A cidam pawlpi (A Healthy Church) ~ Rev. Dr. Mang Do Thang

A cidam pawlpi (A Healthy Church) ~ Rev. Dr. Mang Do Thang

THUMASA – Lai Siangtho sungah pawlpi pen Khris’ pumpi tawh na kigenteh hi (Eph. 2:22-22). Tua hi a, pawlpi pen biakinn (church building), ahih kei leh kipawlnate (organizations) cih bang hi loin nuntakna a nei pumpi (living organism) hizaw hi. Nuntakna nei ahih mah bangin pawlpi pen kiam thei, khang thei, ci na thei, damkik theih hi. Mihingte’ pumpi sungah “guh le tang kilamzia (skeletal structure), khuaphawkna thahui kilamzia (nervous system), an-gawi kilamzia (digestive system), sisan kilamzia (circulatory system), ci-in nam (4) om a, tuate lak panin guh le tang kizamzia pen a bulpi pen cih theih ahi hi. A hang pen guh le tangte in adang thum teng pen khuampi banga a pua ahih manin guh le tangte zawngkhal leh adang thum teng in zong bangmah sem theih nawn lo pah ding uh hi. Tua mah bangin pawlpi in zong mihingte bang mahin kilamzia (structure) a kimin a neih kul a, tuate sungah khat a zawngkhal leh adang teng zong zawngkhalin na sem thei lo ding uh hi.

Pawlpi in khatveivei a zawngkhal lam phawk kha lo theih hi. Sum le pai lamah khangto ih kisak laitak, pawlpi mi tamin nop ih kisak laitak hun sung pen Pasian’ muhna ah kha lamah ih zawngkhal hun le ih pawlpi a cidam lo laitak hun khawng peuh hi thei zawsop hi. Lai Siangtho sung le pawlpi tangthu sungah pawlpi in kilamzia nam thum (tripartite structure) nei hi: Tuate pen kipantahna (traning/ discipling), gammial nasepna/ sawlkhiatna (sending/ apostolic), le kimuhtuahna/kikhawlkhopna (gathering) cihte ahi hi. Hih kilamzia nam thum teng a kidualsuakin ih zat khop theih ciang bekin pawlpi cidamin na sem zo pan bek ding hi.

1. PAWLPI KILAMZIA NAM THUM (tripartite structure of the Church)
Pawlpi kilamzia nam thum a kisap gige lam a nuai-a thute tung panin kimu thei hi.

(a) Jesuh’ nasepna (Jesus’ ministry- ca. AD.30)

Emil Brunner in, “Mei pen a kangtumsak ding ahih mah bangin pawlpi zong gammial nasem ding ahi hi,” (the church exists by mission as fire by burning) a cih bangin pawlpi’ nasep a bulpi pen gammial nasep ahi hi. Pawlpi pen na sem thei pawlpi (functionable church) a hih theih nadingin Lai Siangtho in kilamzia nam thum a kician takin hong hilh lo hangin Jesu’ nasep dante ah kilamzia nam thum (tripartite structure) na zang hi cih kimu hi. Amah in nungzui sawmle nihte thuhilhin na pantah a (training), lungdamnathu gen dingin na sawlkhia “sending” hi (Luk. 9:1-6). Tua khit ciangin mi sawmsagihte na sawl leuleu hi (Luk. 10:1-6). Sabbath ni simin tuhun biakinn ih kikhop dan bangin synagogue ah pai-in kikhawlkhopna le thalakna (gathering) na nei den uh hi.

