(The First Arrival of the Gospel among the Zotung People: A Historical Study)

Rev. Khamh B. Lian (Ph.D student, USA)

"Nae kya Pachia bya ae la hopah oh paw te nanning ae la cciakhae oh paw kha la ning nan

oh" (Hebrew 13:7)

Byalamaw

                 Zotung minphuin kalan Pachia thehooypaw bya ccaci masatou tenaw, thehooypaw bya ccaci ccawnaw, ccounaw, te Zotung minphuin masatou Khriccaw tangnaw phongpaw tuh Zotung minphuin zyngtu miakaw nynh ny a ho. Marcus Garvey nynh, "Nuh lan e phongpaw te thuanaw a nyhkuh lipaw minphuin tuh a tharui um leipaw thingku hawte nynh athua" a ci. Mithya Paul nynh "Nae kya Pachia bya ae lah hopah oh paw te nanning ae la cciakhac oh paw kha la ning nan oh" (Hebrew 13:7) cite a ho. Tukeiccuze, Zotung minphuin Khriccaw miakaw nynh Zotung minphuin kalan Pachia thehooypaw bya ccaci masatou tenaw, thehooypaw bya ccaci ccawnaw, ccounaw, te masatou Khriccaw tangnaw phongpaw tuh ny ccaccin a ho, cite ka muih. Tukeiccu, e ccanaw tuh research a hooy te tua te zeipaw nih a thua. E ccanaw tuh Zotung Khriccaw phongpaw kya a pyng te a umbuapawhae kya-e roi kyngpaw (Audio record), phongpaw nyhpaw nungpawhae nynh zeipaw ccaw, Chin Khriccaw phongpaw hae te American Baptist hae nynh Chin minphuin kya missionary ryalawnaw phongpaw hae dobia te zeipaw nynh athua. A byapi enaw tuh sethaw ccawno hae nynh Zotung Khriccaw thonaw phongpaw pekinaw lungthing koukou hoi hae sa lah, koukou a ccingpaw phongpaw oun zei pah hae sah cipaw nih a thua.

Pachia thehooypaw ccaci ccou maw, Zotung Minphuin

            Zotung minphuin tuh Pachia thehooypaw bya ccaci ccou maw te zyng maw lya, thing te lung kya umpaw Setan te Khawhrung a beihpaw minphuin (Animists) nynh a thua hae. Khua takyh kya maeccan ling ku te thing te lung kya a umpaw Setan Khawhrung a lung hooynaw halan a phuinphuin pya te a zua kuhpaw minphuin nynh a thua hae. Setan Khawhrung beihnaw phong te a ho ze sahing mah a pya hae. Naw zemah a nawpya hae.

Thuasalamah, American Baptist Missionary a thuapaw, Rev. Arthur Carson te a innbyngnung Laura tuh March 15, 1899 kya Hakhaw a thua vae hae hawte, 1906 kum kya Haekaw khua Sia Khaw tuh Pachia thehooypaw bya ccaci masatou a ccou vae. Sia Khaw tuh Haekhaw pe kya masatou Khriccaw nynh a thua. Tukeiccu ze, Haekhaw hae tuh Khriccaw lan a lah tang tou vae hae (Zomi Theological College. Chin Church History. Falam: Zomi Theological College, 2012).

Zotung minphuin kalan Pachia thehooypaw bya ccaci Masatou Tenaw

1. Rev. Sang Fen1

              Haekhaw umpaw American Baptist Missionary hae nynh Alia Laitlang (Southern Chin State) kalan Pachia thehooypaw bya phy lang Rev. Sang Fen tuh 1926 kum kya a saw hae. Rev. Sang Fen tuh Pachia thehooypaw bya ho lan, Zotung ram lang vae nin khua a ccung. Masatou vaekheihnaw tuh 1926 kum kya nih a thua. 1926 kum kya Rev. Sang Fen nynh masatou vaekheihnaw Zotung ram khua a ccung lya tuh Lungngo khua, Tuilaw khua, Tingsi Khua, Rezua khua thua zah, Rezua te Haekhaw lan a ki (Rev. Sang Fen Interview Cassette Audio Record, February 13, 1985. Interviewed by Lung Hu). 1926 kum Rev. Sang Fen nynh Zotung minphuin kalan thehooypaw ho khy lan khua ccungnaw tuh Zotung minphuin kalan masatou thehooypaw bya oun tepaw te oun thuapaw nynh a thua.

