A Visit to India Sheila
Griffiths
A Visit to India Sheila
Griffiths
Recently
I had the privilege of being part of a team of six people who visited India.
The Bishop of Dornakai, who has only been in office six months, arranged
with SOMA two conferences – one
for the leaders and the other for the lay people.
The theme was: Living a Prophetic Community.
The
Church of South India was inaugurated
after Independence in 1947,*
it is numerically strong and has many leaders – but at present lacks
teaching. So
it was thrilling to be part of this initiative.
A
lasting memory for me was when I visited the church chosen for me by the Bishop
to preach at the Sunday morning service.
When I asked if anybody needed prayer, the people just came forward, and
to see their hunger for more of God was amazing and humbling.
When
the service was over the pastor’s wife took me into their small home and knelt
on the slab floor and asked me to pray for her and her husband – such a
privilege.
Another
memory was on the second night of the pastors’ conference when they were asked
to rededicate their lives to the Lord, and a large crowd of young pastors came
forward and knelt before the Lord, and then we laid hands on them and prayed.
God
really moved in a gentle way as he responded to the people’s hunger for more
of Him and a deeper walk with Him. The
people in India believe that God answers prayer, so much so that even the Hindus
come into church on a Sunday morning and go forward for prayer.
We
in Wales can learn so much from these our brothers and sisters.
They might not have any worldly goods or riches but their hunger and
reaching out to God puts us to shame. When
the Word is preached they respond – we say, “Good sermon Vicar” and then
go home and do what?
May
we learn from them and be a people who trust and respond continually to God and
His Word.
This church was formed from the union of existing churches.
A part of the Church goes back to the 5th century and possibly
to St.Thomas.
(Editor’s note: More about the Church of South India can be found at