During July this year we were privileged to welcome the Bishop of Nagpur to Allestree prior to the Lambeth Conference in Canterbury.

    A very busy programme was arranged for all the bishops from the Church of North India (CNI) visiting Derbyshire together with the Bishop of Baltimore USA. The programme included meeting people from Derbyshire Churches of all denominations, sightseeing, church services, meals and a study day.

   Some of the Nagpur Link Committee met at the home of Margaret Cresswell for a bring and share supper. This occasion gave us an opportunity to get to know Bishop Paul and his wife and hear news about his two teenage sons. Paul comes from a Buddhist background and Shalu’s family are Baptist Christians. We explained how we raised money for CNI/ SSI (Social Services Institute) through Lent Lunches, donations and other events and also remarked on how these events bring together people of all the churches in Allestree Churches Together (ACT).

   The following day Bishop Paul and Shalu met some more ACT people at Allestree Methodist Church’s Coffee Morning. During this time, Ann Ford’s two nieces from Australia joined us and were interested to find out more about Nagpur Link to which donations in Ann’s memory were given following her funeral. We were grateful to Allestree Methodists for putting on this event on the same day as their garden party.

   After lunch we went to the Bishop of Derby’s house in Duffield for tea with all the bishops, their wives and hosts. The tea was delicious and all of us listened to a madrigal choir brought together for the occasion. It was a pity the sun stayed behind the clouds causing our visitors to feel very cold.

   Thankfully Sunday brought better weather for lunch in Hulland Millennium Hall provided by the Ashbourne/Patna Link churches. Songs of Praise at Carsington Water was a joyful occasion well attended by churches from around the county with a brass band and music group to accompany the singing. The importance of partnership in all aspects of the Church’s life was emphasised by the Bishop of Derby in his address.

   On Monday night at Broadway Baptist Church a reception was held for Bishop Paul and Bishop Samson Das from Cuttack. We heard about the projects in Nagpur diocese that we support and work done in Cuttack among the poor.  Particularly we heard about the work with children in hostels run by CNI. Paul was able to tell us how he himself benefitted from being in one of these homes and being given education there. Many of the girls and boys go back to their villages and share what they have learned, especially health and hygiene issues. Bishop Paul told us how during his time at the hostel he became a Christian not through direct evangelism but by the example of love shown to him by the workers from CNI. He went on to Bible College, then into the pastoral ministry and now the episcopal ministry for the past three years.

Bishop Samson told us about the persecution of Christians in Cuttack during the Christmas period 2007. The CNI had to petition their government to take action against this destructive unrest and violence towards people, Christian businesses, and homes in that area of Orissa This last meeting gave us a better understanding of the difficulties faced by our brothers and sisters in India. An offering was taken up for the work of both dioceses and given directly to each bishop to use as he thought fit.

More photographs

We must continue to pray in our churches for these friends of ours in the CNI.