TURA:
Religious celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the Garo Baptist Convention, the oldest Christian denomination in the region, have commenced in Garo Hills. Thousands of devotees have gathered at Bethal A.bri, the permanent site for the annual sobha (gathering), located 34 km from Tura.
Christianity was first introduced among the Garos at Goalpara by the Baptist Church, and the first sobha was held 150 years ago. Commemorating this historic religious event, the four-day Sesquicentennial Jubilee has begun at Bethel Hill. The Sunday church service is expected to witness the participation of over a lakh devotees from all corners of Garo Hills, Assam, and other northeastern states.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, along with his cabinet colleagues, is expected to attend the Sunday church service at Bethel A.bri. During the service, Rev Dr Raja Singh Elias, General Secretary of IEM, will preach to the congregation, marking the closing of the celebrations.
President of the Garo Baptist Convention, Sundarsingh A Sangma, expressed, “Celebrating 150 years is not just about the history of the Baptists but the A’chik (Garo) tribe’s socio-cultural transformation that took place from those times, and we fondly remember them all and give thanks to our Almighty.”
The Garo Baptist Convention, also known as A’chik Baptist Dal’gipa Krima (ABDK) in Garo, is a century-and-a-half-old umbrella organization of Garo Baptist churches in Meghalaya, Goalpara, and Kamrup districts of Assam. The annual ABDK sobha used to be held at different Krimas or churches, but Bethal A.bri was designated as the permanent site for the sobha in 2023, with one Krima hosting the sobha every five years on a rotational basis.
The Garo Baptist Convention represents over 2600 churches, including 309 mother churches, with nearly 400,000 baptised members and approximately 200,000 unbaptised members.
Established in 1874, the Garo Baptist Convention has grown to become one of the largest Baptist Conventions under the Asia Pacific Baptist Federation and Baptist World Alliance. The introduction of Christianity played a crucial role in transforming the once headhunting and fierce Garo tribe, preventing their potential annihilation by the British regime.