A Handful of Rice to Feed The Multitudes: The Role of Women in the Life of the Presbyterian Church in Mizoram John

Lalnuntluanga Dept. of History of Christianity Introduction: For anyone who has done a thorough reading of the history of Christianity in Mizoram, it would be well-nigh impossible to understate the importance of women within that history. The history of mission and evangelism in the state is pretty much a story of an entire tribe embracing Christianity within some fifty years after having first contact with the religion. And in that story, women have always been at the forefront of the missionary and evangelistic endeavours. The enterprise and industry of women in evangelisation of the land as well as consolidation of the church in North Mizoram1 was given impetus by the organisation of the Womens Fellowship which has, till date, continued to provide thrust and impetus in the life of the Presbyterian Church. The origins of the Mizo Presbyterian Womens Fellowship go back to the time when the resident Welsh Calvinistic Methodist2 missionary Rev. David Evan Jones married Miss Catherine Ellen Williams, who was a missionary working in Sylhet (now in Bangladesh), in 1903. After marriage, Mrs. Catherine Jones moved to Aizawl to join her husband in January 1904 and got involved in mission work particularly being engaged with womens concerns. The new Mrs. Jones taught the women different kinds of practical arts like sewing, knitting, stitching, cooking, hygiene, singing, learning the alphabets, etc. A Khasi lady named Mrs. Siniboni from the Khasi Hills was a great help in this regard. The first womens fellowship meetings began around the year 1904 and were held on Friday afternoons in the Mission Vng Church at Aizawl. They spent their time of fellowship listening to Bible stories, the story of Jesus and His ministry, listening to sermons and the
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Usage of the terms North and South Mizoram has to be understood in the light of the missionary endeavours of the two main denominations found in the state. Under the comity agreements between the Welsh Calvinistic Methodist and English Baptist missionaries, the works of the former was concentrated in North Mizoram while that of the latter was concentrated in the South. 2 The first mainline Christian mission body to show an interest and set up permanent base in Mizoram was the Welsh Calvinistic Mission. The Calvinistic Methodists are a body of Christians forming the Presbyterian Church of Wales and claiming to be the only denomination of the Presbyterian order in Wales which is of purely Welsh origin. Unlike English Methodism, Welsh Methodism became Calvinistic rather than Arminian. The Welsh leaders sided with George Whitefield in his dispute with John Wesley over the doctrine of free grace. Whitefield, a Calvinist, accepted the doctrine of predestination (i.e., that God predestines some persons to salvation and some to damnation), while Wesley accepted the Arminian doctrine that grace is freely available to all who will accept it. Ultimately, therefore, the Methodist movement in Wales developed into a Presbyterian rather than a Methodist church. The Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Mission had already been working for some fifty years in the KhasiJaintia Hills when William Williams, one of its missionaries, visited Mizoram in 1891. He went up to Fort Aijal (Aizawl), a garrison town, and after his return, gave recommendations to the General Assembly of the Welsh Calvinistic Methodists in 1892 to adopt Mizoram as a mission field. The Assembly complied, and appointed Williams to start mission work straightaway. However, his death in the same year, along with the difficulties involved in finding a suitable replacement, delayed the start of the project. In the meantime, James Herbert Lorrain and Frederick William Savidge of the Arthington Aborigines Mission, an independent missionary society, reached and worked in Aizawl. They stayed there for four years, overstaying the policy of their sending mission that none of its missionaries should stay in one place for more than two years. The work of the Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Mission really took off with the arrival of David Evan Jones in 1897. It is also noteworthy that when the English Baptists took up South Mizoram as their mission field, the two pioneer missionaries, namely Lorrain and Savidge, were chosen and sent in 1903, purportedly on the request and recommendation of Edwin Rowlands who reached Mizoram in 1898. It is often held that cordial relationship which existed for a considerable period of time between the two biggest denominations in Mizoram, i.e., Presbyterians and Baptists, had its roots in the friendship between these four missionaries.

