We have travelled a long way, as people(s) of one nation. Over the last 72 years we have planned together; we have implemented them together, we have evaluated ourselves together, we have voted governments to power, and we have changed them at will. It has always been as one nation but, more importantly, as one nation nuanced differentially – and that is the key to our existence as a secular, socialist, democratic, republic.
We have held ourselves together through the critical complementarities of the different faiths that we profess and the many beliefs that we hold. Despite provocations and accusations to the contrary, we have never dared to force individual convictions on the other. As a large and vibrant democracy we have always made space for all especially the least amidst us. As a large and vibrant democracy we have ensured to ourselves, and proved to the world, that the strength of any democracy lies in how its minorities are treated.
As we move on and mature, we recognise the need to exercise discretion and discernment. We recognise that the uni-polar world and its proponents the free and unbridled market, along with the accompanying individualistic ideologies and fascist tendencies, has the potential to be apathetic to the needs of the least amidst us; power in terms of sheer arithmetic has the potency to count the least out – be it ethnic, religious, economic, or the social in terms of the people with disability and those with different sexual orientations and gender identities.
As we mark the anniversary of our independence this year, the National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) representing the Christians of the protestant and orthodox faith traditions, and serving the nation through its 75 institutional national constituents including 30 mainline protestant and orthodox nation-wide churches, pledges its commitment to all fellow citizens who uphold the values of pluralistic society in continuing to nurture the spirit of secularism and participative democracy as core values of our being and growing together. In pledging thus the NCCI commits to and calls on fellow citizens to such a collaborative search and concerted exercise of discretion and discernment – that which will bless the country as an abode and haven of all.
God bless India.
Rev. Asir Ebenezer
General Secretary
National Council of Churches in India
Ecumenical news
Dalit Liberation Sunday | November 10, 2019
News from NCCIRespected Moderator /Metropolitan /Bishop /General Secretary /Executive Secretary/ Director /Principal /Executive Committee Member /General Body Member of NCCI and Dear Ecumenical Friends
Greetings from NCCI- Dalit and Tribal/ Adivasi Concerns!
We are happy to inform you that this year Dalit Liberation Sunday will be observed on 10 November 2019 all over India by the Member Churches/ Institutions/ Parishes of the National Council of Churches in India and Catholic Bishop’s Conference of India. The theme for this year’s DLS is Resist Caste: “If one suffers all suffer together” (1 Corinthians 12: 26). Let us as local congregation observe this DLS-2019 in all sincerity and truthfulness to our calling as Christians and sensitize people to overcome all forms of discriminatory practices of caste across India and initiate uncompromising actions to eradicate such practices within the Christian community.
We are sending you some prayers and affirmations to be included into your worship service. Attached herewith please find pdf. files of the worship order and poster of DLS-2019 which you may circulate among your pastors, lay leaders and department heads.
Looking forward to receiving your cooperation in observing Dalit Liberation Sunday on November 10, 2019.
Thanking you in anticipation,
With regards,
In Christ,
Pradip Bansrior
Executive Secretary
Dalit and Tribal/ adivasi Concerns
National Council of Churches in India
Download the Liturgy
Download the Poster
Tribal and Adivasi Sunday | 4 August 2019
Appeal, News from NCCIAnd the people of God said, “Amen” !!
Worship in every Christian tradition has been a corporate affirmation of God’s work amidst us, accomplished in and through all of God’s creation including the human persons.
This year too we affirm God at work in the context of the struggles and resilience of the indigenous peoples of our lands; their affirmation of life, living patterns, search for livelihood options, and more importantly land. Identity, the very essence of being human persons and that which is so intrinsically related to land is denied when land itself is usurped.
We are invited this year during the observance of the NCCI Tribal and Adivasi Sunday to lift our hearts and cry out to this apathy, and more importantly to affirm our participation in the struggle to restore land to the peoples who love, tend and keep it. Affirmed and committed thus, we are also invited to join issue with those persons, policies and processes that usurp land, challenging with all else and God the affirmation of life and dignity to these our kin – the land and her own.
I commend to you the work of my colleague Mr. Pradip Bansrior, the Executive Secretary of the Dalit and Tribal/ Adivasi Concerns of the National Council of Churches in India, and that of his team, who invite us to worship together and thus to this commitment to restore land to the Indigenous people from whom it is usurped thereby affirming rights that’s just.