Tukeiccu, Zotung minphuin kalan masatou Pachia thehooypaw bya a phutu te a tekhaetu tuh Rev. Sang Fen nynh a thua. Thuasalamah, masatou Rev. Sang Fen nynh oun phupaw Pachia thehooypaw bya tuh Zotung hae nynh thae hae salamazemah ccou khyh hae. Zyngtu Khriccaw lan a tangpaw um khyh hae. A dyngnaw te ho lang ze, Zotung minphuin thinglung kya thehooypaw bya ccaci tuh a ccaw zemah po khyh. Ccaci a po khyh keiccuze pazae kuh khyh.

            1935 kum kya Rev. Sang Fen tuh vae nin naw Zotung ram lan thehooy ho lang bua a thua. Lotaw khua a thua, Lungngo khua a thua, Lungka (Sungpi) khua a thua, Tingsi

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1 Rev. Sang Fen tuh Zokhua paw nynh a thua. Rev. Sang Fen tuh Rev. Van Lo te Rev. Nawl Tling hae ry te Laitlang (Chin) minphuin lungkhu ze Baebu siainn masatou kaepaw te masatou Pachia ryalatu hac nynh a thua. Rev Dr. Hre Kio a paw nynh a thua. A kong lan na ny ry ze do kho athua.

(https://youtu.be/kU8d8E0-JTA)

khua a thua. Rezua lan te cceih zah Lotaw te Haekhaw lan a ki. Tuh-e vae nin naw khua a cung lya Rev. Sang Fen nynh Lungngo khua kya Baptisma a pya hae. Tingsi khua kya zemah Baptisma a pya hae (Rev. Sang Fen Interview Cassette Audio Record, February 13, 1985. Interviewed by Lung Hu). Tuh e Rev. Sang Fen nynh 1935 kum Zotung ram lan vae nin naw khua a cung lya tuh Zotung minphuin Khriccaw a lah um vae hae.

2. Sazaeci Sang Hnin 3

                  Accozah siainn sazaepaw a thuapaw sazaeci Sang Hnin tuh Surkhua siainn kyate Lungngo a ccozah siainn kalan oun noe kuh. Sazaeci Sang Hnin tuh Lungngo siainn® kya 1928 kum kya thua zah, 1931 kum cia Lungngo siainn sazae rya a hae. Sazaeci Sang Hnin tuh accozah siainn sazae a thua zemah Pachia zyngpaw Khriccaw a thua keiccu Lungngo siainn kya a kaepaw sia imua hae kya Pachia thehooypaw a lah ho pya bia hae.

Thuasalamah, sazaeci Sang Hnin nynh a hopaw Pachia thehooypaw bya tuh Lungngo sia imua hae nynh thae hae salamah Khriccaw lang a tangpaw te zyngnaw kya a tyngpaw um khyh hae (Rev. Van Uk, "Lungngo Khua Khriccaw Thokeinaw, " Zotung Christian Diamond Jubilee Magazine, 2008, p. 26); Rev. An Sung, "Zotung Khriccaw Thokeinaw Phungpaw, " Zotung Christian Diamond Jubilee Magazine, 2008, p. 4). "Za Tin (Lungngo) tuh Lungngo Siainn a kae lya Khriccaw lan a tang vae," cite batoi a um boi. Thuasalamah, Rev. Se Kaw nynh, "Za Tin tuh Tingsi khua sazae lan a tang cia, Khriccaw lang tang loh

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2 "Rev. Sang Fen nynh vae nin naw Zotung ram khua ccungnaw tuh 1935 nynh a thua. Tuin lya, Lungngo khua Rev. Sang Fen nynh Baptisma lu pali ka pya. Lungka (Sungpi khua) kya sazae Za Tin hae ry kae rya," cite bya khianaw kya a ho (Rev. Sang Fen Interview Cassette Audio Record, February 13, 1985).

