Ecumenical Voices: Anthology NEICC Papers

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The North East India Christian Council has been actively engaging itself with contextual issues, especially those that concern its member units and the Northeast India as a whole. Huge amount of reflections and discussions resulting in various positive outcomes have occurred. They are worthy as objects of remembrance, and also deserve careful study by the present and future generations.
This book contains a good part of that long history. The articles, even though diverse in style, are representative of the main concerns of the Council all these years. Some of the materials are historically important, some missionally and ecumenically relevant, and some socially and spiritually challenging. What they clearly manifest is the deep concern about church unity, prioritization of mission works, struggle for social relevance, and never ending spiritual self- examination.
Read it to learn the need to foster unity among the churches, and to enlarge Christian vision towards serving the society through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Rev. Dr. B.J. Syiemlich is Associate Director, Bible Society of India Translation Centre, Shillong.
Rev. Dr. Roger Gaikwad is former General Secretary, National Council of Churches in India.
Rev. Dr. Ramengliana is Secretary, North East India Christian Council.

The North East India Christian Council, since the beginning of its existence in 1937, has been actively engaging itself with the social and spiritual issues around it, especially those that concern its member units and the Northeast India as a whole. Huge amount of reflections and discussions resulting in various positive outcomes have occurred. They are worthy as objects of remembrance, and as materials for careful study by future generations. I am glad that a part of those rich resources are now contained in this book for the benefit of all who desire to access it.
As the title of the book Ecumenical Voices: Anthology of NEICC Papers suggests, even though diverse in style and scholarly quality, these articles are representative of the main concerns of the Council all these years. I believe readers would gain much from reading these writings, in terms of academic sources, or even as pleasure reading. Some of the materials are historically important; some are missionally and ecumenically relevant, and some are socially and spiritually challenging. What is clear from all writings is that the NEICC is always concerned deeply about church unity, do prioritize mission works, continuously struggle to be socially relevant, and is ever challenging itself and its units spiritually.
Most of the articles were presented in the seminars and workshops organized by the Council down its long history. They have all undergone lots of reflection and deliberation with concrete results. Of course, all the ideas are not necessarily that of the Council's, but the writer's own. We have also included two articles from the United Christian Forum North East India Seminar hosted by the Council. We feel it is appropriate to include these meaningful and highly relevant articles as the NEICC is part and parcel of UCFNEI. An important historical document, 'The Plan of Church Union and Draft Constitution of the Church of North East India, 1970' which is regarded by many as the apex of NEICC's ecumenical journey, is included as an appendix. Even though it stopped short of final implementation, it is still good that the new generations are constantly challenged by the ecumenical journey of the past generations, being reminded of how they strive to exist together as the people of God. It is our hope that this volume will be fruitful in fostering unity among the churches, and in enlarging visions towards serving the society through the Gospel of Christ.