MANGALORE, (UCAN) -- The Basel Mission marked its 175 years in India with a call for greater collaboration with Catholics in seminary training. It would become an "important strategy" in presenting Christ to people in India, the Protestant group's three-day international consultation meeting said in a statement.
The Basel Mission was founded in Switzerland's Basel city in 1815. Members come from many different Protestant denominations and countries.
About 150 delegates from Canada, India, Germany and Switzerland attended the Feb. 19-21 gathering in southern Mangalore city under the theme "Celebrating Transformation." The meeting stressed enculturation, inter-dependence and integration.
Reverend John S. Sadananda, organizer and principal of the Mangalore-based Karnataka Theological College, emphasized that Indian Christians need to strengthen their ecumenical collaboration and unity in a situation where they are facing an anti-Christian campaign.
He noted that Catholic-Protestant collaboration is currently limited to cultural and sports events, social activities and a few workshops between seminaries, but not pastoral formation.
In an interview with UCA News, Reverend Sadananda said Serampore University, a Protestant seminary based in West Bengal state, already had been collaborating with some Catholic seminaries in India. The recent consultation underlined the need to improve such relations in theological formation, he added.
The consultation statement stressed the need to make the formation of priests of various Christian denominations more uniform. It also suggested more collaboration with Catholic seminaries to form pastors and laity with a common ideology and outlook.
The meeting resolved to collaborate with secular universities to exchange views on topics such as religion, education and philosophy.
Protestant theologian Reverend H. M. Watson told the consultation that collaboration with other denominations should address what is common among Christians instead of differences. Recent acts of violence against Christians in India was a result of a failure by Christians to present a common face in the country, he said.
Reverend Watson said collaboration in pastoral formation would help to promote sectarian harmony and ecumenism.
"A Christian must learn to live in Indian society by accepting and respecting other religions, cultures and people ... rather than getting into theological differences," he said in a presentation at the end of the event.
Retired Church of South India Bishop C.L. Furtado of Mangalore told the consultation that Church unity is necessary to combat radical groups that try to implement a divide-and-rule policy in society.
Source: UCA NEWS
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The Basel Mission was founded in Switzerland's Basel city in 1815. Members come from many different Protestant denominations and countries.
About 150 delegates from Canada, India, Germany and Switzerland attended the Feb. 19-21 gathering in southern Mangalore city under the theme "Celebrating Transformation." The meeting stressed enculturation, inter-dependence and integration.
Reverend John S. Sadananda, organizer and principal of the Mangalore-based Karnataka Theological College, emphasized that Indian Christians need to strengthen their ecumenical collaboration and unity in a situation where they are facing an anti-Christian campaign.
He noted that Catholic-Protestant collaboration is currently limited to cultural and sports events, social activities and a few workshops between seminaries, but not pastoral formation.
In an interview with UCA News, Reverend Sadananda said Serampore University, a Protestant seminary based in West Bengal state, already had been collaborating with some Catholic seminaries in India. The recent consultation underlined the need to improve such relations in theological formation, he added.
The consultation statement stressed the need to make the formation of priests of various Christian denominations more uniform. It also suggested more collaboration with Catholic seminaries to form pastors and laity with a common ideology and outlook.
The meeting resolved to collaborate with secular universities to exchange views on topics such as religion, education and philosophy.
Protestant theologian Reverend H. M. Watson told the consultation that collaboration with other denominations should address what is common among Christians instead of differences. Recent acts of violence against Christians in India was a result of a failure by Christians to present a common face in the country, he said.
Reverend Watson said collaboration in pastoral formation would help to promote sectarian harmony and ecumenism.
"A Christian must learn to live in Indian society by accepting and respecting other religions, cultures and people ... rather than getting into theological differences," he said in a presentation at the end of the event.
Retired Church of South India Bishop C.L. Furtado of Mangalore told the consultation that Church unity is necessary to combat radical groups that try to implement a divide-and-rule policy in society.
Source: UCA NEWS
.::. All my articles can be view here: MELTED HEARTS .::.
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