wfn.org | Indian bishop writing history

[BethAH <BethAH@mbm.org>]

August 22, 2001
Beth Hawn
Mennonite Board of Missions
(219) 294-7523
<NEWS@MBM.org>

August 22, 2001

Indian bishop writing history of Mennonite Church in India

PARIS, France (MBM)  To mark its centennial in 1999, the
Mennonite Church in India has commissioned Bishop Shant Kunjam to
write its history.  As part of his research, Kunjam visited the
United States May 2 to July 30 to do research in the Mennonite
Church Archives and Historical Library at Goshen (Ind.) College
after attending the Summer Peacebuilding Institute-2001 sessions
at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Va.  He also met
with former missionaries to India, since the Mennonite Church
began there as a result of Mennonite mission work.

While the book will cover the entire 100-year history of the
church, it will concentrate on the last 20 years, a period
previous histories of the Mennonite Church in India have not
covered. The history will try to answer the question, How did
we come to the place where we are? Kunjam said.  The Indian
Mennonite Church will publish the book next year.

Kunjam is well qualified to write the story.  He grew up in a
Mennonite family and was baptized by Mennonite missionary S. Paul
Miller.  After working for a number of years as a nurse, he felt
called to Christian ministry and attended Union Biblical
Seminary, at that time located in Yeotmal, India.  He served as a
pastor for four years before continuing his theological education
at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Ind.  He
later served on the staff at UBS in Pune with the extension
education program.

In addition to his current counseling responsibilities as bishop,
Kunjam has been the staff person for the Mennonite Christian
Service Fellowship of India since 1989, an organization that
promotes fellowship, peace education, voluntary service and
church planting for the Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches
in India.

Kunjams connections with Mennonite missionaries extend to his
marriage as well.  When S. Paul Miller heard that Kunjams father
was looking for a wife for his son, Miller suggested to the
father that he contact a certain teacher.  Kunjam later met and
married the teacher, the former Esther Breedlove.  They are the
parents of four daughters.

* * *

John Yoder