Duporü Vasa

Duporü Vasa (1928 - July 17, 2013) was a Naga evangelist and an ordained Chakhesang Baptist minister who was also the first Chakhesang to be ordained.
Early life
Duporü Vasa was born in 1928. He was the eldest of six children born to Nutsolhü Vasa
and Vekhwülü Shijoh of Dzülhami, Nagaland.
He started his early education at Chozuba's Government Upper Primary School in late December 1939 and went to Kohima Mission School in 1944.
In 1941, he was baptized by Sülüho Keyho at Tüsürü. He then served as Chowkidar of the Mission Chapel at Kohima and was very close to late Rev. George Suplee, an American missionary. The missionary mentored him in the area of public speaking and spiritual leadership by exposing him in various Church activities.
He had to discontinue his studies as his father wanted to let his younger brother late Mr. Lhüthiprü Vasa also to get education like him and could not afford to support both of them. As soon as he left his studies, he worked in a Government job at the Kohima Agriculture Demonstration Farm as Fieldman where he taught the traditional method of terrace rice cultivation. Thereafter he was transferred to Phek and when Nagaland was in turmoil because of the political movement he was promoted to the post of Assistant Agriculture Inspector and transferred to Wokha in 1956.
In the Chakhesang Baptist Church Council Annual meeting held in 1958 at Chozuba, Vasa was elected to post of Field Director.
Vasa gave up his government job and came to Phezu from Kohima, accompanied by Mr. Vekhüzo and his sister Hüvesalü to join the post on April 6, 1958. Thus, the Mission Centre which was closed down due to bad political situation was re-opened after a gap of two years. After a brief stay at Phezu, he went to study at Calcutta Bible College from 1959-62 and received diploma in Theology. On his return he married Mrs. Zütanülü, daughter of Vepuyi Luruo of Rünguzu and also took charge of Field Director again and served the Council in the same capacity till 1971.
Ministry career
On 1 February 1970, Vasa was ordained by Rev. Longri Ao as the first ordained minister among the Chakhesangs during the Sohomi Baptist Church Silver Jubilee Celebration.
Thereafter he went to study in Baptist Theological College at Sydney, Australia in 1972-73. In 1974, he joined Nagaland Missionary Movement (NMM) and served till 1978. In 1978, he was appointed as the Director of Mission and Evangelism under CBCC. It was during his tenure that a mission field was started in Arunachal Pradesh with Telam Baptist Church as its base.

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