Tuh-e kong tuh Rev. Van Uk, Lungngo Baptist Pastot paw nynh zemah, 1935 kum kya Rev. Sang Fen nynh Lungngo te Sungpi laku Leihsaw due kaw kya tuipin laing sah hae" cite a zeinaw kya zemah muih kho a thua. Tuin kya Baptisma lawkuh hac paw tuh Cca Zaw te a bang hac nynh a thua hac (Rev. Van Uk,

"Lungngo Khua Khriccaw thokeinaw, " Zotung Christian Diamon Jubilee Magazine, 2008). Cca Zaw nynh,

"Kae tuh Daw Pong paw (Khua Ming) hynaw thongte Khriccaw lan ka tangpaw nynh athua" cite a hing lya a ho boi cite bya toi a um. Tuh-e bya tuh Thawng Duin te Za Bawi hae nynh sazae Cca Zaw kalan 2003 kum loukaw kya Keko khua a paebua nin hae ze, sazae Cca Zaw nynh Thawng Duin nynh hong mou Zotung ram kya Khriccaw a um tou," cite a khiapaw bya a khongpaw nih a thua. Thawng Duin nynh Cassette um ze tuh record phe tua lang paw cite a ho. Cassette um khyh zah, roi kae kyng khyh, cite Za Bawi nynh a ho paw kyate oun langkuhpaw nynh thua (Za Bawi Video record kya hopaw).

3 Sazaeci Sang Hnin tuh Thangtlang pe, Sihmuh khuapaw nynh a thua. A ccozah Siainn sazac thua

zah, Khriccaw nynh a thua.

* Lungngoi siainn tuh 1927 kya masatou hong hac zah, masatou sazaeci Po Mang nynh a thua.

Sazaeci Sang Hnin tuh sazaeci Po Mang kou te Lungngo siainn sazae lang a tangpaw nynh a thua. (Sazae Raw Pe, "Lungngo Siainn Thonaw Phongpaw" Lungngo Middle School Kum (50) ccingnaw Magazine, 2012, p. 19-20).

khyh," cite a ho (Za Tin kong Rev. Se Kaw bya khianaw Video Record, April 6, 2026, Interviewed by Thoi Ccing). Rev. Cca Thang nyh zemah "Za Ting tuh Lungngo khua Khriccaw lan a tang tou cipaw tuh thua khyh," a ci (Rev. Cca Thang nyh Za Tin kong hopaw Video record, April 7, 2026. Interviewed by Za Bawi). Tukeiccuze, sazaeci Sang Hin nynh oun phupaw Pachia thehooypaw bya ccaci tuh Lungngo sia-inn kachaepaw Zotung ccungecaw thinglung te hiinaw kya ccou khyh hae. A ccou khyh keiccu hae ze, zyng khyh hae. A zyng khyh hae keiccu thehooypaw caci po khyh. A po khyh keiccu thehooypaw ccaci tuh Lungngo sia imua hae kyate pazae kuh kho khyh. Lung vawlan te laanpi vawlang a ccahpaw caci hawte nyh a thua cite muih lang a um.

                       Sazaeci Sang Hnin tuh 1931 kum kya Lungngo a ccozah sia-inn kyate Rezua accozah siainn kalan a noe kuh. Lungngo sia-inn kya Pachia bya a hopya hae hawte Rezua sia-inn a kaepaw sia ima hae kya zemah Pachia thehooypaw bya a ho pya hae. Tuh-e sia imua hae tuh Bawi Kung, Sa Rung, Ha Ting, Sui Le te Bawi Sung nynh a thua hae. Thuasalamah, tuh e sia imua hae tuh Khriccaw lang tang te zyngnaw kya a tyngpaw lah um khyh hae (Khe Bawi, "Rezua Baptist Khriceaw Thokeinaw," Zotung Christian Diamond Jubilee Magazine, 2008). Tukeiccu, sazaeci Sang Hnin nynh oun phupaw Pachia thehooypaw bya caci tuh masatou Rezua sia-inn kachaepaw Zotung cungccaw thinglung te hiinaw kya ccou khyh hae. A cou khyh keiccu hae ze, zyng khyh hae. A zyng khyh hae keiccu thehooypaw caci po khyh. A po khyh keiccu thehooypaw caci tuh pazae kuh khyh. Lung vawlan te laanpi vawlang a cahpaw caci hawte nyh a thua cite muth lang a um.

