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 [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog
