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Letter from General Secretary of National Council of Churches in Nepal, Rev. Dr. K. B. Rokaya

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he following is the text of an email received by Rev. Dr. Roger Gaikwad, General Secretary of National Council of Churches in India, from Rev. Dr. K. B. Rokaya, General Secretary of National Council of Churches in Nepal.
 
This letter is in response to Rev. Dr. Roger’s mail to him expressing our concern over the Earthquake situation and assuring the people of Nepal of our prayers and support.

From: Jesus is Lord <xxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.com>
Date: Tue, Apr 28, 2015 at 5:06 PM
Subject: Re: Solidarity
To: Gaikwad Roger <xxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.com>

Dear brothers and sisters,
Thank you for your prayer for Nepal. We are all safe. Only today people have started moving out, still living in tents. So far total death almost 5000, still many deaths anticipated as bodies are being recovered. One Church in Kathmandu collapsed killing at least 26 during Saturday worship service. News of Churches destroyed elsewhere coming up. Still too early to say exactly how much damage to Churches and deaths of Christians.
For now just keep praying. Still uncertainty and fear prevails.
Rokaya
Dr. K. B. Rokaya
General Secretary.

100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Asian Churches in Solidarity.

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April 24, 2015

Today marks the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. At this moment in history, when the world pauses to remember the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, we as Asian Churches share with concern and prayers the pain and sorrow of our brothers and sisters of the Armenian Apostolic Church, as they remember with pain the ‘injustices forced on their ancestors.’

As sent by Ms. Susan Jacob from CCA Communications, please see the letter of solidarity sent to HH Aram I, Holy See of the Armenian Apostolic Church and Archbishop Sebouh Sarkissian, by Rev. Dr. Henritte Hutabarat Lebang and a letter to the CCA members, in this regard.

lettercca

 24 April 2015

To

Heads of CCA MemberChurches and Councils Members of the GeneralCommittee and PACs

Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day 

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

The Armenian churches will be commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide on 24th April 2015. It is with solidarity that we stand with them in sorrow and comfort, in hope and faith, courage and strength, at this moment in history. The Armenian Apostolic Church in Iran has been a member of the Christian Conference of Asia for the past 5 years.

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Indian Theological Educators and Church Leaders Delegation to China. A Report

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 The Church and Christian Theological Education in Contemporary China:

An Edifying Visit of Delegation of Indian Theological Educators and Church Leaders

Indian delegation Holy Trinty Church ShanghiIn 1987 a Chinese delegation led by Bishop K.H. Ting visited churches and Christian organizations in India. Twenty-five years later, another Chinese delegation consisting of 6 members led by Rev. Dr. Chen Yilu, visited India from August 17 to 27, 2013. This visit was facilitated by the Foundation for Theological Education in Southeast Asia (FTESEA) having Rev. Dr. H.S. Wilson as its Executive Director. The delegation visited Kolkata, Serampore, Delhi, Agra, and Bangalore. The members of the delegation considered it to be a very meaningful trip as they got to visit theological colleges, churches and church organizations, thereby gaining an insight about India, in particular about the life and ministries of the Church in India, along with some of its cultural expressions. A bond of friendship was thus established between the Chinese friends and Indian church leaders and theologians. This paved the way for a reciprocal visit of Indian theological educators (represented by the Board of Senate of Serampore College) and church leaders (represented by the National Council of Churches in India) to China from November 13 to 22, 2014.This programme was again facilitated by FTESEA through Rev. Dr. H. S. Wilson…With CCCTSPM colleagues

Please click here to download the full report of this visit

WCC Celebrates the life and witness of Rev. Dr. Philip Potter

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World Council of Churches – News

31 March 2015

philip potterA special tribute was paid by the World Council of Churches (WCC) to the Rev. Dr Philip Potter, the third general secretary of the WCC, who served in that office from 1972 to 1984. A global ecumenical leader known for accompanying churches around the world in their struggles for unity, justice and peace, Potter died on 31 March at the age of 93 in Lübeck, Germany.

