MANIPUR

1 Nearly all the Naga, Kuki-Chin and Mizo have become Christians in the 20th Century.

2 The challenges:

a) The Meitei have been Hindu for three centuries

b) Muslims and other immigrant groups are largely unreached

c) Drug addiction and AIDS have become a major issue

MEGHALAYA

1 Meghalaya has become a Christian state; the Khasis are mainly Presbyterian and Catholic; the Garo, Baptist.

2 The challenges for the Church:

a) The youth are drifting away from the Church

b) Some smaller tribes, the Hajong, Rabha Koch and Mikir are still entrenched in animistic ways

c) Shillong has the highest concentration of non-Christians

MIZORAM

1 Mizoram is one of the most active Christian states in the world.

2 The challenges to be tackled by the Christians:

a) Divisions within denominations and inter-ethnic tensions

b) Serious societal problems

c) The largely Buddhist Chakma and Reang tribal refugees from Tripura need to be evangelized

NAGALAND

1 Nagaland is unique – with the highest percentage of Baptists of any state in the world.

2 The effectiveness of Christian witness is compromised by inter-ethnic feuding, a long Naga independence guerrilla war, the insidious effects of corruption, denominational fragmentation (there are 21 Baptist groupings and a growing number of newer, independent churches) and growing nominalism

3 Christian leadership. Few Christian areas in the world have such a high density of theological colleges

4 Bible translation

Geography - Manipur

Area 22,300 sq.km.

Population 2,526,000

Capital Imphal.

Peoples - Manipur

Main groups Meithei 1.3 mill.; Meitei Pangal/ Manipuri 350,000; Muslims 236,000; Assamese Muslims 97,000.

SC 2%. Dalit (7) 2%.

ST (37) 34.4%.

Religion - Manipur

Hindu 57.7%; Christian 34.1%; Muslim 7.3%; Other 0.9%.

Geography - Meghalaya

Area 22,400 sq.km.

Population 2,175,000

Capital Shillong 260,000.

Peoples - Meghalaya

78.

SC (16) 0.5%.

ST (15) 85.5%.

Other groups Bengali Muslims 54,000; Shaikh Muslims 49,000.

Religion - Meghalaya

Christian 64.6%; Hindu 14.7%; Muslim 4%; Animist/Other 16.7%.

Geography - Mizoram

Area 21,000 sq.km.

Population 860,000

Capital Aizawl 182,000.

Peoples - Mizoram

54.

SC (15) 0.1%.

ST (17) 94.8%.

Other groups (15) 5.1%. Bengali, Nepali (4) 6,000.

Religion - Mizoram

Christian 85%; Buddhist 8%; Hindu 7%.

Geography - Nagaland

Area 16,600 sq.km.

Population 1,550,000

Capital Kohima 63,000.

Peoples - Nagaland

50.

Tribes (22) 87.7%.

Other groups 12.3%.

Religion - Nagaland

Christian 87.5%; Hindu 10.1%; Muslim 1.7%.

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