NCCI Quadrennial Assembly reprobates religious 'commercialisation'

Church leaders attending a once–every–four years Quadrennial Assembly of the National Council of Churches in India, discussed and urged on the need to keep away from the growing ‘commercialisation’ of the Christian faith.

"Churches too are caught in the trap of seeing people primarily as individual customers, and the Christian faith becomes a product to be marketed," lamented Bishop Dinesh Kumar Sahu, general secretary of the National Council of Churches in India, a union of Orthodox and Protestant churches.

"Today's phenomenon expresses itself in the form of an unholy alliance between 'evangelism' and 'consumerism'," rued Bishop Sahu of the Church of North India.

The Assembly, which was organized in Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya, contained more than 270 delegates from different parts of the country.

Kunchala Rajaratnam, a former NCCI president decried, "The sellers of the prosperity gospel are doing great disservice by selling the Gospel to those who seek success in their business, profession and student examinations."

Apart from the "sacred commercialisation", Rajaratnam continued, "we also have rampant secular commercialisation of the administration and elections of the Church."
He deplored the fact that bribes were being paid for appointments in church institutions.

The Christian leaders also expressed solidarity with all victims of violence, Dalit Christians, Indigenous and Tribal people, marginalized community of women, youth and physically challenged, people affected with HIV and AIDS and families affected with farmers’ suicide.

The Assembly was themed, “Together in Mission: Empowering Local Congregations.” It began with a colorful opening ceremony on 1st May, preceded with a parade by the Christian delegates representing the Protestant and Orthodox Churches in the country and hundreds of local Christians in traditional costumes with music and dance.

The Assembly concluded with Sunday worship in Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in Shillong attended by over fifty thousand Christians including the Honorable Chief Minister Donkupar Roy and Honorable Deputy Chief Minister Hopingstone Lyngdoh of Meghalaya.