EFI Mourns the Passing of Rev. Khoda Tana, Pioneer of the Nyishi Church

13 July 2026

The Evangelical Fellowship of India mourns the passing of Rev. Khoda Tana, a pioneer of the Christian faith among the Nyishi people, a respected church statesman, and a faithful servant of Jesus Christ. He entered the presence of the Lord on 11 July 2026.

Rev. Tana came from the first generation of Nyishi Christians, for whom following Christ carried a real cost. Orphaned at a young age, he received his education in Christian mission schools in Assam. In 1955, while still a boy, he was detained while travelling home because he was studying in a Christian school. His Bible and hymn books were confiscated, and he was warned not to return. The faith for which he was questioned in his youth would shape the course of his life.

He was baptised in 1953. In his own testimony, however, Rev. Tana pointed to 20 October 1968 as the day when the message of the cross and the power of the blood of Christ became real to him. From that time, his faith became an increasingly public commitment.

After completing his education, Rev. Tana served in the NEFA Civil Secretariat and moved with it from Shillong to Itanagar in 1974. That year brought severe persecution upon the emerging Christian community. Rev. Tana recorded that 47 churches among his people were burned, believers were beaten and scattered, homes were destroyed, and livestock was looted. He himself was arrested and detained for a week. On 30 April 1974, his house and all his belongings were burned to ashes.

He did not abandon his faith. He continued to serve Christ and His Church with courage, patience and steadfastness.

Rev. Tana later left government service and entered full-time Christian ministry. He served the body now known as the Nyishi Baptist Church Council (NBCC), formerly the Subansiri Baptist Christian Association, in several positions of responsibility, including as Executive Secretary, President and Treasurer. He also served Christian educational institutions and the wider Baptist fellowship in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.

The offices he held tell only part of the story. Rev. Tana helped strengthen the institutions, worship and public witness of the emerging Nyishi Church. His translation of 248 hymns into the Nyishi language, together with his contribution to biblical translation and Christian literature, remains an enduring gift to the Church. Through his labour, generations of believers have been able to sing, read and confess their faith in their own language.

He also nurtured younger leaders, strengthened congregations and encouraged relationships within the wider Baptist community. Rev. Tana lived through much of the formative history of the Nyishi Church and helped shape it through his service.

The Evangelical Fellowship of India shares a long and deeply valued relationship with the Nyishi Baptist Church Council, a member body of EFI. In 2019, the NBCC hosted the EFI Annual Gathering in Itanagar, welcoming Christian leaders from across India with warmth and generosity.

This fellowship has also been strengthened through the service of NBCC leaders within EFI. Rev. Halli Likha served as Chairman of EFI and as EFI’s Regional Secretary for Northeast India. Rev. Tar Choya, former General Secretary of NBCC served until recently as a member of the EFI Executive Committee, and the present General Secretary of the NBCC, Rev. Dr. Tana Tagi Tara, currently serves on the Committee. We therefore receive the news of Rev. Tana’s passing not as distant observers, but as members of the same household of faith.

Rev. Tana’s life reminds the Church in India that religious freedom is not merely an abstract or legal question. He knew what it meant to face detention, the confiscation of Christian literature, the destruction of his home and pressure because of his faith. Yet he did not withdraw from the life of his people. He served the Church, contributed to public life, strengthened education, mentored younger leaders and spoke for peace and freedom of conscience.

Rev. Tana’s leadership was marked not by visibility alone, but by faithfulness over many decades. His legacy lives in the churches he strengthened, the leaders he encouraged, the institutions he served, and the hymns through which the Nyishi Church continues to worship God.

The Evangelical Fellowship of India gives thanks to God for the life and ministry of Rev. Khoda Tana. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his wife, Mrs Jumshi Tana, their children and grandchildren, the Nyishi Baptist Church Council, the Arunachal Baptist Church Council, the Christian community in Arunachal Pradesh, and all who knew him as pastor, mentor, elder and spiritual father.

We pray that the Lord will comfort the bereaved family and uphold the Church he loved and served. May his labour continue to bear fruit in the life of the Nyishi Church, and may his testimony call a new generation to stand firm, serve humbly and keep the faith.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” – 2 Timothy 4:7

Rev. Vijayesh Lal
General Secretary
Evangelical Fellowship of India