               1933 kum kya sazaeci Sang Hnin nynh Rezua sia-inn kya ccaw a ccang hae paw sia imua hae, Vo Lung (Siangaw), Ccawe Taw (Thawlang), Kae Sung (Rovaw), Mung Khung (Langly), Uk Sawe (Siangaw), te Khua Ming (Tingsi) hae kya Pachia thehooypaw bya bua lah ho pya hae. Thuasalamah, thehooypaw bya tuh lah thae hae salamah, Khua Ming ho lite tuhlaepaw tuh thehooypaw bya caci cou te zyng khyh hae zah, Khriccaw zyngnaw kya lah tyng khyh hae. Mih nungpaw hae beihnaw cyisahnaw athuapaw Lawki beihnaw kya nih lah um hae. Lung vawlan te Laanpi vawlan a ccahpaw caci hawte nyh bua lah thua. Thuasalamah, Khua Ming lu kheih kyalya nynh Pachia thehooypaw bya a thaepaw tuh lah ccou zah, Khriccaw zyngnaw kya zemah a lah tyng. A nungpawhae beihnaw athuapaw Lawki beihnaw cyisahnaw kya paping lah um bua vae khyh. A zyngpaw Pachia Thehooypaw bya khah ccungccaw hae kya a hopya bua hae. Khua Min tuh Falam miraw siainn a kae lya, November 1934 kum kya, siabawi Dr. Cope nynh rawkaw cuili kya Pau Za Kam ryte Baptisma a pya hae (An Sung, "Zotung Khriccaw Thokeinaw Phungpaw," Zotung Christian Diamond Jubilee Magazine, 2008). Tukeiccu, sazaeci Sang Hnin nynh Rezua sia imua hae laku kya a vuapaw Pachia thehooypaw bya ccaci tuh Khua Ming thinglung te hiinnaw laehooypaw kya 1933 kum kya a ccah vae. A thinglung te hiinnaw kya a ccaw vae keiccu Khua Min nynh a zyng. A zyng keiccu Khua Min thinglung te hiinnaw kya thehooypaw ccaci tuh a po vae. A po vae keiccuze, a pazae kuh vae. Tukeiccu Khua Ming thinglung te hiinnaw tuh Zotung minphuin kya thehooypaw bya ccaci ccah zah masatou a ponaw, te masatou a pazaekunaw nih a thua.

Zotung Minphuin kalan Pachia thehooypaw bya Ccaci Masatou phutu te Ceaci ponaw

                    Zotung minphuin kalan hongmou Pachia thehooypaw bya masatou oun thua khae cipaw te a hong thinglung te hiinnaw kya mou Pachia thehooypaw bya ccaci a po tou cipaw tuh a vaw lang e Zotung minphuin kalan masatou Pachia thehooypaw bya ccaci phunaw kong lante ka zeipaw kya cci rarih lang a lang vae paw nih a thua.

1. Masatou thehooypaw ceaci phutu

                Rev. Sang Fen tuh Baebu siainn a kae kou te Haekhaw umpaw American Baptist Missionary hae nynh oun saw hae zah, 1926 kum kya Zotung minphuin kalan Pachia thehooypaw bya oun phu vae (Rev. Sang Fen Interview Cassette Audio Record, February 13, 1985 by Sazaeci Lung Hu). Sazaeci Sang Hnin tuh Zotung minphuin kalan a ccozah siainn sazaeci ryalaw khy lang 1928 kya nynh Lungngo sia-inn a thua (Rev. Van Uk, "Lungngo Khua Khriccaw Thokeinaw," Zotung Christian Diamond Jubilee Magazine, 2008). Tukeiccuze, Zotung minphuin kalan Pachia thehooypaw bya ccaci masatou a phutupaw te a tekhae tou paw tuh Rev. Sang Fen nynh a thua cite ho kho a thua.

2. Masatou thehooypaw ccaci ccawnaw, ponaw te pazaekunaw  

                   Rev. Sang Fen nyh 1926 kum kya Zotung minphuin kalan masatou Pachia thehooypaw bya caci a phupaw te a tekhaepaw tuh a thaepaw um salazemah, Zotung ccungccaw thinglung te hiinnaw kya po khyh zah, zyngnaw kya a tyngpaw um khyh. Sazaeci Sang Hnin nynh 1928-1931 kum kya Lungngo sia imua hae kya a vuapaw Pachia thehooypaw bya caci (Rev. Van Uk, "Lungngo Khua Khriccaw Thokeinaw," Zotung Christian Diamond Jubilee Magazine, 2008) te 1931-1932 kum kya Rezua sia ima hae kya a vuapaw Pachia thehooypaw bya caci (Khe Bawi, "Rezua Baptist Khriccaw Thokeinaw, " Zotung Christian Diamond Jubilee Magazine, 2008) tuh Zotung ccungccaw thinglung te hiinnaw kya po khyh zah, zyngnaw kya a tyngpaw um khyh hae. Tukeiccuze, thehooypaw caci tuh po khyh zah pazae kuh khyh. Thuasalamah, 1933 kum kya sazaeci Sang Hnin nynh Rezua sia imua hae kya a vuapaw thehooypaw ccaci tuh a thaetu sia imua hae laku kya ze, Khua Ming thinglung te hiinnaw kya ccah zah, masatou a po vae, Pachia hehooypaw bya tuh Khua Ming mawze a thaetu a um hae. Thuasalamah, Khua Ming hiinaw te thinglung kya nyh thehooypaw caci tuh masatou a po. Tuin kyate thehooypaw bya caci tuh a pazae kuh. E phongpaw nynh a langsahpaw tuh Rev. Sang Fen te sazaeci Sang Hnin hae nyh thehooypaw bya ccaci tuh cungccaw pataepi kya vua hae salamah, Khua Ming kya nynh msatou a po.