(b) Pawlpi masate (the early church- ca. AD. 100)

Pawlpi masate hunin zong khua pawlpi (local church) in gammial nasem dingin mite na pantah masa a, tua khit ciangin lungdamnathu gen dingin na sawlkhia hi (Sawl. 13:1-4). Ephesus 4:11-12 ah Paul in, “Amah, mipawlkhat sawltakpi, pawlkhat kamsang, pawlkhat lungdamna thugen, pawlkhat thuhilh sia le laihilh sia sem dingin a pia pa hi a, tuate in Khris pumpi a khansuah theih nadingun Pasian mite nasem dinga a bawlkholh nading ahi hi,” na ci hi. Hih sungah “a bawlkholh nading” (to equip) cih kammal pen Greek pau ahi katartismos pana a kiletkhia hi a, zato lamte zat kammal (medical term) ahi hi. A cihnopna pen “a kitansa guh le tang peh kikna” (setting of the broken bone) ahi hi. Paul in guh le tang kitan tawh a kibang, kha lamah a thazawngkhal, Pasian thu a theih lo mite in Pasian’ thu theihin Pasian’ na a sep theih nadingun a tat hiam ding le a pantah dingin Khris in a tunga mite tungah a letsong pia hi a ci nuam ahi hi. Hih pawlpi masate hunin zong kilamzia nam thum mah ahi pantahna, sawlkhiatna le kikhawl khopna cihte mah na zang uh ahih manin pawlpi pen cidam le thahatin gammial nawk zo mahmah uh ahih manin nungzuite pen “leitung lumlette” (who have turned the world upside down) na kici liang hi.

(c) Roman Catholic pawlpi (ca. A.D. 1600)

Roman Catholic pawlpi pen Vatican panin Pope’ thupiakna (ex cathedra) bangin kalsuan uh a, kivaipuakzia ahi bishop ukna gam (diocese), phungzi ukna gam (parish) le khua pawlpi vaihawmna cih bangin kiptakin kivaipuakna le kikhawlkhopna (gathering) na nei uh hi. Pantahna (training) pen tua huna om tapidaw sangpite (Christian Universities) in mawhpuakna la uh hi. Sawlkhiatna (sending) pen a kipumpiak phongzite le sisters-te (monastic order) in mawhpuakna la uh hi. Hih bangin kilamzia nam thum tawh na kalsuan uh ahih manin R.C pawlpi pen tuni dongin a kip mahmah pawlpi khat a suak ahi hi.

(d) Protestant pawlpi (ca. A.D. 1600)

Martin Luther in kihilhna maan (sound doctrine) na ultung sakin gammial nasepna maan (sound missiology) na kin kha lo ahih manin protestant pawlpite sungah pawlpi kilamzia nam thum (tripartite structure) lakah sawlkhiatna (sending) nasep pen kum zathum bang na kizang vet lo ahih manin pawlpite in gammial nawk zo lo pah uh hi. Khangthak gammial nasep pupi pa (the father of modern mission) a kici William Carey in protestant pawlpite sungah kilamzia nam thum a kimin a kizat lo lam le kilamzia puahphatna (structural reform) bawl ding a kisap zia na phawk kha a, “An inquiry into the obligation of Christians to use means for the conversion of the heathens) a kici thulu tawh gammial nasep ding na hanthawn hi. Ama’ hanthotna panin a nung ciangin gammial nasep kipawlnate (mission societies) tampi hong piang khia a, pawlpite sungah kum zathum sung mei banga a mitsa gammial nasepna pen hong kikuan tawh kikin a hong kuangkik hi.

2. PAWLPI KILAMZIA ETPHAT KIKNA (evaluation of the structure of the church)

Pawlpi cidamin Pasian’ na a sep zawh nadingin kilamzia nam thum a nei hiam cih ih enpha ding a, a nuai-a bangin puahphat dinga a kilawmte ih puahpha ding hi.