2 testimonies of the Mizo Christian women and the sharing of their Christian experiences. Through this evangelism many Mizo ladies converted to Christ. The male missionaries supported the programme and even at times participated in it. The Centenary celebrations of the Womens Fellowship were held in 2004. The Growth of Womens Fellowships all over North Mizoram As there was an immense need for evangelism and developmental work during the first few years of mission works in Mizoram, Mrs. Catherine Jones suggested that some women be trained and then employed on a full-time basis in the Church for the work of evangelism and the upliftment of the people. The mission/church took up the project and some women were thus given training in Bible knowledge, general knowledge, midwifery, hygiene, etc. On the completion of their training they were appointed as Bible Women and sent out to different districts to serve alongside the pastors. These Bible Women proved to be very instrumental in forming womens fellowships wherever they went. Traditionally women do not have much say in the Mizo society, and rarely take part in public meetings or gatherings. Hence, they were more or less inaccessible for many of the male evangelists and other Christian workers, even though there was no custom against a man addressing a woman or groups of women in public. The Bible Women became pioneers of a sort, having access to and sharing a closer affinity with the women-folks, thereby taking the Gospel to a section of the society that barely had access to it previously. They were helpful not only in spreading the Christian message but have done much towards spreading awareness of health matters and general hygiene. They proved an able foil to the wives of the pioneer missionaries, and later to women missionaries, in dispensing knowledge of such matters and improving the living conditions of the community. Structure of Womens Fellowships In 1946 the local Church womens fellowship units belonging to two districts organised a District level womens fellowship conference in their respective districts and soon the holding of the district level conference became an annual feature all over Mizoram. In 1960, a general conference encompassing all the units of the Womens fellowship was called for the first time at Mission Vng Church. All the district womens fellowship participated in this conference. From this time onwards a general conference has been conducted every year. In order to facilitate the activities of the Womens Fellowship, committees are set up at all levels: Local, districts and central. As far as the local and district level committees are concerned, women in their respective levels elect the office bearers. Pastors and probationary Pastors are ex-officio members of their respective district Womens Committees and of the local Church womens committees within their districts. In the case of the Central committee the chairperson and the General Secretary are appointed by the Synod Executive Committee from among the Church women; the General Secretary is appointed from among the Coordinator and or the Asst. Co-ordinators. The Synod Moderator, the Synod Secretary, and the Synod Executive Secretary in charge of womens ministry are the ex-officio members of the Central Committee. The General Conference elects other members of the Central Committee.3 In 1978, a full time womens worker was appointed by the Synod to look after the womens activities, now being designated as the Co-ordinator. In addition, there is now an Assistant Co-ordinator, and all the members of the staff manning this department are

http://www.mizoramsynod.org/index2.php?news&read_news&news_id=281 . Accessed on 02.08.2008.

3 theologically trained.4 The Womens Desk of the Mizoram Synod coordinates the work of the Womens Fellowships which are vital components of Presbyterian churches at the local level. The local units of the Womens Fellowship engage in different works in their respective localities like helping the poor, orphans, the sick and the bereaved families, visiting the jails, hospitals and the rescue and rehabilitation homes. An important undertaking of the womens Fellowship that deserves mention here is the steps taken towards nurturing Christian homes. Efforts are made to build up good Christian homes through seminars, workshops, and other special programmes. From 1970 an annual statistical survey of Presbyterian Homes is conducted. The best district is awarded a trophy and a certificate of appreciation at the Womens General Conference. In addition to these, one of the outstanding contributions made by the local Church Womens fellowship units, but which, of course, is coordinated by the Central Executive Committee, is the Buhfai Thm (Handful-of-Rice Collection) Project. Buhfai Thm (Handful-of-Rice Collection) Project The Buhfai Thm (Handful-of-Rice Collection) Project is an unique feature of the work of the Womens Fellowship. Buhfai Thm refers to the collection of a small amount from the rice to be cooked for the family meal. Mizos, whose staple diet is rice-based, generally eat two, sometimes three, rice meals a day. In a Christian household when the rice for the meal has been measured into the cooking pot, the mother takes out a fistful, or fistfuls, and puts it aside into a special bin known as the Buhfai Thm Bl (pot/container for the handful-of-rice). The rice thus collected is presented to the church to be sold. It brings in a substantial sum. According to Dr. Lalrinawmi Ralte, the project was started in 1913 in the Mission Vng Church, and was meant to be a fund raising project specifically to meet the salary of the Bible Women.5 J.M. Lloyd, however, mentions that this unique method of raising funds was initiated by Mrs. D.E. Jones, who learned of it from a Khasi Christian, and who, according to her letter of March, 1911, adopted the idea so as to help pay for the building of the proposed new chapel.6 Lloyd also mentioned the matter of funds raised from this venture facilitating the appointment of the first Bible Woman in 1913.7 However, the initial demand seems to be the need for funds to construct a new chapel in Aizawl. Whatever may be the exact purpose of initiating this project, it was up to the Bible Women to introduce and build up on the arrangement. At first, people who did not even know what Christianity might possibly be, could not understand what the handful-of-rice project was all about. But once an initial awareness was created, the Bible Women whose task it was to introduce it and create awareness in various places were often pelted with stones because they were seen as the main beneficiaries. They were often accused of introducing these novel methods with the intention of filling up their own coffers, and were often branded layabouts depending on handouts. And in some instances, there were apparently allegations that these same Bible Women stole regularly from the project. In spite of all the negative comments, the project went on to become a very effective project in the church. This convenient and realistic mode of collection has become very popular among Mizo Christians and is no longer limited in its scope as it was when Mrs. D.E. Jones initiated it. It is also an extremely important collection in the Khasi-Jaintia churches where it is usually devoted to pioneering Christian elementary schools in non-Christian areas. The Garo
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http://www.mizoramsynod.org/index2.php?news&read_news&news_id=281. Accessed on 02.08.2008. Lalrinawmi Ralte, Handful of Rice A Metaphor for Mizo Womens Power. Sourced from http://www.mizobooks.com/handful_of_rice.htm. 02.08.2008 6 J.M. Lloyd, History of The Church in Mizoram, Aizawl: Synod Publication Board, 1991, pp. 145 146 7 Lloyd, History., p. 163