Sing unto the Lord a new song . . .
Asir Ebenezer
General Secretary
National Council of Churches in India
download the liturgy
Download the Poster
Christian communities hurt over being discredited by responsible authorities
General news, News from NCCIThe National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) expresses deep anguish over the completely baseless and sweeping blanket opinions expressed by one of the judges of Honourable High Court, Chennai against Christian missionaries and Christian educational institutions in a verdict connected to Madras Christian College, Tambaram. It is painful that these comments were made ironically in a case where it was a Christian management which impartially took action against one of the staff, based on the complaint by some students.
These unfortunate comments deeply hurt the sentiments of Christian communities in India who have contributed a lot for the development of education in this country. Tens of millions of Indians belonging to different faiths have graduated from Christian institutions without facing any pressure to convert and remain in their respective religions. They are living testimony contradicting the utterly false conclusions drawn about the vast majority of Christian institutions in India today.
We do feel that expressing an opinion on the possibility of gender-specific laws being misused by women can lead to victimising the victim and turning them away from approaching law enforcement agencies or seek protection under law.
Narratives such as these can be misused by persons and organisations who are anti-minorities further victimising and shaming individuals and groups of minority communities.
The NCCI calls on all concerned including those in responsible positions to be sensitive to and respect the sentiments of minority communities who have and are serving the people of this country with great diligence and commitment. The NCCI expresses its gratitude to all those who stand in solidarity with the community.
Rev. Asir Ebenezer
General Secretary
National Council of Churches in India
One Nation, nuanced differentially . . .
General newsWe have travelled a long way, as people(s) of one nation. Over the last 72 years we have planned together; we have implemented them together, we have evaluated ourselves together, we have voted governments to power, and we have changed them at will. It has always been as one nation but, more importantly, as one nation nuanced differentially – and that is the key to our existence as a secular, socialist, democratic, republic.
We have held ourselves together through the critical complementarities of the different faiths that we profess and the many beliefs that we hold. Despite provocations and accusations to the contrary, we have never dared to force individual convictions on the other. As a large and vibrant democracy we have always made space for all especially the least amidst us. As a large and vibrant democracy we have ensured to ourselves, and proved to the world, that the strength of any democracy lies in how its minorities are treated.
As we move on and mature, we recognise the need to exercise discretion and discernment. We recognise that the uni-polar world and its proponents the free and unbridled market, along with the accompanying individualistic ideologies and fascist tendencies, has the potential to be apathetic to the needs of the least amidst us; power in terms of sheer arithmetic has the potency to count the least out – be it ethnic, religious, economic, or the social in terms of the people with disability and those with different sexual orientations and gender identities.
As we mark the anniversary of our independence this year, the National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) representing the Christians of the protestant and orthodox faith traditions, and serving the nation through its 75 institutional national constituents including 30 mainline protestant and orthodox nation-wide churches, pledges its commitment to all fellow citizens who uphold the values of pluralistic society in continuing to nurture the spirit of secularism and participative democracy as core values of our being and growing together. In pledging thus the NCCI commits to and calls on fellow citizens to such a collaborative search and concerted exercise of discretion and discernment – that which will bless the country as an abode and haven of all.
God bless India.
Rev. Asir Ebenezer
General Secretary
National Council of Churches in India
NCCI Responds to New Education Policy 2019
StatementsRev. Asir Ebenezer NCCI General Secretary responses to new Education Policy 2019.
To download the statement kindly click here
Greening the Globe for Sustainable living : An International Eco Conference | 1-4 August, 2019 | CSI Synod, Chennai
General news, News from Constituent MembersThe Most Rev. Dr. P. C. Singh President of National Council of Churches in India and Moderator of Church of North India gave the inaugural speech at “Greening the Globe for Sustainable Living” an international eco conference at CSI Synod Centre, Chennai from 1 – 4 August 2019.
Dignitaries on the dais, leaders of the Churches and Ecumenical organizations in India, friends representing the World Council of Churches and ecumenical partners from around the world, academicians and scientists, leaders of the host church – the Church of South India, fellow office bearers and colleagues from the National Council of Churches in India, friends:
I greet you on behalf of the leadership of the National Council of Churches in India – the ecumenical fraternity represented by the ecumenical witness of close to 14 million people confessing protestant and orthodox Christian faith in India. I also bring greetings to you from my own Church – the Church of North India which later this year will be celebrating 50 years of witness to humanity and thereby to God.
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Appeal to observe AUGUST 10th as “Day of Mourning”
Appeal, News from NCCIRespected Moderator /Metropolitan /Bishop /General Secretary /Executive Secretary/ Director /Principal /Executive Committee Member /General Body Member/ National Program Commission Member of NCCI and Dear Ecumenical Friends
Appeal to observe AUGUST 10th as “Day of Mourning”
Greetings from NCCI – Dalit and Tribal/ Adivasi Concerns!
National Council of Churches in India-Dalit and Tribal/Adivasi Concerns and Catholic Bishop’s Conference of India-Office for SC/BC jointly appeal to the Churches and organisations to make appropriate and relevant plans for the observance of the ‘Day of Mourning’ on 10th August to raise our protest regarding the continual negligence of the government to the cry for the rights of Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims in the country.
Over the past couple of years we have been started using the term “Day of Mourning” instead of ‘Black Day’. The concept of “Black v/s Fair” comes from the castiest mind-set that ‘black is ugly and fair is beautiful’. On the other hand, the Black people and the Dalits hail the colour and the word “Black” and say “Black is Beautiful”. Hence, when we use the phrase Black Day for August 10th, we are assimilating and accepting the concept that Black is negative, ugly and sad.
The infamous Presidential (Scheduled Caste) Order 1950 was signed on 10th August 1950 by the then President of India which says “No person who professes a religion other than Hinduism shall be deemed to be a member of the scheduled caste” which was later amended to include Sikhs (1956) and Buddhists (1990) in the Scheduled Caste net. But this law, as we are all aware of, keeps the Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians from the Scheduled Castes list.
We request you to kindly observe ‘Day of Mourning’ on August 10th by organising protest rallies/ demonstrations/ hunger fasts/ submitting memoranda to appropriate authority/ candle vigils/ meetings/ special prayers and other appropriate programmes in your church/institution/ neighbourhood to express our solidarity with the suffering Christians and Muslims of Scheduled caste origin. Should you need any assistance do not hesitate to contact us.
With regards,
In Christ,
Pradip Bansrior
Executive Secretary
Dalit and Tribal/ Adivasi Concerns
National Council of Churches in India
Download the poster
NCCI Youth Futsal 2019
General news“Youth Futsal 2019” is the first of its kind initiated for the youth of the 18 Regional Councils of the National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) to come together and strengthen the ecumenical fellowship through sports for a cause. Youth Futsal 2019 focuses on the issue of Migration and the problems faced daily by migrants in India. The Youth Futsal 2019 is launched under the theme “Towards Just and Inclusive Communities: Affirming Identities in Migration through Sports”. The Youth Futsal 2019 comprises of 36 teams – 2 teams (men and women) from each 18 Regional Councils, spread across the country into 4 zones – North, South, East and Central respectively.
NCCI 2019 Pentecost Sunday
News from NCCIObservance of Nakba Day on 15th May 2019
News from NCCIThe Nakba commemoration of 71 years was jointly organized by National Council of Churches in India – Dalit and Tribal/Adivasi Concerns, Urban Rural Mission and India Peace Centre on 15th May 2019 at India Peace Center. People from various walks of life, from different faith communities participated to understand the complex reasons responsible towards the mass exile of the Palestinians from their land which now is under the captivity of Israel. Mr. Rajesh Jadhav working with NCCI -Urban Rural Mission explained in brief the historical background of NAKBA by giving details of the Israeli Zionist thought process in the Exodus and occupied areas of Gaza strip. Followed by the introductory speech a short documentary movie “The Walls of Shame” was screened which highlighted the burning issue of human rights and American right-wing approval for this endeavor. The movie depicted the reality which the people of Palestine have faced since decades in the hands of Israel and its inhuman strategies against a particular faith community.
Reported by:
Mr. Saurabh Khobragade
Mr. Yatharth Jadav