in Christ and renew and refresh our friendship. We should accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted us, in order to bring praise to God. In addition, as the Lord himself commanded us, we should love one another. By this, all men will know that we are his disciples if we love one another. In doing these, we will not only bring our neighbors to Christ, but also set a good example to our church leaders. We will be a role model and a light unto our home churches. Then our people will return to the Lord who will bless us and restore peace and prosperity in our land.
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give us a spirit of unity among ourselves as we follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth we may glorify the God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
‘Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above.’ Amen.
Pu. V Dongzathang graduated from D. M. College in 1960. He joined service under the Govt. of India in 1961. He joined the army and served with the 4th Assam Regiment till 1967 when he returned to civil service and joined the Indian Revenue Service. He was married to Miss T. Pari daughter of Mr. T. Thangkhai and Mrs. Biakliani, Chief of Pearsonmun village. After putting in about 14 years’ service in the Income-tax Department, he was selected as Member of the Income-tax Appellate Tribunal wherein he served as Member, Vice-President, Senior Vice-President and President till he retired in November 2003. Dongzathang and Pari were also instrumental in starting the Mizo Christian Fellowship and later on the Zomi Christian Fellowship at Bombay (now Mumbai). They had one daughter and three sons. The eldest son Vumlunmang I.A.S. is now on deputation with the World Bank, Washington DC. The second child Lianrothangi is married to Mr. Thangkhanlal Guite, I. P. S. who is on deputation with the S. I. B. now in Aizawl. The second son Kamhau is an executive in Redington Company in Dubai. The third son Khaisuanthang is in Papua New Guinea working in M/S Olam International Ltd. with headquarters at Singapore.
silver jubilee magazine honna Pu Dongzathang
About the Author:
What not many people would know is the kindness and affection Mr Dongzathang has always showered upon everyone coming in touch with him, and particularly his juniors and sub ordinates in the office. I had the pleasure of knowing him by the virtue of my association with the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal and later as a Member working under him in the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal. It is almost seven years since he retired from the ITAT, and believe me he has never even bothered to look back at the ITAT or be in touch with any of us, but even now he is always in our thoughts and prayers. Mrs and Mr Dongathang have been most wonderful persons I have known in my life, and, even as a boss, Mr Dongzathang only had love and affection to give to all us; he only knew how to extend love and affection, like a true christian , without expecting anything in return. May God be with him and his loving family in whatever they do !