Born in Roseau, Dominica, in the West Indies on 19 August 1921, Potter began his ecumenical involvement as part of the student Christian movement in the Caribbean. He was a youth representative to the first two assemblies of the WCC at Amsterdam (1948) and Evanston (1954).

He was the first person from the newly independent countries in the world to be elected as general secretary of the WCC. Among the most memorable achievements of Potter’s tenure were the theological consensus document on Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry and the continuation of a courageous campaign against apartheid in southern Africa and against other forms of racism throughout the world.
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Easter Prayer for Reconciliation and Reunification of North and South Korea

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ncck

70 years since the joys of incomplete independence were reduced to the pains of separation
On this morning when we reminisce of the jubilance of resurrection
The voice of forgiveness and reconciliation resonates in our hearts

70 years, but still a broken culture rages among us
In the face of the rule of the dead powers of the militaryindustry
We repent for our feeble faith that confessed words instead of actions

We see ourselves frightened to meet even before considering forgiveness
Such is rooted in our distrust
We confess that no love and faith for each other had ever existed

No blame was put upon the crowd that cried for the cross
Following Jesus who has revealed the path of salvation through forgiveness,
After 70 years of separation, we pray that the fire of forgiveness and reconciliation kindle in every
nation of the world
Lord, lead our way

Before we fault others,
Help us purify ourselves, as we are filled with hate, anger and violence
Grant us the inner courage to reflect back on our true past
Face the hidden truth
And reunite with those who suffered unrighteous death
Give our weak selves the Holy Spirit
Let us not give up on our pursuit for forgiveness, reconciliation and unification
Amidst the despairs of death, you have shown us great hope through resurrection
Bring the new life of resurrection to this dying land

In the same way that Jacob, after crossing the Yabok River embraced Esauand danced,
Armed with forgiveness, let us cross the river of hate and enmity to unite, North and South
Wash away the agonies of separation
To give our sons and daughters one, living nation

We believe that the road of this journey would save people and give hope to mankind
In the name of Jesus Christ who never ceases to call
Into the world of resurrection,
We pray sincerely, Amen.

National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) 

Korean Christian Federation (KCF)

World Council of Churches (WCC) General Secretary’s letter expressing solidarity and support for the Churches in India

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16 March 2015

Rev. Dr Roger Gaikwad

General Secretary
National Council of Churches in India
Christian Council Campus
Civil Lines Nagpur – 440001
Maharashtra State
India

Dear Dr Gaikwad,
I am writing this to express solidarity and support for the churches in India in the context of increasing acts of violence and vandalism targeting the Christian community in India. I was deeply disturbed to hear of one more act of vandalism on a church in Hisar district of Haryana state on Sunday, 15 March 2015, and of the gang rape of a septuagenarian nun in the Convent of Jesus and Mary High School in Ranaghat town of West Bengal state a few days earlier. These attacks and atrocities are understood as part of a wider pattern of repression against minority communities and their fundamental right to practise and profess a religion of their choice. In this regard, the recent rise in attacks on Christians and Christian institutions poses a deep threat to the secular and pluralistic social fabric of India where various religious communities have thrived and lived harmoniously through the ages.
The World Council of Churches condemns any act of violence or violation which targets people and places on the basis of their religious identity, and upholds the sanctity and dignity of all life and the universal right to religious freedom. I am aware of and support the NCCI’s letter dated 2 December 2014, addressed to the Honourable Prime Minister of India urging the government to “bring in suitable measures to cultivate a culture of democratic secularism”. The World Council of Churches joins the churches in India in urging the Indian government to take appropriate and urgent measures to prevent further violation of human dignity or violence against the Christian community in India, which has long been engaged in selfless service to the people of India across the boundaries of caste, ethnicity and religion.

Statement of the National United Christian Forum (NUCF)

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Issued at the National Consultation on “Upholding Constitutional Rights of Minorities, with Special Reference to Christians”

This meeting of the leadership of the Church in India takes place in a moment of global crisis in which people of faith are facing mass violence, even extermination in the Middle-East at the hands of religious fanatics. We offer our prayers for and stand in solidarity with the Christian communities in Syria, Iraq, Pakistan and neighboring countries. The situation in those parts of the world once again brings home to us the dangers of religious intolerance.

