Brief History of Ampatigiri Baptist Church
Ampatigiri Baptist Church is located in Ampati, South West Garo Hills District of Meghalaya. It is about 52 kilometres from the Tura town. Ampatigiri Baptist Church is affiliated to Krima No. IV (Krima No. 6) under A∙chik Baptist Dalgipa Krima, also known as Garo Baptist Convention.
Once upon a time Ampati was a place of dense forest. Earlier, there was no one to live in this place. It was in 1899 a group of Garo people, who had accepted Christianity before, came from a nearby village called Boldakgiri to settle there. This group of people had been baptized by Dr. E. G. Phillips, the then American missionary to the Garo people in Garo Hills region. Subsequently, the population of this group of people increased in few years of time. Since the year 1899, these people started worshiping God in the form of a small fellowship under the supervision of Boldamgiri Baptist Church which is about 10 kilometres away from Ampati, since there was no other Mother Church nearby. The Christian fellowship of this group of people in Ampati remained as a bipek or branch church of Boldamgiri Baptist Church till the year 1927. This Christian fellowship had become stronger and bigger day by day and year by year that it could host two annual gathering of Krima No. IV in 1909 and 1918. This very act of the bipek shows that they were capable of taking bigger responsibilities as a bipek or branch church. The Christians of Ampati felt that they were capable to be recognised as mother church, since they had 86 Christian households and 231 baptized members by then. Since, the bipek increased in number and size, and also in faith, a proposal was placed to the table of Boldamgiri Baptist Church. With the approval of Boldamgiri Baptist Church and Kima No. IV, the A∙chik Baptist Dalgipa Krima (Garo Baptist Convention) in its 54th Annual Conference at Okkapara Baptist Church, on 27th February, 1927 declared Ampati bipek as Ampatigiri Baptist Church. People like Rev. Raymond H. Ewing, Rev. Rojen Areng, Rev. Tokham M. Sangma, Pamong Asin D. Shira were present to grace the occasion. It was the most joyous occasion for the members of Ampati bipek. The first Chairman/Pamong was Korok G. Sangma, and the first Deacons were Choetsing D. Sangma and Balaram Ch. Marak, Secretary was Sira P. Sangma.
Today till 2023, Ampatigiri Baptist Church has become 96 years old. In this long journey, the church could produced more than fifteen mother church. Presently, there are two bipek or branch church under her supervision. There are more that thousand baptized members in the church and two qualified pastors at present, namely, Pastor Jakmesil G. Sangma and Pastor Sengje K. Marak. All glory and honour to the Almighty God.
