Title: Celebration of 300 Years of Lutheran Mission Begins in India ELCA NEWS SERVICE
July 6, 2006
Celebration of 300 Years of Lutheran Mission Begins in India 06-094-FI
CHENNAI, India (ELCA) -- India is paying tribute July 3-9 to its first Lutheran missionary on the 300th anniversary of Bartholomaeus Ziegenbalg's arrival July 9, 1706, in Tranquebar on the southeast coast. His Excellency Thiru Surjit Singh Barnala, governor of India's Tamil Nadu, gave the inaugural address July 3 here at Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute (GLTC).
The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and president of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), was among several guests who brought international greetings to the governor and to the more than 425 registered participants for the week of seminars and consultations exploring Ziegenbalg's impact on India and Christian mission.
"The eyes of 140 member churches in 78 nations, representing 66 million Lutherans, are now upon this city as the whole Lutheran World Federation joins you in thanking God for 300 years of Protestant ministry in India," Hanson told the gathering. "We will give thanks these days for the great variety of gifts of Ziegenbalg but more for the fruits of those seeds that he planted as they have flourished in a diverse culture and an Indian context," he said.
Hanson praised the Lutheran churches in India for three centuries of coexistence in a society of multiple religions and classes. "You have much to teach us about what it means to be Christians in a pluralistic context. How do we hold in tension respectful dialogue with persons of other faiths, engage in mission that is holistic, and yet continue to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ? We in other parts of the world are looking to you to be our teachers," he said.
"We are here to accompany you, to walk with you as you struggle not only with being a church of Dalit people but with being a church of Dalit people who continue to seek their full liberation and restoration to their God-given dignity and full humanity," Hanson said.
The Rev. Chandran Paul Martin, LWF deputy general secretary and former executive director of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India, said the Tranquebar Mission was critical for LWF member churches in Asia. "It is responsible for laying the foundation of the creative solutions in freeing the gospel of Christ in very difficult circumstances and pioneering the work for social justice," he said.
Denmark called Ziegenbalg, a German Lutheran missionary, to serve as a pastor at its settlement in Tranquebar. Bernd Muetzelburg, German ambassador to India, and Michael Sternberg, Danish ambassador to India, brought greetings to the celebration.
In his address the governor noted that Ziegenbalg had translated the Bible into Tamil and laid the foundation for a culture rich in Tamil literature. "The introduction of a Tamil printing press in Tranquebar in 1712, his commitment to serve the poor people and the establishment of the first school for girls in 1710 make it fitting to celebrate the great missionary," Barnala said.
The inaugural ceremony included the issuing of three books and a special edition of the Gurukul Journal of Theological Studies, "The Life and Ministry of Bartholomaus Ziegenbalg." One book, "It Began at Tranquebar" by E. Arno Lehmann, was first issued in 1956 on the 250th anniversary of Ziegenbalg's arrival.
Dr. Daniel Jeyaraj presented his new book, "Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg: The Father of Modern Protestant Mission -- An Indian Assessment," to the Rev. Margot Kässmann, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hanover, Germany.
The Board of Theological Education of the Senate of Serampore College and the South Asia Theological Research Institute presented "Mission in the Past and Present: Challenges and Perspectives." Theological colleges and seminaries of India are accredited through the Senate of Serampore College.
The tercentenary celebration of Ziegenbalg's arrival continued July 4 with a seminar on Ziegenbalg's contribution to civil society in India and July 5-6 with an international consultation on Christian mission.
The Academy of Ecumenical Indian Christian Theology and Church Administration will host a convocation July 7 in honor of those who contributed to the cause for which Ziegenbalg arrived in India.
July 8 the celebration will move about 140 miles south to the Indian Ocean's Bay of Bengal, to Tranquebar for a rededication of the New Jerusalem Church, which Ziegenbalg first dedicated in 1718. Ziegenbalg died the next year, at the age of 37, and his body was buried at the church.
The week of commemorative activities will culminate with worship July 9 at the church that Ziegenbalg dedicated in 1718 in Tranquebar (Tarangambadi), India. Hanson and other international guests will lead worship. -- -- --
Gurukul Lutheran Theological College maintains information on the tercentenary at http://www.gltc.edu/tercentenary/ on the Web.
A delegation of ELCA attending the celebration is hosting a blog (Web log) at http://lutheransinindia.blogspot.com/ during the trip.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org http://www.elca.org/news ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog