India Re-Connect

India Re-Connect Advance Special Projects Update

The Northern Illinois Conference has been active in mission and service in India since the late 1800s. Remember the names of E. Stanley Jones, as well as Clara Swain, Isabella Thoburn sent by the newly formed Women's Foreign Missionary Society. In response to political tensions within India in the 1970s, however, Methodists there withdrew from the global connection to form the Methodist Church in India (MCI). When support from the connection ceased, the local churches of India became overburdened in their attempt to maintain institutions servicing children. As a result, facilities have deteriorated, equipment has become obsolete, and education programs have been seriously compromised.

Now, More than a quarter century later, it is time to renew our Methodist connection. The India Re-Connect will make us partners in mission projects initiated, designed and supported by local churches and Methodist institutions in India.

These projects, focusing on the greatest treasure of India — its children — include:

  • Capital improvements for schools
  • Scholarships for students
  • Youth leadership development
  • Women's leadership development
  • Vocational training
  • Creation of children's psychiatric ward (Lucknow)
  • Shalom Ministries (Bombay)
  • Salary support to increase the number of Methodist clergy in India
  • Redevelopment of rural churches.

Our sister church in India invites us to journey together, proclaiming the Good News and seeking to make new disciples for Jesus Christ.

The India Re-Connect Advance Specials comprise 20 projects in many areas of India. You can locate these on the map at the top of this page.

India Re-Connect Projects

India Re-Connect Advance Special Projects Update
  1. Construction of a new church in Noida (shown below).

    In this suburb of Delhi many housing projects are being built. Funding on this project is complete. The Noida Methodist Church will serve these new residents. $10,000
  2. Contact: Ms. Ferida Nath, 1 Butler Rd., Delhi - 11054 India
    3.
  3. Construction of new toilet facilities for girls of Shadman Home, Delhi. During the Monsoons the current toilet area floods. $10,000
  4. Contact: Mrs. Christina Masih, Shadman Home 17, Boulevard Rd., Delhi - 110054 India
    5.
  5. Re-roofing of girls' hostel, Shadman Home, part of the complex, including Butler Memorial Girls Senior Secondary School, Delhi. $5,000
  6. Contact: Mrs. Christina Masih, Shadman Home 17, Boulevard Rd., Delhi - 110054 India
    7.
  7. Renovation and extension of hostel providing housing for poor rural students, mostly so-called "untouchables," in Nur Niwas High School, Hisar. $8,000
  8. Contact: Mrs. S. Singh, Nur Niwas High School, Sessions Rd., Hisar, Haryana, India
    9.
  9. Desks and chairs, Nur Niwas High School, Hisar. $13,000
  10. Contact: Mrs. S. Singh, Nur Niwas High School, Sessions Rd., Hisar, Haryana, India
    11.
  11. Plaster cementing of interior and exterior walls, Parker Inter College, Moradabad. $16,000
  12. Mrs. S. K. James, Parker Inter College, Moradabad - 244001 U.P., India
    13.
  13. Remodeling of Tilhar Methodist Rural Church, Shahjahanpur, the second church founded by American Methodist Missionaries in 1860. $17,000
  14. Contact: Mrs. Lilian Wallace, Clara Swain Hospital, Civil Lines, Bareilly - 243001 U.P. India
    15.
  15. Renovation of Louisa Soules Girls Hostel, Aligarh. At present the hostel is closed. The school's ability to provide serve rural poor Christians and others is dependent on the hostel. $15,000
  16. Contact: "Wg. Cdr. P. Jethro, Ingraham Institute, Hapur Rd., Ghaziabad - 201001, U.P., India
    17.
  17. New sewer system at girls hostel at Lal Bagh in Lucknow. The motto of the school founded in 1870 is "We receive, to give." Poor girls, particularly from remote rural villages, go forth from this college and home to be leaders in their communities. $6,000
  18. Contact: Mrs. S. Lawrence, Lulbagh Christian Educational Society, Lucknow - 226001, U.P. India
    19.
  19. Remodeling of toilet facilities, repairing of roofs, and existing hostel building at Methodist Girls Hostel, Bareilly. Outside support has shrunk leading to shrinking of the percentage of Christians able to be enrolled. $15,000
  20. Contact: Miss S. Nath, Methodist Girls' Hostel, 91 Civil Lines, Bareilly, U.P. India
    21.
  21. Equipment allowing for play therapy for children's ward at Nur Manzil, in Lucknow, a new and the only Indian Christian psychiatric hospital, replacing one founded by Dr. E. Stanley Jones. Domestic instability has hit children hard. $10,000
  22. Contact: Bishop Samuel R. Thomas, Bishop's House, 37, Cantonment Rd., Lucknow - 226001, U.P. India
    23.
  23. Rehabilitation of four rural churches in Bengal Regional Conference. The church building at Pakur (congregation is shown at left), Jharkhand is very old and needs repairs. $10,000
  24. Contact: Rev. Samir Roy, Thoburn Methodist Church, 151 Lenin Sarani, Calcutta 700013 India
    25.
  25. Construction of four new classrooms and the remodeling of existing classrooms at Bishop Mondal Intermediate College, Bareilly. The institution, founded in 1864 by American missionaries now has 987 students. Computers need air conditioning. $20,000
  26. Rev. Edwin R. Singh, Bishop Mondal Inter College, Bareilly - 243001, U.P. India
    27.
  27. Furniture, books and supplies for day-care center in slums of Bombay. The Community Outreach Program caters to deaf and orthopedically handicapped, and street children. $5,000
  28. Contact: Bishop Dinesh K. Agarwal, Bishop's House, 22, YMCA Rd., Mumbai Central, Mumbai - 400 008, India
    29.
  29. Remodeling of toilet facilities at Nave Institute, Shahjahanpur. Nave bears a cornerstone reading, "Built by gifts from Methodist Church, Morris, Illinois." Since 1858 it has given vocational education and now includes a new computer lab. $13,000
  30. Contact: Mr. Lakham Singh, c/oBishop Nimrod Christian, Bishop's House, 12, Boulevard Rd., Delhi - 110054, India
    31.
  31. Two classrooms and poultry farm, Ushagram Girls' High School-Home, Asansol. Pioneer institutions here continue to educate the poor and marginalized children of the indigenous Santhal people. $10,000
  32. Contact: Miss P. Ghosh, Ushagram Girls' High School, P.O. Ushagram, Asansol - 713 303, Dist. Burdwan, West Bengal, India
    33.
  33. Construction of new church building and parsonage in Igatpuri, Bombay. A new congregation needs to replace the 100-year-old church which is dilapidated. $20,000
  34. Contact: Bishop Dinesh K. Agarwal, Bishop's House, 22, YMCA Rd., Mumbai Central, Mumbai - 400 008, India
    35.
  35. Construction of classrooms at Clancy Inter College, Mathura.
    William Blackstone and Adeline Smith of Oak Park in Rock River Conference provided funds for missions here in the 1890s. (Photo on the left shows the school before construction started, with chalk lines indicating where walls were to be erected and hallways. Photo on the right shows the work underway.) $25,000Rtn. I.M. David, C.F.C. Community Development Centre, Vrindaban - 281121, Mathura, U.P., India
  36. New hostel building, re-roofing of existing 75-year-old building, and furniture for hostel — Methodist High School, Sonepat.

