The Impact and Role of the Singsit people in pioneering the North –East India Christian Mission
The Singsit family have played important roles in pioneering the Christian Mission in the North-Eastern India. The first Mission founded by Walkin Robert at Senvon was known as the Thadou Kuki Pioneer Mission. Christianity spread so fast that it took only a few years to spread across the whole of Manipur South hill region. The first Annual Conference was held at Senvon (under the Chiefship of Pu. Kamkholun Singson) on 26th December, 1914. The number of believers increased every day and after five years the number of believers reached 1000. As the number of believer increased there was a need to set up a sub-centre. The first sub-centre was set up in 1911 at Khopibung village ( under the chiefship of Pu Bungkhothang Sitkil) in Churachandpur.
In 1924, the gospel reached almost every nook and corner of Manipur southern hill. The Thadou Kuki Pioneer Mission was changed to Northeast India General Mission (NEIGM). For better administration and communication the headquarter of the Mission was shifted from Senvon to Lakhimpur. As the number of believers further increased, the need arose for a Bible School to teach Bible course to new believers. Rev. Paul Rostad and his wife Ella Rostad reached Lakhimpur on 9th March, 1928 to start the school. Rev Paul Rostad graduated from Moody Bible Institution, Chicago USA. Moody Bible Institution is an evangelical dispensationalist college where the doctrines of the Bible are taught. Rev Paul and his wife established a Bible college at Lakhimpur and the Bible college was named after the pioneer missionary “Dinwidie” as "Dinwidie Bible School”. Many Singsit pioneers have graduated from this Bible school. Pu S.T. Henpu and Pastor Tongkhokai Singson are among the first Bible students from the Thadou tribe.
In the year 1930, the mission headquarter was shifted again from Lakhimpur to Churachandpur. In 1967, Rev Khupjapao Singson became the first General Secretary among the indigenous people. Rev K. Singson was the first to graduate B.D. (Bachalor of Divinity) from the Thadou tribe. Tragically, he met with an accident and died in 1979. His premature death was a great loss for the Singsit as well as the NEIGM.
