BRIEF HISTORY OF
TRIPURA BAPTIST CHRISTIAN UNION
Tripura Baptist Christian Union was established as a result of untiring efforts and great sacrifice of missionaries from the New Zealand and the national churches of Tripura.
This is how it all happened. In early November of 1938 the New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society obtained permission to live and work in Tripura from His Highness, the Maharaja of Independent Tripura. Immediately a meeting was convened with a small group of Christians at Laxmilunga Tea-Estate and the meeting unanimously passed to form “Tripura Baptist Christian Union, (TBCU)
Following that the missionaries bought land at A.D.Nagar where the Head Quarters of TBCU stands now.
In 1940 Tripura Christian Welfare Society was again formed by the TBCU to promote Rural Reconstruction and Economic uplift in far-flung rural Tripura mostly among the tribal people.
From 1971 missionaries working with the TBCU started leaving Tripura as their term of permit to stay in Tripura expired. Most of them left the state by 1972. However, the leadership of the TBCU was taken over by the nationals since 1965 and now headed by nationals only.
The TBCU is self-supporting, self-propagating and self-governing and runs with the local people in the leadership as a non-profit earning institution to fulfills its objectives.
At present the Tripura Baptist Christian Union is composed of seventeen associations scattered all over Tripura State. There are about 850 local congregations in all.
TBCU carries out the following activities through its departments and also member associations scattered in different parts of Tripura:
- Educational: TBCU run school through its member associations in different parts of Tripura. TBCU run a school known as “St. Paul’s School” with the help of a Committee. It is one of the first English Medium School in Tripura. Many students from different parts of Tripura and many students from Agartala town study in the school. The school teaches up to class XII (Twelve) standard at present and affiliated to ICSE and ISC.
- Theological School: TBCU also has a theological educational institution in the Mission Compound, A.D.Nagar, Agartala, Tripura Academy of Integrated Christian Studies (TAICS), to impart training in Christian Faith (Scriptures) to those who are engaged in ministry.It provides graduate level degree (B.Th).
- TBCU was involved in medical ministry in 1980s. But it has to stop because of various reasons. Now, we are looking for ways and means to revive the medical ministry.
- TBCU used to be engaged in Rural Reconstruction program in the past. Now Community Development programs are carried out by some member associations of the TBCU in tribal areas in different parts of Tripura. Now TBCU is in the process of creating a full-fledged Community Development Department.
- One of the main objectives of the TBCU is to involve itself in the upliftment programs of the poor alongside Gospel ministry.
The Head Quarter’s of Tripura Baptist Christian Union is located at Arundhuti Nagar, Agartala, West Tripura.