    This is the only boys' hostel in the Delhi Regional Conference. (The photos show the work has begun, thanks to Northern Illinois Millennial Challenge India ReConnect contributions.) $20,000
  37. Contact: Mrs. Rajui Mann, Methodist High School Hostel, Sonepat, India
    38.
  38. Construction of an English Medium School, Udgir, Bombay Conference. There is a need, in this city where Dr. Paul Wagner of the USA did missionary work, to provide English instruction to rural students. $35,000
  39. Rev. N.L. Karkare, Village Medical Service, Kamal Nagar 585 417, Karnataka, India
    40.

Total India Re-Connect Projects: $250,000

India Re-Connect Advance Special Projects Update*

(Revision to International General Advance Specials, Burgundy Band, #12594A, Rainbow Covenant Book 2006-2007)

 Advance Special ProjectGoal in Rainbow Covenant BookAmount Remaining to Reach Goal
1 Nur Niwas High School - Hisar $13,000$5,000
2 Parker Inter College, Moradabad $6,000$6,000
3 Tilhar Church — currently subscribed for 2006$12,000$2,000
4 Louisa Soules Girls Hostel Aligarh $15,000$8,000
5 Methodist Girls' Hostel — Bareilly $10,000$5,000
6 Nur Manzil Psychiatric Children's Ward Lucknow$10,000Completed
7 Bishop Mondal Intermediate College, Bareilly $20,000$14,000
8 Nave Institute, Shahjahanpur $13,000$7,000
9 Ushagram Girls' High School-Home, Asansol $5,000Completed
10 New Church Navi Mumbai, Bombay Conf.$5,000$5,000
11 Clancy Inter College — Mathura $17,000$14,000
12 Methodist High School — Sonepat $10,000$5,000
13 English Medium School Udgir, Bombay Conf.$35,000$29,000
  Totals$171,000$100,000

*Data based on funds already disbursed & projects completed — June 20, 2006