The Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI) held a service of thanksgiving, farewell and commissioning at the EFI Northeast Centre at Guwahati today, honouring the service of Rev. T. P. Mordecai and commissioning Rev. Dr. Aowabang Ozüküm as the new Associate Secretary for Northeast India.
Senior church leaders from across the region attended the gathering. Rev. Surjeet R. Marak led the service, which opened with worship and prayer. Rev. Vijayesh Lal, General Secretary of EFI, welcomed those present and spoke about God’s faithfulness to EFI through the years and the organisation’s continuing ministry in Northeast India.
Rev. Dr. Namseng R. Mark, General Secretary of the Council of Baptist Churches in Northeast India (CBCNEI), delivered the message from the Word of God. He preached from Psalm 92:12-15, drawing on the image of the righteous flourishing like the palm tree and bearing fruit even in old age. He referred to the lives and ministries of both Rev. Mordecai and Rev. Dr. Ozüküm and told the congregation that Christian leadership is measured not by years of service alone but by lives that continue to bear fruit.
The Most Rev. John Moolachira, Archbishop of Guwahati, also attended the service. He brought greetings on behalf of the wider Church and later offered a prayer of blessing during the commissioning.
The service included tributes to Rev. Mordecai for his years of service to EFI and the Church in the region. Rev. Vijayesh Lal, Mr. Allen Brooks and Fr. G. P. Amalraj, Deputy Secretary General of the Northeast India Regional Bishops’ Council (NEIRBC), spoke in appreciation of his work. Representatives of the Indian Evangelical Mission, the Rongmei Fellowship, the Manipur Baptist Convention and the Christian Literature Service of CBCNEI also paid tribute, along with several other church leaders.
Speakers referred to Rev. Mordecai’s humility and pastoral spirit, and to his role in promoting Christian unity in the region. They spoke of his leadership in the Assam Christian Forum and his contribution during the Manipur violence of 2023. From 6 May 2023, days after the violence began, EFI opened its Northeast Centre to families displaced by the conflict. The centre provided accommodation and care, free of charge, to both Kuki and Meitei families for several months. Speakers recalled that Rev. Mordecai carried out this work quietly, and said his leadership during that period became a practical expression of Christian compassion and hospitality.
Rev. Jerome Vanlalchhuanga, Regional Secretary of the Mizoram Presbyterian Synod, led the congregation in prayer for Rev. Mordecai and his family as they begin a new season of life and ministry.
The service then moved to the commissioning of Rev. Dr. Aowabang Ozüküm. Presenting him to the gathered Church, Rev. Vijayesh Lal spoke of EFI’s commitment to strengthening relationships among churches, Christian organisations and leaders across the eight states of Northeast India. He also outlined the vision for the EFI Northeast Centre in Guwahati as a place for leadership formation, prayer, consultation and collaborative ministry.
Senior church leaders joined in the prayer of commissioning. Archbishop John Moolachira offered a prayer of blessing for Rev. Dr. Ozüküm and his family as they took up this new responsibility. Responding, Rev. Dr. Ozüküm thanked God, EFI and the many church leaders who had encouraged and prayed for him. He said he would serve the churches of Northeast India with humility, faithfulness and a spirit of cooperation.
The congregation closed the service by singing “To God Be the Glory.” Rev. Dr. Rosiamliana Tochhawng, Executive Secretary of the Mizoram Presbyterian Synod, led the closing prayer for the ministry of EFI in Northeast India and pronounced the benediction.
The gathering brought together Baptist, Presbyterian, Catholic, evangelical mission and independent church leaders, who worshipped and prayed together in honouring one servant of God and commissioning another. EFI said it would continue to strengthen relationships and encourage cooperation among churches across Northeast India.