(a) Pawlpi kikhawlkhopna (gathering)

Hih pen khua pawlpi kilamzia (local church model) zong kici hi. U.S Center for World Mission a phuankhia pa Ralph D. Winter in a lai gielh ahi “Pasian’ gupkhiatna nasep zia nam nih (two structures of God’s redemptive mission) sungah pawlpi kivaipuakzia/ thu vaihawmzia pen modality”, gammial nasepna kivaipuakzia pen sodality cih kammal thak na zang hi. Amah in pawlpi sungah hih kilamzia nam nih in a kilek kimin na a sep theih nak leh pawlpi pen khangto-in cidam a, khatzaw sang a thanem a, ahih kei leh a om kei leh pawlpi tha zawngkhalin “sawlpi nasep” (the great commission) sem zo lo hi, ci hi. Pawlpi sungah modality bek a uk mipawlkhat a om mah bangin sodality bek a uk mipawlkhat zong om hi. Modality lam a kivate in pawlpi sung thusuk thuto vaihawmin pawlpi sungah kikep kikhoi dan le gammial nasepna adingin sum zon pai zonna lam ah kuhkal takin semin lungdamnathu a gen ding mite sawlkhia uh hi. Sodality lam a kivate in gammial nasep bek mah lungtup lien penin nei uh a, pawlpi sung kivaipuakzia le thuvaihawmzia cih lam peuhmah kin vet lo uh hi.

A cidam pawlpi ih hih theih nadingin pawlpi kivaipuakzia sungah pawlpi upa pawl (deacon board) a kisap mah bangin gammial upa pawl (mission board) zong kisam hi. Pawlpi sungah sodality a thupi pen ahih hangin modality panpihna lo tawh bangmah sem theih tuan lo hi. Hih kilamzia nam nih pen pawlpi sungah a om lo phamawh ahih lam ih tel siam lona hangin a beisa 1970 kim pawlin pawlpi tampite sungah (adiak diakin Tedim le Tonzang gam sung) kitelkhialhna nasia takin hong om a, modality-te in sodality-te pen upna tangpek (heretics) danin a na muh khialh mah bangun sodality-te in zong modality-te pen Pasian um lo (a piangthak lote) danin na mu khial uh hi. Pawlpi sungah a nih tuakin a om lo a phamawh ahih lam kitel loin khatlekhat ki-el bawlin a tawpna ah a kisam lo pi-in pawlpi kikhenna (church split) ciang dong na piang hi. A taktakin hih kilamzia nam nih te in amau’ mun tek ah amau’ neih siamnate zangin na hong sem le uh, pawlpi cidamin gammial zong nawk zo pah ding uh hi.

(b) Kipantahna (training)

Pawlpi khanto nading pen kipantahna tungah kinga hi. Kipantahna phualpi (training institutions) pen nipi sang (sunday schools) le Lai Siangtho sangte (bible colleges and seminaries) ahi uh hi. Pawlpi sung kha lam makai dingte in Pasian thu lamah pilna sang (academic excellence) a neih ding a kisap mah bangin kha lam kilamna (spiritual formation) zong a neih ding uh kisam lai hi. Lai Siangtho sang pen a nam tuamtuam om a, pawlkhatte pen doctrine a kimuam sang (indoctrinated bible colleges) a om mah bangin pawlkhatte pen Pasian thuthuk pilna (academic theology) a ultungsak sang le pawlkhatte pen gammial nasepna tawh kisai Pasian thuthuk sinna (mission theology) a thupisak sang cih bangin om hi. Ih pawlpi in ei tawh a kituak sangte teelin ih pawlpi sungah ih zat ding siate tua sangte ah pilna sin dingin ih sawl tangtang ding uh kisam hi.

