The Oriental Theological College (OTC) held a special dedication program for its newly upgraded Tribal Boys Hostel on November 8. The building was completed with support from the Department of Tribal Affairs. The dedication ceremony took place in the college chapel at 8:00 AM.

The program was led by Mushirhülu Rume. It began with an opening prayer and scripture reading by Pastor Mr. Longdise from Holongba Baptist Lithro. This was followed by a welcome address from T. Kirithong Sangtam, the Chairman of the OTC Board of Directors, who expressed thanks to everyone who helped make the new hostel possible. He spoke about how important it is for students to have safe and comfortable housing so they can focus on their studies.

Lemtsase, a member of the Board of Directors, delved on the history and cost of the hostel building. He explained that the hostel was built with a total of 46 lakhs, with a length of 89 feet and a width of 24 feet. This building will now provide a comfortable place for tribal boys who come from far-off places to study at OTC, stated Lemtsase.

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Students from the B.Th. final year performed a dedicatory song. Later, Rev. Imti ES from USBLA delivered a dedicatory sermon, sharing encouraging words about how this hostel will serve students for many years. He reminded everyone of the importance of support from the community, family, and friends in making such projects happen. Rev. Imti then led a dedicatory prayer to bless the new building and those who will live there.

T. Kirithong Sangtam, the Chairman of the OTC Board of Directors shared about the college’s future plans where he announced that OTC will begin construction of a girls’ hostel soon, so that female students will also have a safe place to stay on campus. Additionally, by 2025, the college plans to introduce a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) program, which will allow students to study at a higher level. He also announced that a digital library is underway, which is expected to open in 2025. This digital library will give students access to online learning resources, making it easier for them to find study materials. The program ended with a closing prayer from Dr. Longri, Pastor of LTBL.