April 6, 2009 issue
Growth, evangelism, energy in India
By Ryan Miller Mennonite Mission NetworkCHHATTISGARH, India — In 1900, one family each from the General Conference Mennonite Church and Mennonite Church denominational mission programs landed in India.
Tushar Naik attends to a patient at Sewa Bhawan Hospital in Jagdeeshpur, India. “You are not here by choice or by your own talent, but because God wants you here,” Naik says. — Photo by David Fast/MMN
The GC workers arrived at Raipur, while the MC workers traveled to Dhamtari, both in what is now Chhattisgarh province. For decades, North American Mennonite mission work in India continued.
Though Christianity existed in India since the first century, Hinduism dominated the religious landscape, as it does today. Working alongside new Indian Christians, mission workers established schools, churches, orphanages and hospitals — teaching, preaching and healing as God led them.
But in the 1970s and 1980s, due to changing government regulations and political climates, the mission workers withdrew, completing the transfer of control to Indian leaders and establishing trusts to operate the schools and hospitals.
Today, three Indian church conferences remain from the work of the predecessor agencies of Mennonite Mission Network:
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Bhartiya General Conference Mennonite Church: 27 congregations and around 8,000 members in Chhattisgarh and Orissa.
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Bihar Mennonite Mandli: 23 congregations and just under 2,000 members in Jharkand.
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Mennonite Church in India: 14 congregations and about 6,000 members in Chhattisgarh.
(Total Mennonite membership in India is 146,000, with many Mennonite Brethren.)
The departure of North Americans from their first mission field was painful. Decades later, Indian leaders offered continued questions about the way mission workers left. They expressed dismay over the disappearance of once-close connections with North American congregations and institutions, especially as relationships fade with the passing of generations of early mission workers.
Comments
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The work of Mennonite Missionary Movement and EHA should be strengthened by doing regular follow up on the work being done in Jagdeeshpur, India. Especially now the Mennonite Churches are dying due lack of good leadership, vision and guidance within the church leadership. I am afraid that these Mennonite churchese might vanish if they continues to run like this. Please pray, Please Lead, Please Help our chuches.
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