Introducing the programme and welcoming the delegates and the dignitaries from the Church of Scotland, Rev. Dr. Enos Das Pradhan, General Secretary of Church of North India Synod said CREEM is the result of earlier process initiated in the name of “Towards Holistic Understanding of Mission” (THUM).  However, it should not be understood as shifting of paradigm from THUM to CREEM but integration of ideas the former gives with the ideals of the later.  In the process of THUM the Church of North India has enabled the congregations to perceive the mission of the church in the multi facets context of India .  Now it is intended that CREEM would take the congregations to the basics in realizing missional task of God in sustaining and restoring His creation at grassroots more effectively than never before in worship, fellowship, prayers, service, preaching and teaching.

After series of programmes on mission were held in the past of which “Mission Audit and Ministry Plan” enabled the Church of North India to understand the need of programme which would have the following objectives met:

• To equip the local congregation to be involved in the holistic mission engagement.
• To sensitize the local congregation in socio-economic and political concerns, particularly about the struggles of the oppressed and marginalized sections of society such as dalits, indigenous communities etc. in their self-development dignity and wholesome life.
• To formulate and implement the strategies to involve each member of the local congregation to engage in social transformation.
• To facilitate, coordinate, monitor and evaluate the different initiatives at the local congregational level in CNI .
• To ensure leadership and participation of women at all levels and areas of church work from analysis and conceptualization to decision making and implementation process.
• To rediscover the meaning of faith in the struggle for a just community and redefine gospel in the context of our socio-economic problem.
• To enable youth and children to discern the nature of Christian participation in the society and among the people.
• To create and develop the ability of the local congregation to work towards cooperative action to bring the wisdom and values of our religious traditions to bear on the economic environmental and social crisis.
• To take steps to rediscover system and regain and strengthen our lost identities as community.

The Most Rev. Allan McDonald, Moderator of the General Synod of Church of Scotland, who was accompanied by his wife Dr. Judith McDonald, his Chaplain Ms. Alison Twaddle and Mr. Sandy Sneddon, Asia Secretary in Church of Scotland participated in the inaugural service of CREEM.  Inaugurating the programme by lighting lamps, Moderator McDonald challenged the delegates to reflect upon being the salt and the light in a world which lost taste and is groping in darkness.  He expressed that CREEM would inspire and encourage the congregations to address the issues which negate lives of individuals and threatens the environment.

Delivering his keynote address, The Most Rev. Joel V. Mal, Moderator of Church of North India Synod called upon the delegates to go back to the basics and the barracks. By basics he said, “Going back to the teachings of our Lord, to the family, the friends and the society.” He reminded the members present about the coming of the Lord to the world was to establish His kingdom, thus we need to become partners with Him in proclaiming the good news.  We need to learn and unlearn what our Lord did for us. We need to become the instruments which reach out to the basics.  Being in barracks means always ready to do the will of God.  We need to think about our elders, teachers, their sacrifices and the gifts and when we reflect and inculcate these then our life becomes acceptable to God.  He asserted that mission is the core of church and the congregation is the hub of its mission.

Describing mission in the present context Rev. Dr. James Massey, outlines some basic principles which the congregations in India should adopt in their missional approach.  Firstly, identifying with the People in their actual situation as God Himself became human in the person of Jesus Christ so that He could identify with the common masses.  Secondly, carrying Ministry/Mission to the People where they are.  Thirdly, continuing of a Ministry or Mission by organizing and empowering the people identified with.

In highlighting the context of mission a panel of resource people including Rt. Rev. Naresh Ambala, Mr. David Selvaraj and Mr. Philip Peacock spelt out several areas where the church has to focus its mission such as poverty, globalization of economy and culture, inequality, mismanagement of local resources by elites, unemployment, consumerism, castism, pollution of environment, exclusion of dalits, patriarchy, fundamentalism and communalism.  To respond to these issues they suggested that congregations should build communities where resistance and reconciliation govern the hearts and minds of people who share mutual respect and concern.

Rev. Dr. Paul Swarup narrated the role of congregation in fulfilling mission of God through worship, fellowship, prayers, service, preaching and teaching.  Worship is a response to life around us.  This is what we are created for as much as it is a command.  Fellowship is not only being with the people but sharing in their needs.  As far as prayer is concerned a local congregation can fulfill its role in the mission of God if it is a praying community.  Another important, rather primary, role of the church is to be a serving church.  Christ has already set an example of service.  To fulfill its prophetic role the church has to preach; preach for the values and preach against the vices.  Finally, teaching is an integral part of our mission.  It is through teaching our Lord Jesus brought about transformation in the lives of communities.  Today also it is an effective tool of mission.