4 churches, to the west of the Khasi Hills, seem to have practised this type of collection even earlier.8 The practice continues even today throughout Mizoram. And there is even one instance of women in a local church keeping a second bin of such collection solely for the purpose of supporting the mission enterprise within Mizoram. It happened in Chhingchhip, and it was due to the initiative of a widow named Vrzki, erstwhile resident of that village, who started the practice on her own from 1963 onwards. In 1972 the Womens Fellowship Committee of the Chhingchhp Vnghlun Kohhran (Church) formally adopted this practice of keeping two separate jars, and has continued to uphold the tradition till now.9 Significance of Buhfai Thm Project in the Life of the Mizo Presbyterian Church10 1. Opportunity for Involvement in Ministry and Mission At the local level, Buhfai Thm project provides a simple but effective means of involving members in the ministry and mission of the church. Since every family cooks rice-based meals at least twice a day, there is no question of a lack of opportunity for personal involvement in this enterprise. The committee members of the local units of the Womens Fellowship would divide the houses/families within the locality on an area-wise basis. Then certain members and/or their children, usually female, are appointed to collect on a weekly basis whatever has been accumulated. Thus it is an endeavour that requires the involvement of quite a few personnel for its smooth functioning. In this way, the project has helped to provide opportunities for members involvement in mission and ministry. 2. Generation of Funds Though it started out as a small, undistinguished exercise of an insignificant section of the society, the Buhfai Thm project has grown and thrived to become one of the main income-generating exercises not only for the Presbyterian Womens Fellowship alone, but for the Synod itself. The immense importance it has in the life of the Mizoram Synod can be seen from this small piece of information in the Womens Ministry section on the official website of the Mizoram Synod The money received from the sales proceeds of the handful of rice offering amounted to Rs. 46, 450, 217/- in the year 2004. Though the handful of rice collection was not so popular in the beginning it has now become one of the main source[s] of the income for the Synod.11 3. Promotion of Sound Principles of Christian Living The principle behind this offering is based on the thought that Jesus Christ is the Guest at every meal, and rice being a staple diet of the Mizos, the person cooking the meal puts a handful of rice in a container which is collected every weekend and sold at the prevailing market rate.12 This practice places emphasis on giving rather than on receiving alone. It encourages Mizo Christians to share whatever they have, promoting the idea that there is nothing too small or insignificant to share, especially with regard to Christian life and ministry. This understanding probably has a
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Lloyd, History., p. 146. ________, Chhingchhp Vnghlun Presbyterian Church Centenary Souvenir (1902 2002), Chhingchhp: Souvenir Committee, Chhingchhp Vnghlun Kohhran (Church), 2002, pp. 19-20 10 In Mizoram, the practice of having a handful-of-rice project is not limited to the Presbyterian Church. However, this paper concentrates on how it is practiced in and the impact it has on the Presbyterian Church solely because of a lack of information regarding the vitality it provides for other denominations. 11 http://www.mizoramsynod.org/index2.php?news&read_news&news_id=281. Accessed on 02.08.2008. It is commendable that the Mizoram Synod has a website providing vital information that could be accessed from any place with an internet connection; the website could also do with some updating and provide the latest figures. 12 http://www.mizoramsynod.org/index2.php?news&read_news&news_id=281. Accessed on 02.08.2008.

