North East India Christian Council

North East India Christian Council (NEICC) is a Protestant ecumenical council of North East India, affiliated to the National Council of Churches in India as one of the regional councils in the year 1939.[1]

History

The North East India Christian Council (NEICC) was established on 23 November 1937 by the American Baptist Mission; the Santal Mission of the Northern Churches; the Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Mission; the Co-operative Baptist Mission of North America- "the Mid Mission", the English Baptist Mission South Lushai Hills; the Church of God; the Welsh Presbyterian Mission; and the Church of India.

Organization

Office Bearers

The Office Bearers are for a term of two years, except the General Secretary whose term is four years. The present Office Bearers for the term 2022-2024 are:

  1. President: Rev. R. Lalnunzira, Baptist Church of Mizoram
  2. Vice President: Rev. S.R. Dkhar, Khasi Jaintia Presbyterian Church Synod Mihngi
  3. Vice President: Bishop Ichahak Muchahary, Bodo Evangelical Lutheran Church
  4. General Secretary: Rev. Dr. Ramengliana, Manipur Presbyterian Church Synod
  5. Treasurer: Rev. S.T. Shangdiar, Khasi Jaintia Presbyterian Church Synod Sepngi

Committees

The Council has the following Committees:

  1. Executive Committee
  2. Working Committee

Six Standing Committees as the following:

  1. Christian Home and Stewardship Committee
  2. Church Union Committee
  3. Mission & Evangelism Committee
  4. Peace and Justice Committee
  5. Theological Education Committee
  6. Trust Management Committee.

Youth and Women Assembly

The Council has Women and Youth Assembly called NEICCWA and NEICCYA having separate functions and administration under the guidance of the NEICC. Each of them meets every two years in Biennial Assembly. Women Assembly has full-time Secretary and run a hostel for women. Both the assemblies often organize various programs for its members.

Annual Session/Biennial Session

The Council meets once every two years in a Biennial Assembly in the third week of May in which each member Church and associate members send their representatives according to the basis of representation made by the Council.

Union Christian College (UCC)

The NEICC runs a College called, ‘the Union Christian College’ at Umiam Khwan (Barapani), Ri Bhoi district, Meghalaya, 27 km away from Shillong. It is fully residential and co-educational. It offers courses in Arts and Science and Commerce streams. It has been placed under the Deficit System of the Government of Meghalaya. A Chaplain and a Doctor is also posted to care for spiritual and physical life of the community. The College is affiliated to North Eastern Hill University (NEHU).

UCC Higher Secondary School

Along side the Union Christian College, NEICC also runs UCC Higher Secondary School offering Arts and Science streams.


NEICC Day of Prayer

All affiliated bodies observe the NEICC Day of Prayer, that falls annually on the third Sunday of October. Prayers are offered for the life and ministry of NEICC, sermons are preached on a selected theme for that day and special offerings are collected for NEICC funds. In some cities, Pulpit Exchange programs are practiced where preachers of NEICC units would go and preach in the pulpits of other denominations. This practice is highly beneficial for the promotion of unity and mutual understanding among the units.

Membership

Membership is open to any Protestant church in North East India with a membership of 5000 and above, that is recommended by a unit which is nearest to the applying body. At present, there are 55 units, 37 churches and 18 para-church organizations. The following is the list of NEICC as it stands in 2022:

Member Churches
  1. Assam Baptist Convention (ABC), Assam
  2. Baptist Church of Mizoram (BCM), Mizoram
  3. Biateram Presbyterian Church Synod (BPCS), Assam
  4. Bodo Evangelical Lutheran Church (BELC), Assam
  5. Cachar Hill Tribes Synod (CHT), Assam
  6. Church of God (Meghalaya & Assam) (COGMA), Meghalaya
  7. Church of God (Ecclesia)(COGE), Meghalaya
  8. Church of North India, North East India (CNI-NEI), Meghalaya
  9. Council of Baptist Churches in NEI (CBCNEI), Assam
  10. Christ National Church (CNC), Meghalaya
  11. Evangelical Assembly Church (EAC), Manipur
  12. Evangelical Church of Maraland (ECM), Mizoram
  13. Evangelical Free Church of India (EFCI), Manipur
  14. Evangelical Churches Association (ECA), Manipur
  15. Garo Baptist Convention (GBC), Meghalaya
  16. Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church (GELC), Assam
  17. Lairam Jesus Christ Baptist Church (LIKBK), Mizoram
  18. Independent Church of India (ICI), Manipur
  19. Isua Krista Kohhran (IKK), Mizoram
  20. Karbi Anglong Baptist Convention (KABC), Assam
  21. Karbi Anglong Presbyterian Church Synod(KAPC), Assam
  22. Khasi Jaintia Presbyterian Synod Sepngi(KJPSS), Meghalaya
  23. Khasi Jaintia Presbyterian Synod Mihngi(KJPSM), Meghalaya
  24. Lower Assam Baptist Union (LABU), Assam
  25. Manipur Baptist Convention (MBC), Manipur
  26. Manipur Presbyterian Church Synod(MPS), Manipur
  27. Mizoram Presbyterian Church Synod(MPCS), Mizoram
  28. Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC), Nagaland
  29. North Bank Baptist Christian Association (NBBCA), Assam
  30. Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church (NELC), Assam
  31. Presbyterian Independent Church of NEI(PICNEI), Assam
  32. Reformed Presbyterian Church, North Eastern India(RPCNEI), Manipur
  33. Ri-Bhoi Presbyterian Church Synod(RBPS), Meghalaya
  34. The Salvation Army, India Eastern Territory(SAIET), Mizoram
  35. Tripura Baptist Christian Union (TBCU), Tripura
  36. Tripura Presbyterian Church Synod (TPCS), Tripura
  37. Zou Presbyterian Church Synod (ZPCS), Manipur

Associate Members
  1. Association of Theologically Trained Women in India (ATTWI), Mizoram Branch
  2. Church’s Auxiliary for Social Action, North East India (CASA), Guwahati
  3. Friends Missionary Prayer Band (FMPB), Shillong
  4. India Campus Crusade for Christ (CCC), Bairasal
  5. India Every Home Crusade North East India (IEHC-NEI), Shillong
  6. Mizo Theological Association (MTA), Aizawl
  7. North East Centre for Training and Research (NECTAR), Shillong
  8. NEI Christian Endeavour (NEICE), Shillong
  9. NEI Committee on Relief and Development (NEICORD), Shillong
  10. North East India Harvest Network(NEIHN), Shillong
  11. Serving in Missions North East India (SIMNEI), Shillong
  12. Shillong Christian Youth Organisation & Conference (SCYO &C), Shillong
  13. Students Christian Movement of NEI (SCM-NEI) Zone I
  14. The Leprosy Mission, Mizoram (TLM), Aizawl
  15. Thlarau Bo Zawngtute (TBZ), Aizawl.
  16. World Vision of India, NEI, (WVI) Guwahati
  17. Young Men Christian Association (YMCA NEI ), Guwahati
  18. Zoram Evangelical Fellowship (ZEF), Aizawl

    See also

    References
    1. "Regional Christian Councils". nccindia.in. Archived from the original on 4 December 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2014.

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