In 1910, the hard work of 24-year-old Watkin Roberts spurred the revival of an entire people group. Within two generations, the entire Hmar tribe, which consists of more than 700,000 people, had heard the Gospel.
Decades later, Bibles for the World is celebrating the 100-year mark since the Gospel was first spoken to the Hmar.
Today, 95 percent of the Hmar people are believers. But when Roberts first took the Gospel to the Indian tribe, just a few believed. One of the few was a man named Chawnga. Chawnga's son, Ro Pudaite, grew up to become co-founder of Bibles for the World, along with his wife, Mawii.
Mawii Pudaite says the ministry will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the coming of the Gospel to the Hmar with two grand celebrations. The Gospel Centenary Celebration will take place March 5 to 7, 2010 at Sielmat, Manipur, India.
The second celebration, the Rock Barak River Expedition, will take place from January 21 to 27, 2010 in Lakhipur, Assam, India. This celebration will begin with the dedication of the Watkin Roberts Centenary Chapel at Senvon (the grounds on which Roberts first preached the Gospel to the Hmar), and will include a celebration rally.
Bibles for the World will embark on a new initiative this new year to bring the Gospel message to three million more in 2010.
Meanwhile, the main Speaker for the celebration will be Dr. Geoff Tunnicliffe. Dr. Tunnicliffe serves as the International Director/CEO for the World Evangelical Alliance and is based in Canada.
A Centenary Monument will also be erected to mark the hundredth year anniversary.
The arrival of Watkin Roberts and the three missionaries from the state of Mizoram namely, Savawma, Thangchhingpuia and Vanzika on May 7, 1910, had ushered the age of Gospel among the tribal groups in South Manipur.
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