We, therefore, rejoice in India’s ancient and rich diversity of cultures, languages, religions and ethnicities. We celebrate the Constitution of India and the strength of its institutions. Our deep love for and commitment to our country and our fellow citizens lends urgency to our reflection on the challenges that we face as a nation.

The cultural DNA of India of pluralism and diversity is being threatened. We are anxious about the implications of the fundamentalist political thesis that India is “one nation, one people and one culture”. A nation of cultural homogeneity is an impossibility and any effort to impose it is fraught with grave ramifications for country.

The Church in India asserts its stake in the country’s development. As citizens and followers of Christ, we have contributed to and continue to work for social development in all spheres of national life. We are committed to protecting the dignity of the human being in this great nation. We participate in this endeavor with other religious and social communities, civil society and all people of good will.

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NCCI Stands with the Grieving and Suffering Bomb attack Victims in Pakistan

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pakistan-articleLargeNagpur, March 16, 2015: The National Council of Churches in India expresses its deep shock and painful concern over the continuous attack on innocent public, including Christians, in Pakistan.
As reported by the Media at least 70 people were injured and 15 lost their lives to these inhuman assassinations yesterday ( 15 March 2015) in a Catholic Church and the Christ Church in Youhanabad near Lahore City, where Christians have lived together for years in amity and peace.
The NCCI considers these assaults not merely as attacks on public and innocent citizens of Pakistan, but rather as intentional attacks on ‘Pakistan’ itself’.

NCCI prays for the team involved in Crisis Relief International (CRI) at Queragosh and Erbil

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In solidarity with all those being persecuted for their faith, particularly children

Mail Attachment (1)The National Council of Churches in India calls upon all its constituent members along with the Member Churches and other non-member churches to unite in prayer for the misguided terrorists who are involved in extreme Islamic goals of mass conversion or death not even sparing the little children.  The NCCI pleads with all those who read this mail to forward it to your churches to pray unitedly in your intercessory prayers.

May this Lenten Season bring light upon those who are misguided in the name of religion.

PRAYER:
Lord, we come before you in sadness and grief for the people facing persecution in Your Holy name.  Your Son Jesus Christ suffered and died for us.  In His resurrection He restores life and peace in all creation.  Comfort them Lord, we pray, all victims of intolerance and those oppressed by their fellow humans.  Remember in your kingdom those who have died.  Lead the mis-guided terrorists towards compassion and give hope to the suffering.

Dr. Mathews George Chunakara elected General Secretary of CCA

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DrChunakaraDr. Mathews George Chunakara, a lay member of the Mar Thoma Syrian Church in India has been elected unanimously as the new General Secretary of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) for a term of five years by the General Committee of the CCA which met  at the Assumption University, Bangkok, Thailand from 10-12 February 2015.
Mathews George Chunakara is the first Indian citizen to be elected to this position. He will succeed Rev. Dr. Henriette Hutabarat Lebang from Indonesia, who was elected General Secretary in 2010.
Dr. Mathews George Chunakara comes with rich ecumenical experiences in Asia and at the global level. He held various positions in his own country in India, Asia region and at the global level during the past thirty years. He was Director of the Commission of Churches on International Affairs (CCIA) of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Geneva, Switzerland from 2009 to 2014. Prior to that, he served as Asia Secretary of the WCC (2000- 2009) and Executive Secretary for International Affairs of the CCA in Hong Kong (1993- 2000).
Mathews George has made significant contributions to the ecumenical formation and leadership development in Asia, peace and reconciliation, advocacy on human rights, justice and development, religious freedom, communal harmony and developing and nurturing relations with churches in  communist countries and governments in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Peoples Republic of China and North Korea through his work in CCA and WCC. He facilitated the founding of three National Councils of Churches in Asia – Cambodia, Nepal and Bhutan.

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