The All India Congress on Church in Mission (AICOCIM) concluded Thursday (Sept. 18) in Nagpur with a strong message that the gathering was not an end but the beginning of ongoing work. Over four days, nearly 450 participants — including leaders from every Indian state — engaged in prayer, discussion, and planning across 13 tracks.
When God calls us out from our homes, we go as strangers to lands that are strange to us. Yet, God goes ahead of us and stays with us, challenging us to always trust in him. Here is the experience of one young woman who has been challenged to use her gifts for the sake of the gospel and a better world.
Gratitude is powerful medicine. It is like oxygen for the soul. We don’t thrive without it. We are hard-wired to say "thank you". Psychologists now confirm what scripture has always taught: grateful people are happier, healthier and more hopeful. In contexts of rising conflict, gratitude is a healthier way forward. Ask the Holy Spirit to form that fruit in you for your benefit and those around you.
As the shock-wave from the shut down of most US Aid initiatives continues to impact real lives, the global Church has been given an opportunity to reinvent approaches to well-being that don't replicate bloated bureauracies or irresponsible charity. True justice must begin with lament and proceed with mutuality. Here's how we can move forward in a post-aid era.
As the ceasefire and exchange of people signals relief in Gaza and Israel, those who live and serve in the Holy Land know how fragile this peace can be and how difficult it will be to rebuild livelihoods. Hope of lasting peace will only be found when all people living in the land are able to live freely and are treated with dignity. In the meantime, followers of Jesus in the land remain faithful, trusting not in geopolitics but in the Prince of Peace.
The European Evangelical Alliance has elected Andreas Wenzel of Germany as its new president, succeeding Frank Hinkelmann, who concluded 12 years in the role. The leadership transition was announced during the Alliance’s hybrid 2025 Members Meeting in Bar, Montenegro, which gathered the EEA Board and staff on site and evangelical leaders from across Europe virtually.
Speaking at the All India Congress on Church in Mission (AICOCIM), Rev. Dr. A. K. Lama, Chair of the Asia Pacific Baptist Federation, issued a call for the Indian Church to cultivate leadership that endures beyond personalities, offices, and titles. In a wide-ranging plenary address on the second day of the Congress, Lama emphasized that leadership “that lasts” is rooted in integrity, sustainability, and spiritual authority.
The Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI) has launched a series of events leading up to its 75th anniversary, beginning with a kickoff at the All India Congress on Church in Mission (AICOCIM) this week. Founded in 1951, EFI has grown into a prominent evangelical network recognized across the country and beyond.
The second day of the All India Congress on Church in Mission (AICOCIM) opened with a plenary address from Bishop P.K. Samantaroy of the Church of North India, who offered a frank assessment of the Indian Church. Balancing “joy and sadness,” he celebrated the growth of Christian communities while lamenting what he called a “deficit of impact” in their witness.
On the opening day of the All India Congress on Church in Mission (AICOCIM), Rev. Dr. Praveen Paul, Principal of Caleb Institute, delivered a plenary address urging the Indian Church to recover the essence of discipleship. He warned that consumer-driven attitudes and shallow models of church growth cannot sustain Christian witness, calling instead for the formation of authentic disciples shaped by integrity, humility, and Spirit-led obedience.
The 12th General Assembly of the Latin Evangelical Alliance (AEL) concluded on Sept. 12 in Cartagena with a clear and forceful message: the evangelical churches of Ibero-America are determined to take a leading role in shaping public life. United in purpose, they pledged to defend religious freedom, the family, and the right to life, while deepening their unity and expanding their social engagement.
South Africa celebrates Pride Month during October even as persecution of homosexuals is rising in other African states. This should be of concern for Christians as freedom of belief has long been a commitment of Protestant Christians. It doesn’t mean Christians must agree with differing beliefs, but it does mean that we must support the human right of others to hold, practice, and celebrate their beliefs as we have the right to hold, practice, and celebrate ours.
