Title: Tranquebar Mission Restored After 300 Years of Lutheran Ministry in India ELCA NEWS SERVICE
July 12, 2006
Tranquebar Mission Restored After 300 Years of Lutheran Ministry in India 06-099-FI
TARANGAMBADI, India (ELCA) -- Thousands of Tamil people joined international guests and Lutheran church leaders July 8-9 here at the Tranquebar Mission on the southeast coast of India, where German missionaries Bartholomaeus Ziegenbalg and Heinrich Pluetschau arrived July 9, 1706. The Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church (TELC) marked the 300th anniversary of Protestant ministry in India by rededicating historic buildings, dedicating new structures and praising God.
The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and president of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Chicago, was present as part of a 16- member ELCA delegation that visited India for the anniversary.
The LWF is a global communion representing 62.3 million of the world's nearly 65.4 million Lutherans. It is based in Geneva, Switzerland.
Many of the buildings at Tranquebar Mission sustained damage in the tsunami of December 2004. Weekend events showcased many restored buildings, including New Jerusalem Church, which Ziegenbalg first dedicated in 1718 and the TELC rededicated July 8. Ziegenbalg died in 1719 at the age of 37, and his body was buried in the church.
Ziegenbalg's ministry was noted for several contributions to Indian culture, such as the translation and printing of the Bible in Tamil, production of the first Tamil grammar book, and his pioneering work in herbal medicine. Speakers noted that missionaries of his time were known to require obedience to their beliefs and customs, while Ziegenbalg first learned Tamil and Tamil philosophy.
The TELC preceded Sunday worship with the dedication of a new education compound, including the Pluetschau Primary School. A procession led by more than 100 schoolchildren snaked through the streets of Tranquebar to New Jerusalem Church.
"This is a day for giving thanks that, just as Jesus promised, the seeds of the Holy Spirit have brought forth great fruit," Hanson said. Hanson preached July 9 during an "ecumenical jubilee thanksgiving service" at New Jerusalem Church.
"We live in a divided world, yet our witness as Christians is that we are one," Hanson said. "Unity does not mean sameness," he said.
"We embrace the other not to make them like us," Hanson said. "Ziegenbalg did not come to make Tamil people Germans or Danes." The 18th century missionary did not teach the Tamil people European customs but taught them to take pride in their own ways, he said.
The ministry of Jesus was one of reconciliation, based on friendship rather than domination, Hanson said. Jesus embraced the leper, replacing barriers with community, he said.
Christian ministry continues to worship God and to serve "all suffering humanity," Hanson said, emphasizing the work of Lutherans for "the full participation of Dalits in India's society."
During its visit the ELCA delegation was on hand for the week of celebrations marking the tercentenary of the Lutheran church in India. Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute (GLTC) hosted a series of programs July 3-7 in Chennai.
His Excellency Thiru Surjit Singh Barnala, governor of India's Tamil Nadu, delivered an inaugural address July 3. Hanson and other international guests brought greetings. Several publications on Ziegenbalg and Lutheran ministry in India were issued, and the Francke Foundation, Halle, Germany, presented GLTC with microfilm of historic documents on the Tranquebar Mission.
A seminar July 4 on Ziegenbalg's contribution to civil society included sessions on the architecture in Tranquebar, education, printing and publishing, the Tamil language and Indology.
July 5-6 featured an international consultation on "Post Modern Challenges to Christian Mission." Seminar leaders came from Egypt, Germany, India, Sweden and the United States, including Hanson and the Rev. Rafael Malpica-Padilla, executive director, ELCA Global Mission, Chicago.
The Academy of Ecumenical Indian Christian Theology and Church Administration held a special convocation July 7 in honor of those who contributed to the cause for which Ziegenbalg arrived in India, awarding 26 honorary doctorates in divinity. -- -- --
Gurukul Lutheran Theological College maintains information on the tercentenary at http://www.gltc.edu/tercentenary/ on the Web. The ELCA delegation hosted 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