United Theological College, Bangalore, July 17-19,2009

On its way towards celebrating the Edinburgh 2010, the Edinburgh 2010 Celebration Committee, the National Council of Churches in India, the Methodist Church in India - South India Regional Conference, the Henry Martyn Institute, the Centre for Contemporary Christianity and the United Theological College jointly organized a Pre-Edinburgh Centenary Celebration Consultation on ‘Christian Mission among Other Faiths’ at United Theological College, Bangalore during July 17-19, 2009. Nearly forty participants constituting theologians from different parts of India as well as from abroad attended this Consultation. Bishop D.K. Sahu, General Secretary of National Council of Churches in India gave the meditative reflection and also inaugurated the Consultation with an emphasis on ‘Mission as Hospitality in Today’s Times’. Dr. Daryl Balia, the International Coordinator of Edinburgh 2010 Consultation delivered the Keynote Address explaining the continuity and the discontinuity of the mission agenda from 1910 towards 2010. Dr. Joseph George, the officiating Principal of United Theological College welcomed the participants.

Eight different Study Groups were constituted and reflected on different issues related to the theme of the Consultation. The Study Groups included Interfaith Relations from Jewish Perspective, Interfaith Relations from Muslim Perspective, Interfaith Relations from Hindu Perspective, Interfaith Relations from Sikh Perspective, Interfaith Relations from Subaltern Perspective, Interfaith Relations from the Marxist/Secularist/Humanist Perspective, Interfaith Relations from Feminist Perspective and Perspective and Issues in Mission and Interfaith Dialogue. Experiential & scholarly presentations followed by an in depth discussions took place in this group activity. There were seven plenaries based on each of the Study Groups, which examined the role of Christian Mission as witnessing to Christ today and towards the end proposed to reformulate the theme of the Consultation as ‘Christians in the Mission of God accompanied by People of Other Faiths’. There was a special presentation on the recent Khandamal incident.

The Finding Committee of the Consultation came out with their findings and expressed that these findings would have appropriate space in the ensuing Edinburgh 2010 Celebrations next year. The Mission findings include the shift of the centre of gravity to the global South and Interfaith Dialogue as a continuous and ongoing dialogue of life engaging people of all faiths in the liberative mission of God for all creation. It has also brought out that the people of all faiths need to journey together in the common pilgrimage towards peace and transformation of our society today. Bishop Dr. Taranath S. Sagar, President of NCCI, Rev. Dr. Shanta Premawardhana, Programme Executive for Interfaith Relations of World Council of Churches, Dr Marina N. Behera, Convenor of the Consultation and many other eminent theologians, Church leaders and scholars participated and interacted in this Consultation. A Statement has been formulated out of the Consultation, which shall project the Indian perspective on issues of different faiths with friendship as a common denominator. The Consultation came to an end with the evening ecumenical worship along with the UTC Community in their Campus.

Rev. Raj Bharath Patta
Executive Secretary
Commission on Dalits, NCCI
Additional Charge, Commission on Unity, Mission and Evangelism, NCCI