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Vision of LTC&MSC

“Theologically well-equipped persons become God’s agents for the church and society.”

Motto of LTC&MSC

“Not to be served but to serve” (Mark 10:45).

 During 7 years, there were 22 graduates students in Bachelor of Theology and most of them are working as pastors, evangelists and social workers. At present Bachelor of Theology program only is offer and there are 27 students. There are 10 full time and part times lecturers. The college is fully engaged in pastoral ministry, mission and issued-based ministry.

Missionary Training

As it has been said before, the Mara Evangelical Church has been launching her mission work since 1966 among non-Mara speaking tribal people. With the co-operation with ECM (Evangelical Church of Maraland), today there are 76 missionaries working in mission fields. Among these 76 missionaries, most of them are not theologically trained; therefore they face different kinds of problems and issues when they directly go to their assigned mission fields. In order to response their urgent demand and request, being Mission Studies centre, LTC has missionary training once a year with the following purposes.

1.      To train and equip our missionaries with the Word of God for deepening their spirituality;

2.      To kindle the spirit of mission and impart the contextual mission strategies;

3.      To promote their insight of tribal theology and holistic development in mission field;

4.      To help them seek ways and means for effective ministerial work in cross-cultural mission; and

5.      To initiate the theological college in the near future

In this missionary training, experienced pastors and missionaries are invited to speak and share their experiences in mission followed by practical works.

Ecumenical Relations

It is remarkable that the Mara Evangelical Church was able to get registered in the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Union of Myanmar in the year 1984. MEC is one among active ecumenical Churches. Out of her tireless effort to be ecumenical partner, now she is a member of

1985        Myanmar Council of Churches (MCC)

1989       Christian Conference of Asia (CCA)

1993       World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC, formerly WARC).

2001       Associate Member of World Council of Churches (WCC)

2002       Lutheran World Federation (LWF)

1.1.Evangelical Church of Maraland

The Evangelical Church of Maraland became autonomous in 1961. In 1976 her name was changed from Mara Independent Evangelical Church (MIEC) into Independent Church of Maraland (ICM) to avoid the impression that Church membership was limited to Mara people. In 1989 the term ‘Independent’ was dropped, and the administrative center was moved from Saikao to Saiha. Due to headquarter, a controversy arose which eventually led to a split. A minority opposing the changes decided on June 9^th 1989, to form the Congregation Church of India Maraland (CCIM). But the majority stayed with the Evangelical Church of Maraland.  The split between Congregation Church of India Maraland (CCIM) and Evangelical Church of Maraland (ECM) was when the original Church – Independent Church of Maraland (ICM) adopted the new name ECM which caused opposition to part ways with them to form CCIM.  

Independent Church of Maraland (ICM) was founded in 1907 by the late pioneer Missionaries Rev. & Mrs. Reginald Arthur Lorrain. A couple of years ago, about 300 members left CCIM to form Maraland Presbyterian Church (MPC) which is now merged with ECM, opinion polls have often revealed the members of the three Churches wish to remain under one denomination as they are all the off-shoot of the Church founded by the Pioneer Missionaries. Finally, with the help of Mara Evangelical Church (MEC) which is located in Myanmar, all the parting Mara Churches in Mizoram India came under one denomination, adopting Evangelical Church of Maraland as her name in 2010.

ECM, being a member of World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC), is theologically reformed in faith, it is the largest denomination among Mara Churches, and it has about 36,000 members in 2008.  It is closely associated with Mara Evangelical Church in Myanmar, also known as Burma; another Church under the same pioneer missionary until India’s partition in 1947. The Church ministers are usually trained from Theological colleges under the Senate of Serampore College, a deemed University founded by William Carey and friends in 1818.

2.      Meaning of Mission

The word “mission” has been derived from the Latin mitto, which in turn is a translation of the Greek apostello (to send). As an English term with no direct