Ih zat ding siate cialna (staff recruitment) pen thupi ngaihsut ding kisam ka sa hi. Koi sang panin man a, a Pasian thupomzia le ama’ gamtat luhek zia (moral character) cihte limtakin kan kul hi. Hi thei hi leh sang man tungte ih zat sangin Pasian nasepna phual (ministry field) khat teitei ah a semsate hi leh hoih zaw lai ding hi. Mi kimkhatte in Lai Siangtho pilna a sang pipi a zo mite bek pawlpi sia dingin cial sawm uh hi. Nidang lai-in sin pilna (academic knowledge) a nei mite bek Pasian thuthuk theihte (theologians) na kici kha a, tua bang mite in khuak pilna (head knowledge) ultungsakin amau’ theihna suang uh ahih manin Kha Siangtho nasepna sumit theih zawsop uh hi. Ray S. Anderson in Moses pen Pasian thuthuk a thei masa pen (first theologian) na ci se hi. A hang pen amah in sawlbawk kawm panin Pasian tawh kimai tuahin a kihona hang ahi hi. Tua hi a, amah in, “Sawlbawk kawm meikuang lakah khedap suahin a ding lo peuhmah in Pasian thuthuk theih pa ka hi hi kici kei tahen” (Let no one claim to be a theologian who has not stood ‘unshod’ at the burning bush,” na ci ngiat hi. Khuak pilna bek a suang, Pasian tawh a kimu ngei nai lo khat pen sia-a ih zat khak leh ih pawlpi hong cidam lo ding hi, a ci nuam ahi hi.

Lai Siangtho sangte ah a kisin Pasian thu pen ih sep nading pawlpi tawh a kituak (contextual) ahih ding banah a kisin thute (curriculum) zong sepna bulphuh thute (praxis-based curriculum) ahih ding kisam hi. Praxis ih cih pen tupna (telos/goal) a nei nasepna ahi hi. Tuiphum John in na mawhnate kisik kik un ci-in mite a tuiphumna bek tawh Pasian’ tupna (telos) tangtun zo lo a, “leitung mawhnate a puakhia Pasian tuuno en un,” ci-in mite kiangah Jesu a pulak ciang bekin Pasian’ tupna tangtun zo pan hi. Hih bang nasepna pen Greek pau-in “praxis” kici hi. Amah in tui phum ni lohin kuamah Jesu kiang tunpih kei leh ama’ nasep pen “sepmawkmawk” ahih kei leh “nek zonna nasep” (practice) bek suak ding a, Pasian tupna a tangtun nading nasepna (praxis) suak theih lo ding hi. Gentehna-in tagah nasep (orphanage ministry) pen hoih takin sem leng Pasian’ deihna ahi hi. Ahi zongin tagahte tung panin a met dokin kivakna-in zang lehang ih nasepna pen nekzonna (practice) hi ding a, Pasian’ deihna tawh a kituak tupna nei nasepna (praxis) suak theih lo ding hi. Tua hi a, “tagah kemte in tagahte vak zaw maw, ahih kei leh tagahte in amau leh vak zaw maw” cih pen amau le Pasian bek in theih ding hi.

(c) Sawlkhiatna (sending)

Gammial nasep (mission) bang hiam cih ih tel siam ding kisam hi. Mission thu ih tel siam lo manin a kisem khempeuh “mission” sa kha theih hi hang. D.T. Nile in, “Na khempeuh mission nasepna hi ih cih leh mission ih tuam cih ding bangmah om nawn lo ding hi (If everything is mission, nothing is mission) a cih bangin ih sep khempeuh mission ahi hiam cih tel kul hi. Lai Siangtho sunga kigen mission ih cih in mikim in Jesu Khris pen gumpa le Topa-in a san khit uh ciangin amauti nungzui suahsakna (discipleship) ahi hi. A bukim gammial nasepna (holistic mission) sungah khamangthang matna (soul winning) le mipite phattuam nading sepna (social service) nam nih kihel hi. A nihin sep ding a phatmawh sam hangin ih ultunsak ding (priority) nasep pen khamangthang nasepna ahi hi (Mat. 28:19-20; Mark. 8:36; Rom. 10:13-14). Khamangthang nasep ih sep kawmin mipite phattuam nading sepna (social service) zong sep kul veve hi (Pian. 1:26-28; Late 8:6-8; Rom. 8:21). Ahi hangin sep ngeina dan banga sep lel ding (an end in itself) hi loin, mippie phattuam nading sepna (social service) pen khamangthang nasepna’ tupna a tangtun nading a panpih nasepna (means to an end) ih hih sak ding kisam hi.

