Gujarat church leader visits N. Ireland, thanks Church for quake help

A leading church figure from Gujarat has travelled to Northern Ireland to express gratitude to the Presbyterian Church that donated more than 700,000 pounds for victims of the 2001 earthquake in the western Indian state, IANS reported.

Bishop Vinod Malaviya, from the Gujarat diocese of the Church of North India, thanked Presbyterians for their generosity.

"I urge you to continue with this partnership as it is vital for the holistic mission of the church everywhere," Bishop Malaviya told the Presbyterian General Assembly in Belfast Wednesday.

The Presbyterian Church's spontaneous response to the Gujarat earthquake came during the Moderatorship of Rev Trevor Morrow. The contributions represented more than six pounds for every Church family in Ireland.

Morrow visited Gujarat in the aftermath of the earthquake and described the experience as "distressing and life–changing".

The money sent to the Church of North India was used in three main ways:
* To help provide new homes for victims of the earthquake. In the Bhuj area of Gujarat, 75 percent of the population lost all their material possessions.

* Various relief and development agencies allocated villages to rebuild. The Presbyterian grant was disbursed to people of all faiths.

* Many of the schools, hospitals and church properties originally built by Irish Presbyterian missionaries were badly damaged and needed major repair and reconstruction. Part of the Presbyterian money was allocated to this purpose.

Bishop Malaviya said the Irish Presbyterian partnership with the Church of North India was not just of the mind, but also of the heart.

He confirmed that the Irish Presbyterian money was spent on restoration of 79 houses in Bhuj, Gandhidham and Jamnagar; financial help was given to 1,000 Christian families, 41 church buildings, 25 parsonages, three community halls and to the re–building of the diocesan office and bishop's residence.

"Money was also spent on helping the non–Christian community. A totally new village of 148 houses was built, along with a school, health centre, village office, water tank and roads," he said.