AIZAWL: The Baptist Church of Mizoram (BCM) ordained Dr R L Hnuni as a priest on Sunday. As the male-dominated churches and the patriarchal Mizo society has always discriminated against woman, the recommendations to appoint Hnuni as a priest were rejected by the executive committee of the assembly in 2010-2011. However after many hiccups in the process, Hnuni has finally been appointed as the first woman priest in the state. But, she may not look after a pastoral like her male counterparts.
Hnuni, principal of Academy of Integrated Christian Studies (AICS) in Aizawl, was ordained by Rev Raltawnga, president of the Lunglei church, during the BCM assembly. A noted theologian and an expert in the Old Testament of the Bible, she received her master and doctoral degrees from UTC, Bangalore.
After working as a lecturer in the Aizawl Theological College and Eastern Theological College, she was also the treasurer of the senate of Serampore College in West Bengal.