History of Baptist Literature & Printing Department : In 2011, the Assembly of the Baptist Church of Mizoram after approving the Planing Commission reports, a new Department is formed called Baptist Literature & Printing Department, in which Publication Board, Literature Service and Printing Press were under one umbrella. Therefore, Baptist Literature & Printing Department was functioned with effect from March 11, 2011. General Manager is the head of the department of Baptist Literature & Printing Department.
Publication Board: In 1948, a Joint Committee, which comprised of missionaries and local church leaders, was formed at Serkawn. This Committee took over the Literature works until 1959 when the mission and the church was formally integrated. This integration had introduced the new administrative structure, in which Lietarture Department was formed as one of the departments.
The publication of literatures for the church had been taken up by the Literature Committee for some decades. Then the new Constitution and rules was adopted in 2001 Assembly, gave birth to BCM Publication Board, under Communication Department, which taken up all the works of publication. The Board is chaired by AGS i/c Service and Director is the Secretary. From 2011 on, the Publication Board was integrated to Baptist Literature & Printing Department as a Sub-Committee (Publication Board) in which AGS i/c Service is chairman and General Manager is Secretary.
Printing Press: One of the most important tools for the development and production of Literature is the Printing Press. The establishment of Mission Printing Press in the south of Mizoram could be traced back to 1938 (estd. 17th February 1938). Mr. Sadler, a friend of Rev F.J. Raper (BMC Missionary at Serkawn) donated a Treadle Printing Machine to the Mission. Then a few years later a friend of Rev. H.W. Carter (BMS Missionary at Serkawn) also donated a Hand operated Machine. With these two machines, the mission started producing christian literatures. Until 1961 it was in the hands of BMS Missionaries at serkawn.
Now Printing Press is well equiped with modern machines and Tools Now Printing Press is looking after by Trained Technical persons. Having one branch at Lawngtlai since 2002 AD, we print all printing jobs of Baptist Church of Mizoram. Furthermore, it is not only a BCM Printing Press, it is a blessing and will be for the whole southern part of Mizoram as a Mother Printing Press.
Literature Service: It was the missionaries who developed Mizo literature. The missionaries introduced the Mizo alphabet using the Roman script and from them we learned the art of writing and developed a literature of our own. The first missionaries F.W. Savidge and J.H. Lorrain were both accomplished litteratures. Rev. Chuautera and Rev. Challiana who had a keen interest in literature assisted them.
The establishment of Mission Printing Press in the south could be traced back to February 17, 1938, when a friend of Rev. F.J. Raper, Mr. Sadler, donated a Treadle printing Press to the Mission. Then a few years later, a friend of Rev. H.W. Carter also donated a Hand Press. With these two presses, the mission started producing Christian Literatures. For the distribution of the works, a Bookroom service was established. By far one of the most significant contributions made by the BCM was in the field of literature.
Missionaries who came to Mizoram developed the Mizo Literature. In continuation of that tradition, the Baptist Literature Service continues to provide various types of literature to the people. Having its Head Office at Serkawn, the Literature Service has Bookrooms at Lunglei, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, Champhai, Serchhip, Tlabung and Aizawl which are the distributing centres.