THUKHUPNA

A tunga pawlpi kilamzia nam thum pen pawlpi sungah mantakin ih zat thei nak leh ih pawlpi hong cidamin mit muhin hong khang hanhan ding a, ahi zongin khat zaw sang hong thanem a, ahih kei leh khant zaw sang ih ultunsak khak leh pawlpi hong tha kiamin zong hong cidam lo pah ding hi. Pawlpi cidamte pen hih kilamzia nam thum a kilek kim-a a zangte ahi uh hi. Tua banah pawlpi siate zong sodality le modality kivaipuakzia a zang siamte hi zaw deuh uh hi cih kimu theih hi. A tawpna ah Lai Siangtho sungah a gen mah bangin pawlpi kem siapa pen makai (leader) hong hi henla, ama’ muhkholhna (vision) tawh na hong semin, a sep dinga a gel a ngimna (goal) a tangtun thei nadingin, tua a ngimna pen pawlpi mite in amau’ ngimna bang danin pom sak theih-in hong semkhawm le uh pawlpi pen a cidam pawlpi a hong hi ding hi. Rev. Dr. Mang Do Thang

1) Bologna University (1088, Italy), Oxford university (1096, UK), Cambridge University (1209, UK), Sorbonne University (1257, France), Montpeller University (1289-France), Sapienzia University of Rome (1303, Italy) cih bangte banah Kawlgamah Judson College (1892) cihte ahi hi. Ih buaih puante (academic regalia) ahi gown, hood, cap cihte pen tapidaw sangpite (Christian Universities) in na zang masa uh a, tua panin leitung sangpite (Secular Universities) in tapidaw sangte dan a hong zuih uh ahi hi. Hih buaih puan (academic regalia) pen kum zalom (12) sunga hong piangkhia hi a, US ah kum zalom (19) bei kuan lamin kizang pan hi. A beisa hun khat lai (ca. 1990s) kim pawlin Zomi Theological College (Falam) ah lukhu nelkai piakna (graduation ceremoby) a kibawl ciangin tua huna kumpi ulian khat in no biakna kipawlnate in buaih puan na zang theih kei ding uh hi ci-in na khaam ngei a, tua leh sangsia khat in buaih puan pen tapidaw sangpite na zat masak ahihna thu a cing takin a gen ciangin bangmah gen nawn lo hi cih thu khat om ngei hi.

2) Monastic order-te: Cistercians-te (1089, Europe nisuahna gam ah na sem), Franciscans-te (1209, Francis of Assisi in phuankhia), Dominicans-te (1215, Dominic in phuankhia), Jesuits-te (1534, Ignatius Loyola in phuankhia).

3) Modality cih kammal pen khuapi sung ki-uk zia (municipal structure), pana a kikawm kammal (borrowed word) ahi hi. Khuapi huam sunga (municipal area) a suak mi khempeuh liangko kikim uh a, hamphatna ngah dan zong kibang hi. Amaute in khua le tui khanto nadingin a hih thei zah uh sit loin diamdiamin sem uh hi. Kuamah kideidan het loin khatlekhat kithupi sim uh hi. Tua ahih manin modality pen mihing a thupisak kilamzia (people-oriented structure) zong kici theih hi.

4) Sodality kilamzia pen nasepna a thupisak kilamzia (task-oriented structure) hi a, amau’ thupisak le a kin pen uh nasep in gammial nasep (mission) ahi hi. Hih bang nasem dingte pen kuhkalhna le siamna (skills) a neite ahih uh kul a, a nasepna vuah a kipumpiak mite ahih ding uh kisam hi.

5) Anderson, Ray S. “The Soul of Ministry”: Forming Leaders for God’s People” Louisville, Westminster Press, 1997.