India

Junge’s Open Letter Emphasizes Need to Break Silence over Violence against Women

GENEVA, 15 January 2013 (LWI) – The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) General Secretary Rev. Martin Junge says the brutal assault and rape that led to the death of a young woman in New Delhi, India, stands out as a painful reminder that “the achievement of gender justice is a matter of life and death.”

In an open letter to the United Evangelical Lutheran Churches in India (UELCI), 14 January, Junge offered the LWF’s prayers for strength and courage upon the bereaved family and all who mourn the loss of life through such ruthless violence.

Interfaith Seminars to Equip Leaders with Conflict Transformation Skills

GENEVA, 29 August 2012 (LWI) – Member churches of The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) are spearheading efforts to restore peace between ethnic communities in Assam, India, following violence that has left 80 dead and forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes.

World Service Response Targets Most Vulnerable Families

GENEVA, 21 August 2012 (LWI) – The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is moving to provide humanitarian relief to thousands of persons displaced by a recent flare-up of longstanding ethnic conflict in India’s northeastern Assam state.

Anderson-Rajkumar: “Support for the Underprivileged Is but a Form of Worship”

CHENNAI, India/GENEVA, 8 March 2012 (LWI) – As Rev. Dr Evangeline Anderson-Rajkumar recounts moments in her life that have shaped what she is today, her mind is already occupied—preparing for next week’s national program, presentations for national or international conferences, Lenten sermons, supervising four of her students’ theses, and all this along with helping her 11-year-old daughter Davina with her homework and exams.

Emphasis on Seeking Justice for Marginalized Communities

CHENNAI, India/GENEVA, 17 October 2011 (LWI) - Christians must rethink their spirituality and mission to engage a constantly changing world, Rev. Dr Augustine Jeyakumar told Lutheran leaders from throughout India gathered for the 28^th Triennial Conference and General Body of the United Evangelical Lutheran Churches in India (UELCI).

100^th Anniversary of International Women’s Day Celebrated

CHHINDWARA, India/GENEVA, 8 March 2011 (LWI) – As the 100^th anniversary of International Women’s Day (IWD) is marked globally today on 8 March, women cooperative groups in India’s central state of Madhya Pradesh demonstrate their collective strength and awareness thanks to a Lutheran-church supported project.

The women, who are struggling to find work and affirm human rights for their communities, participate in the Water Education and Social Action (WESA) project of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Madhya Pradesh supported by the United Evangelical Lutheran Churches in India (UELCI) and The Lutheran World Federation (LWF).

A Step Toward Inclusion, Reconciliation and Equal Opportunity

TIRUPATI, India/GENEVA, 20 January 2011 (LWI) – The South Andhra Lutheran Church (SALC) in India ordained its first women pastors on 12 January, marking a new era for ordained ministry in the church whose history dates back to 1865.

“Finally the dream has come true,” said SALC Bishop Chandra Sekhar at the ordination service of the four women and two male pastors at St Peter’s Lutheran Church in Tirupati. He noted that historical, cultural and traditional roots of SALC had prevented theologically trained women from “even dreaming of ordination.”

Empowering Asian Communities’ Rights to Clean Water and Sanitation

MANILA, Philippines, 15 December 2010 (LWI) – In Tanay, an indigenous Philippines community endowed with a river, tributaries and springs, villagers must travel 45 minutes by jeep to buy drinking water.

“It is unfortunate for a community abounding in water to have no access to clean and safe water,” commented Dr Salima Rahman, who coordinates the Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Service (RDRS), a non-governmental organization in Bangladesh. “The community has springs but it does not have pipes to bring spring water to households.”