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A Brief History of the Chin Christian Institute of Theology

By Dr. San No Thuan

We the Chin people live in the North West of Burma. Before the arrival of the American Baptist Missionaries in Chin States in 1899, our forefathers practiced animism. They worshiped different kinds of spirits. They believed the existence of God (Khuazing Pathian) but knew him mostly as the God of justice. However, when the first American Baptist Missionary couple called Rev. Arthur and Laura Carson came to Chin State on March 15, 1899, and followed by other missionaries, they sowed the seed of the Good News of God’s love among the Chins. Then, people came to see the light and now, 95 percent of the ethnic group are followers of Christ now.

The main strategy that the American Missionaries in Chin State used to bring the whole entire ethnic group to Christ was equipping the local leaders. But how? They edified and equipped the local leaders by opening a Bible Seminary. Chin Christian Institute of Theology (CCIT) is the oldest Christian Seminary in Chin State, Myanmar (Burma). In this short article, I would like to mention a short history of it.

Its Beginning

Rev. C. Strait started a Bible School in Hakha in 1928 but it closed during the World War II. The Bible Schools were opened again in Hakha by the Johnsons in 1948 and in Tedim by the Nelsons in 1947. The missionaries went home on furlough in 1952.

Its Locations and Names Change

Rev. S. T. Hau Go, the local leader, started a Bible School in Tedim in 1953 and named it “Zomi Baptist Convention Bible School.” It moved to Hakha in 1954 under the supervision of Rev. R. G. Johnson. The first graduation service was held there in 1956. The Zomi (Chin) Baptist Convention Executive Committee officially gave the name Zomi Baptist Bible School in December 1956. At this time, the school was conducted on the level of middle school. The school was moved from Hakha to Falam in 1959 as the headquarter of Zomi Baptist Convention, founded in 1953, is located there. This seminary has been always under

the umbrella of Zomi Baptist Convention (ZBC). The name of the school was changed again to Zomi Baptist Theological School in 1960 and then, to Zomi Baptist Theological Seminary in 1974. At that time, only diploma courses were offered. As the seminary has grown and became successful in producing effective ministers, the Bachelor of Theology degree program began, and the name of the college was changed again to Zomi Theological College in 1983.

There came a schism in the Zomi Baptist Convention. Most of tribes that use the term “Zomi” formed their own convention called “Zomi Baptist Convention of Myanmar” (ZBCM) in 1995. The names of the convention and the college were changed from “Zomi Baptist Convention” to “Chin Baptist Convention” and from “Zomi Theological College” to “Chin Institute of Theology” effective April 1, 2013, by the 21st Triennial Conference held in Kalaymyo in March 21–24, 2013. The college was accepted as a member institute of the Association for Theological Education in South East Asia (ATESEA) in 1982.

Chin Christian Institute of Theology Programs Offered

Currently, CCIT offers the following programs of study: 1.Master of Divinity (three-year master program) 2.Master of Ministry (two-year master program) 3.Master of Arts in Theological Studies (two-year master program) 4. Bachelor of Theology (four-year bachelor program) 5.Bachelor of Ministry (two-year bachelor program) 6.Bachelor of Religious Education (two-year bachelor program) 7.Diploma of Theology (discontinued in 1983 and restarted in 2013).

Academic year

The academic year begins June 1 and ends March 13.

San No Thuan, Ph.D., is the Pastor of Falam Baptist Church in Frederick, Maryland.

World Mental Health Day

October 10

The World Health Organization had designated October 10 as World Mental Health Day, a time to raise awareness of mental health around the world and support those experiencing mental health and substance use challenges. The Day provides an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work, and what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide.

https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-mental-health-day.