Bya Soiluanaw

                        Mithya Paul nynh "Nae kya Pachia bya ae lah hopah oh paw te nanning ae la cciakhae oh paw kha la ning nan oh" (Hebrew 13:7) cite oun tawsya hawte Zotung minphuin nynh Pachia thehooypaw bya masatou phutu hae, a coutuhae te a pazaesakuhtu hae tuh paping ning li langpaw nih a thua.

                       Tukeiccu, a thangnaw lante bya soilua rypaw tuh, "Zotung minphuin kalan Pachia thehooypaw bya ccaci tuh masatou hongmou phu zah, a tee khae cite khiaku lang ze, Haekhaw umpaw American Baptist Missionary hae nynh 1926 kum kya Zotung ram lang a saw hae paw Rev. Sang Fen cite ho ze a kyhpaw nih a thua. Zotung minphuin kya thehooypaw bya caci tuh pawkya mou masatou po zah a pazaeku cite bya khiaku lan ze, "1933 kum Sazaeci Sang Hnin Pachia thehooypaw caci a vuanaw kyate Khua Ming thinglung te hiinaw kya nih thehooypaw bya ccaci tuh ccah zah masatou a po, a pazacku," cite ho lang ze a kyhpaw phongpaw nih a thua cih.

                 Zotung Khriccawhae nynh Zotung minphuin kalan Pachia thehooypaw bya ccaci masatou phutu te tekhaetu tuh sazaeci Sang Hnin cite a lah tua hae. Thuasalamah, sazaeci Sang Hnin nynh Zotung ram a sy maw ze, 1926 kum kya Rev. Sang Fen tuh Zotung ram lungkhu Pachia thehooypaw bya ccaci vua lang vae kheihnaw khua a ccung vae cipaw tuh paping ning li langpaw phongpaw nynh a thua. Tuh hawte, Zotung minphuin kya Pachia thehooypaw bya ccaci masatou ponaw te pazackunaw tuh Khua Ming thinglung te hiinnaw kya nynh a thua, cipaw zemah paping ning li langpaw phongpaw nynh a thua.

Thangnaw Bya

                A dyngnaw te ho lang ze, Zotung minphuin kalan Pachia thehooypaw bya masatou oun phutu tuh Rev. Sang Fen thua zah, lu nin naw tuh sazacci Sang Hnin nynh a thua. Zotung minphuin kya Pachia thehooypaw bya ccaci ccah zah masatou a ponaw te a pazaekunaw lachooypaw tuh Khua Min thinglung te hiinnaw kyate nynh a thua.

Source References:

Khe Bawi, "Rezua Baptist Khriccaw Thokeinaw," Zotung Christian Diamond Jubilee

Magazine, 2008.

Rev. An Sung, "Zotung Khriccaw Thokeinaw Phungpaw, " Zotung Christian Diamond

Jubilee Magazine, 2008.

Rev. Cca Thang nynh Za Tin kong hopaw Video record on April 7, 2026. Interview

recorded by Za Bawi at Gangaw.

Rev. Sang Fen Interview Cassette Audio Record, February 13, 1985. Recorded by Sazacci

Lung Hu.

Rev. Van Uk, , "Lungngo Khua Khriccaw Thokeinaw," Zotung Christian Diamond Jubilee

Magazine, 2008.

Sazae Raw Pe, "Lungngo Siainn Thonaw Phongpaw" Lungngo Middle School Kum (50)

ccingnaw Magazine, 2012.

Za Tin kong Rev. Se Kaw bya khianaw Video Record on April 6, 2026. Interview recorded

by Thoi Coing in Yangon.

Zomi Theological College. Chin Church History. Falam: Zomi Theological College, 2012).