Christian evangelist Rochunga Pudaite, also lovingly called "God's tribesman," passed away in a hospital in Colorado Springs, Colorado on Saturday. He was 87.
Pudaite had a life well-lived, having founded the organisation Bibles For the World, which brought the Bible to millions of people in the world, according to The Denver Post. Together with his wife Lalrimawi, they built around 92 Christian schools, a college, two junior colleges, as well as a hospital and research centre, all located in India.
They also founded the Evangelical Free Church of India, a denomination that now boasts of 350 churches in northeast India.
"Dr. Ro was an inspiration to millions, and his life story and ministry work demonstrate how much one Christian can do when directed by the Lord," said Jeff McLinden, vice president of Bibles For The World. "Because of his efforts, millions of people around the world have been introduced to the message of the Bible, and they understand what it means to be true followers of Christ. Dr. Pudaite will be greatly missed."
Pudaite was born in the tribal village of Senvon in northeastern India back in 1927. His father was a Christian who raised Pudaite to love and honour God's word. After he studied college at Allahabad University in Allahabad, India and continued his schooling in Glasgow, Scotland, Pudaite became a minister.
He formed enduring friendships with evangelist Billy Graham and minister Bob Pierce, who both helped him do his graduate work at Wheaton College in Illinois.
During his early 60s, Pudaite finished translating the New Testament into the language of his ancestral tribe—the Hmar. After that decade, he managed to translate the entire Bible into the Hmar language. He spent the next few years spreading God's Word to his fellow tribesmen.
His ministry, with the help of other organisations, has distributed over 22 million New Testaments to countless homes in 118 different countries.
"Dr. Ro was concerned for both the spiritual and physical needs of thousands of poor people in India," McLinden said. "And his ministry has touched the lives of tens, if not hundreds, of millions of people across the globe."
His son John Pudaite has pledged to continue the work of his father.
