by Melissa Ramirez Cooper, ELCA News Service
The Northern Illinois Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA), Rockford, and Arcot Lutheran
Church, Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu, India, established a
"companion relationship" when members of each signed
a covenant to "strengthen one another for life and
mission." About 25 staff, clergy and lay members of the
ELCA Northern Illinois Synod traveled to India in January
to participate in the signing, visit ministries of
Lutherans in India -- particularly relief work from a
tsunami that struck three years ago -- Christian
sightseeing and more. The ELCA Companion Synod Program
seeks to establish relationships among the 65 synods of
the ELCA and member churches of the Lutheran World
Federation (LWF).
The covenant between the ELCA Northern Illinois Synod
and Arcot Lutheran Church calls their members to learn
each other's history, geography, culture and current
affairs; communicate regularly through visits, letters
and e-mail; share devotional and educational materials;
develop exchange programs that focus on the needs of
people; pray for one another, encourage
congregation-to-congregation relationships and more.
The synod is comprised of 101,000 members in 168
congregations, and Arcot has 40,000 members in 250
worshipping communities along India's eastern coast.
Arcot is a member of the United Evangelical Lutheran
Church in India (UELCI). The ELCA and UELCI are members
of the LWF.
"Walking together in Christ is how I see our companion
relationship with Arcot Lutheran Church in India. Our
covenant is based upon mutual prayer and encouragement
so that we may prove to be faithful in God's mission" in
the world, said the Rev. Gary M. Wollersheim, bishop,
ELCA Northern Illinois Synod. Wollersheim and the Rt.
Rev. Gideon Devanesan, bishop of Arcot Lutheran Church
and president of the UELCI, signed the covenant Jan. 26.
Other signers included Esther Prabhakar, vice president
of the synod, Rochelle, Ill.; Art Milton, chair of the
synod's global mission subcommittee, the Rev. Raja
Socrates, vice president and convener of the Arcot Board
for Mission and Evangelism, and Dr. T. Richard Baskaran,
Acrot board secretary.
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
