Global Ministries, UCC and Disciples executives tour partner sites in India

A group of UCC and Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) officials recently returned from visiting more than a dozen mission partners in India. Establishing relationships between mission partners in India and denominational officials, the group toured partner sites Feb. 2-12, and met with Indian church officials. The visit was led by led by the Rev. James Vijayakumar, UCC/Disciples Global Ministries Southern Asia area executive.

Accompanying Vijayakumar was the Rev. Geoffrey A. Black, UCC general minister and president, the Rev. Sharon Watkins, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) general minister and president, the Rev. Cally Rogers-Witte, executive minister for the UCC’s Wider Church Ministries and co-executive of Global Ministries, and their spouses.

The group arrived in Raipur from Calcutta on Feb. 4 and was honored at the re-dedication of Emmanuel Church in Bisrahmpur. Along with area bishop and local church pastors, the UCC and Disciples executives presided over the service. The church is a historic vestige of the Rev. Oscar T. Lohr,  a German missionary there from 1868 to 1907.

Joining the Global Ministries executives for the dedication were Dr. Anil and Dr. Teresa Henry from Christian Hospital in Mungeli, along with a recently-arrived contingent of visitors from Avon Lake (Ohio) UCC and a group of Disciples members from Atlanta. The local church groups were in India to visit Christian Hospital.

In remarks to the hundreds gathered in the village of Bishrampur for the church re-dedication, Black said, “Jesus spoke of places like this as places of prayer … my prayer for you is that as you continue to worship together and serve together in Jesus’ name, you will always extend a very extravagant welcome to the people of all nations who will come to worship and serve with you in this place.”

Watkins also delivered a dedication blessing saying, “I come here today to say I thank God for you in my prayers because I have heard of your faith … and here at this church today we have found a place where the people come in to worship God together. This place becomes holy ground.”

Following the church the delegation and the local church groups traveled to Christian Hospital, where Dr. Anil Henry and his wife, Dr. Theresa Henry, serve as Global Ministries missionaries. The hospital and associated Rambo English School have been under the care of the Henrys since 2004.

The group spent Feb. 5 touring Christian Hospital, beginning with chapel service with staff and visitors. The Rev. Rick Lowery, professor of church history at Lexington Theological Seminary and the husband of Watkins, delivered the sermon. Using Genesis 1 as his text, Lowery encouraged the congregation to appreciate the value in each person as those created in the image of God.

Anil Henry escorted the delegation through his routine of morning rounds, introducing them to the variety of patients seen and explaining hospital operations. A visit to the nearby Rambo English School, a primary and secondary educational institution, included a tour of the construction site of a new facility that will serve the nearly 500 students enrolled at the school.

Subsequent stops for the Global Ministries-led delegation included the Church of South India headquarters, Tamilnadu Theological Seminary, the dedication of a tsunami rehabilitation project in Kanyakumari, and the Marathi Mission institutions, among other partner sites.

Global Ministries is the common witness of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ responsible for nurturing relationships with international partners on behalf of Disciples and the UCC.

The Rev. Gregg Brekke, UCC news director and editor, accompanied the Avon Lake UCC contingent to India and has been Journaling the group’s experiences and posting pictures on his blog.

Categories: United Church of Christ News

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