Impur Mission Centre

Impur Mission Centre is the historic headquarters of the American Baptist Mission in Nagaland, located at Impur village about 14 km from Mokokchung. Established in 1894 by Dr. E. W. Clark, it serves as the headquarters of the Ao Baptist Arogo Mungdang (ABAM). The centre includes heritage bungalows, a church, museum and archives, and is notable for its role in the introduction of Christianity and modern education among the Ao Naga community.

Visitors can expect a quiet hilltop mission compound set amid forested hills near Mokokchung. The site includes the restored Clark bungalow, ABAM church, a small museum and archives displaying missionary-era artefacts, photographs and documents, administrative buildings, and well-maintained gardens and pathways. The environment is peaceful and institutional, with opportunities for sightseeing, learning about mission history, and enjoying views of the surrounding Ao Naga countryside.

Impur was established in 1894 when American Baptist missionaries Dr. E. W. Clark and Mary Mead Clark shifted the mission headquarters from Molungkimong to Impur at the invitation of the Ao community. It became the central station for Baptist missionary work in the Naga Hills, playing a key role in the spread of Christianity, establishment of schools, literacy, and medical work among the Ao Nagas. The centre has since remained the headquarters of the Ao Baptist Arogo Mungdang (ABAM), formed in 1890.

The centre is the spiritual and administrative heart of the Ao Baptist community, one of the largest Baptist associations in Nagaland. It represents the cultural transformation associated with Christianity among the Ao Nagas and preserves religious heritage through its church, museum, archives, and annual gatherings. It remains an important place of pilgrimage and identity for the Ao Naga Christian community.