Having understood the context of mission and role of congregation, it was then time for delegates to set agenda for holistic engagement in mission.  Leading from the front, The Rt. Rev. Probal Dutta, Rev. Manodeep Daniel, Rev. Packiam T. Samuel challenged the delegates to set agenda which would stand at par with the challenges being faced by churches in India .  They stressed on the need to make congregation a movement to thwart the challenges from the historical process in India and the Indian culture; challenges from other religious faiths; challenges of the poor, oppressed and the marginalized people and communities; challenges from the feminist movements; challenges from the concern for wholeness of creation; challenges from the counter cultural movement and finally challenges from the values and priorities of the kingdom of God.  With all these, mission of the local congregation has to be wider and deeper – inclusive and at grassroots.

Furthermore, Rev. Dr. Sunil M. Caleb sharing on the theological praxis in equipping the congregation for effective engagement in mission affirmed that there is an inbuilt inertia in all congregations against change and against doing things differently from the way that they have always done them.  If change is to come in the way the way what they are living our Christian life then desire for change has to be greater than the resistance to change.  He suggested that congregation need to be divided into small groups or house-groups where there can be more intimate fellowship and support.  There must be a financial commitment of congregation for its mission and vision.  A congregation is seen to be serious about its mission only when it is willing to put its money where its vision is.

To develop cooperative actions for effective engagement in mission, Rt. Rev. P. L. Kamble, Mr. Prem Masih and Dr. Vinita Eusibius shared their view points from the perspective of dalits, lay leaders, women and children.  They suggested that there is a need to putting the set of values that are characteristic of all collaborative movements like self-responsibility, self-help and self-sufficiency with the controlling principles of democracy, equality, equity and solidarity at the very centre of our approach to mission.

Finally, on the basis of inputs given by resource persons and feedback received from the delegates a process of strategic action plan was led where Mr. Sudipta Singh and Mr. David Selvaraj outlined the sequences of things to follow in the days to come as the congregations prepare themselves, fully equipped with ideas and vision imparted, to uproot and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.  The Statement adopted and declared by the delegates during the consultation given below will speak for itself.

STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT

We the members of the Church of North India, the people including the ordained and the laity of the Church, with the mandate of the 12^th Synod and the decision of the Executive Committee, gathered as people of faith, inspired by Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit between the 24^th and 26^th of March 2007 at the YMCA, Recreation Centre, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, to listen, dialogue and affirm our calling to be co-workers with the divine in the process of recreating God’s world.

The Context:

The submission to greed and bowing down to Mammon and the increasingly obvious nexus between the economic, political and cultural elite through the politicization of religion, the communalization of politics, the criminalization of polity, the depoliticization of the masses, the violence of development, wars and rumors of wars, pseudo patriotism, a proxy war on terror, the homogenization of culture, the politics and culture of hatred, fear and suspicion. This has resulted in destruction of God’s creation, the fragmentation of society and the alienation of individuals.

We Affirm that:

• Mission is the mediation of God’s grace in God’s world to God’s creation initiated by God’s love.
• Mission is the initiative of God the Father, revealed through God the Son and God the Holy Spirit empowers the task of mission.
• Commitment to the Triune God demands a radical commitment to critical action in the world in the process of building alternate communities/congregations of healing.
• The Church is planted in a specific context at this historical juncture to reflect the love of God, follow in the path of the cross, dying to the self and living for the other.
• Mission is corporate, it is the divine mandate given to the whole Church through a manifestation in local congregations.

We Commit to:

• Not be neutral but to take sides with the Dalits, Adivasis, Tribals, Women, Children and the displaced and dispossessed in solidarity with God who stands with them.
• Not being silent but living and speaking prophetic lives and words of discernment that calls the Church to become part of the common struggle for justice and peace in the world.
• Transformative action in the world that arises from a commitment to the Word of God and the leading of the Spirit that renews our hearts and minds.
• Preach the Good News to the poor and make disciples for Christ.
• To act with the love of Christ to challenge the Status Quo and to have a burning desire to participate in the bringing of the reign of God on earth.
• Dioceses and congregations owning this process and taking it forward.

The three days of consultation witnessed different cultural expressions and exchanges affirming the beauty of diversity in India .  Each day would start with a short devotion led by delegates, youth and women to God who inspires His people to perspire for His coming reign of peace and justice in this distorted world.  There were Bible studies led by Mr. David Selvaraj and Rev. Dr. Paul Swarup building Biblical perspective of mission keeping different sections of congregation in focus.  When the whole gathering approached the table for a Holy Eucharist on 25^th morning, the mission of solidarity with the struggling people of “Sangharsh 2007” was expressed.  A special offering for “Sangharsh 2007” which was running out of financial resources was collected and handed over to them by Rt. Rev. Probal Kanto Dutta on behalf of delegates of CREEM and Church of North India .

Having been recommitted for the mission of God, the delegates were sent out with blessings and benediction by Rt. Rev. Purely Lyngdoh, Deputy Moderator of Church of North India Synod .  In his valedictory remarks, the Deputy Moderator reiterated the need of the hour and challenged the delegates to realize CREEM at local level.