5 lot to do with the fact that the financial transactions of the Synod has grown so large some might even say too large for a church in an impoverished, underdeveloped state. 4. A Model for Christian Stewardship Buhfai Thm collection, as practised in the life of Mizo Christians, could serve as an invaluable model for management of resources at ones disposal. The daily collection that each family puts into the Buhfai Thm Bl does not impose such a big dent in the familys resources. It is only a matter of setting aside a mere handful of rice before each meal. But the fact that most Christian families pursue it diligently, and also because the Womens Fellowship lays emphasis on it, ensures that the total accumulated each month proves invaluable in generating funds that the Church has much need of in pursuing its ministry. 5. Buhfai Thm, A Symbol of Womens Empowerment Buhfai Thm serves as a significant symbol of the empowerment of women. The whole project tells a story of how women make use not of power or might but of the mundane and ordinary to empower themselves. It speaks of how women, whether deliberately or unwittingly, use items which are part of the daily existence to covertly announce their vitality and indispensability to the church. It can rightly be said that the Church in Mizoram would have lost much of its vitality without the inputs of these women especially as exemplified through the Buhfai Thm Project. Whither Womens Ministry in the Presbyterian Church of India13? Dr. L.N. Tluanga14, speaking of the [Mizo] churchs policy of discontinuing the appointing of Bible Women in the church, believes that it was because of the rapid growth of Christianity and the continued well structured [sic] of the church and self-support of the church. This may not necessarily mean women's participation was restricted, but to hold an important office was restricted.15 The last part of this statement has hit the mark when it comes to the position of women in the churchs hierarchy. Though women have made an immense contribution in the life of the Presbyterian Church not only in Mizoram but in the entire north-east, it is a sad reality that opportunities to hold certain vital offices in the church have previously not been extended to all the members who might otherwise be well qualified except for the fact that they belong to the other sex.16 Like Dr. Tluanga, one can not deny that various opportunities have been granted to women for involvement in and at various levels of the churchs ministry. But the sad reality is that some offices are out of their reach solely because of the fact that they are women. At this point, one can go so far as to say that even the church and its leaders themselves are not blameless for the present state of affairs. It is quite true that the advent of Christianity in Mizoram has greatly helped in elevating the status of Mizo women. The Church in Mizoram, the harbinger of that change, has celebrated more than a hundred years existence and has grown to be the biggest institution in the land. It ordained its first Mizo pastor as far back as 1913, and has a well-structured ministry with many pastors who are well-qualified. Yet there is a lot left to be desired. Mizo women are still at a disadvantage
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The Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of India is the church body to which mainline Presbyterian churches in North-East India owe allegiance. The Mizoram Synod is one of the constituent synods of the Assembly. 14 Dr. Tluanga is a renowned educationist who served as a missionary for a number of years in Kiribati. 15 Quoted in Lalrinawmi Ralte, Handful of Rice A Metaphor for Mizo Womens Power. 16 On the question of womens ordination, the Moderator of the Mizoram Synod of the Presbyterian Church of India, in an interview held in his office on May 29, 2008, mentioned that the Synod has an official policy of not recruiting women as pastors since it feels that the church and society are not yet open to it and that the time is not yet ripe for such a radical change.

6 when it comes to various norms and restrictions in the religious as well as socio-cultural spheres. There is no Mizo lady pastor within the Church, and no woman in sitting at the upper levels of its hierarchy.17 And it appears that it is a perceived incompetence of women held by pastors and elders in whom the real ecclesiastical power and authority is vested that has proved most telling in perpetuating the status quo.

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The problem, though it might not necessarily be seen as a problem by many church leaders, is not Synod-wide but Assembly-wide. It has remained a big blot in an otherwise noteworthy and remarkable life and witness of the Presbyterian Church of India.