FROM THE DESK OF THE GENERAL SECRETARY

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

While presenting General Secretary’s Report to the 12th Synod held at Ranchi in October 2005 I had said –

“Some people are saying that rot has set in the CNI. My question to this group of people is when that rot has set in the CNI who is the CNI? Has the rot set in, in some person or body out there? Or are we acknowledging that the rot has set in me. Yes, the rot has set in me and us and this is a time to acknowledge and repent. Before I prepared my report I went through the reports submitted by my predecessors. At the 4th Synod in 1980 my revered Guru Dharmaraj began his report by referring to forgery in CNI, litigation and disaffection and many of us in this hall facilitated that process of rot which has set in and around 1980 and it is high time that we take bold steps to stop that process for the Glory of God.”

The 12th Synod unanimously decided to reopen the Dr. Ram Singh’s Report (1984-89) and THUM report (1993-1995) and the 77th meeting of the Synod Executive Committee of the Synod of the Church of North India has taken a bold decision and appointed a CNI Evaluation Commission and gave them a wide ranging Terms of Reference for the total evaluation of the Church of North India from 1970 till 2006. The commission has been asked to submit their interim report by January 2007 and the full report by May 2008 so that the Executive Committee will be able to submit the evaluation report along with the action plan to the 13th Synod of the Church of North India.

Some people may still have some misgivings about the work of this commission. They may or are still thinking that this Commission is appointed to look into the affairs of the Synod or for that matter what goes on in the CNI Bhavan only and not what is happening in the Dioceses or in our Institutions. They are totally mistaken, my dear friend. The CNI is you and me, our Congregations, our Pastorates, our Dioceses, our Institutions, our Programs and our Boards are all CNI and as such the evaluation we are talking about concerns every one of us.

Let us look at the CNI constitution – what are the objects and purposes of the Church of North India? See Section II, Part II, Page 40 of the CNI Constitution.

The objects and purposes of the Church of North India, operating through it’s Synod, Dioceses and pastorates, shall be to proclaim by word and deed the Gospel of Jesus Christ, who is the lord and the Master of the Church, for the salvation and good of all human kind through unity, witness and service which may include educational, medical, social, agricultural and other services, and also through worship and other activities of the Church which promote spiritual growth, self reliance, social justice and moral regeneration, irrespective of caste, creed or colour.

This is a very important exercise undertaken in the first decade of this century and I assure you that this exercise will not receive the same fate which earlier reports of the Commissions received. There are voices within and outside which need to be heard. But there are ways and manners for raising these voices in the Church. While we discourage disruptive manner of raising voices, we do encourage everyone to express their voice through this process of evaluation. I understand that the approach of the commission would be participatory. Their representatives will visit you soon, interview some of you, examine your records and ask you to complete the questionnaire and hold meetings and consultations. In all this process, your cooperation is primary and I would appeal each one of you to extend your active cooperation.

Please visit the website as often as you can and express your views, opinions and concerns.

Yours in His mission,

Rev. Dr. Enos Das Pradhan General Secretary