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.

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 North 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 2024-2026 are:

President: Rev. S.R. Dkhar, Khasi Jaintia Presbyterian Church Synod Mihngi Vice President: Rev. Kamson Rongphar, Karbi Anglong Baptist Convention Vice President: Rev. Lalfakzuala, Mizoram Presbyterian Church Synod General Secretary: Rev. Dr. Ramengliana, Manipur Presbyterian Church Synod Treasurer: Rev. I. Khyriem, Church of God (Ekklesia)

Committees

The council has the following Committees: Executive Committee Working Committee

Six Standing Committees as the following: Christian Home and Stewardship Committee Church Union Committee Mission & Evangelism Committee Peace and Justice Committee Theological Education Committee 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 Session 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 Alongside 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 Assam Baptist Convention (ABC), Assam Baptist Church of Mizoram (BCM), Mizoram Biateram Presbyterian Church Synod (BPCS), Assam Bodo Evangelical Lutheran Church (BELC), Assam Cachar Hill Tribes Synod (CHT), Assam Church of God (Meghalaya & Assam) (COGMA), Meghalaya Church of God (Ecclesia)(COGE), Meghalaya Church of North India, North East India (CNI-NEI), Meghalaya Council of Baptist Churches in NEI (CBCNEI), Assam Christ National Church (CNC), Meghalaya Evangelical Assembly Church (EAC), Manipur Evangelical Church of Maraland (ECM), Mizoram Evangelical Free Church of India (EFCI), Manipur Evangelical Churches Association (ECA), Manipur Garo Baptist Convention (GBC), Meghalaya Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church (GELC), Assam Lairam Jesus Christ Baptist Church (LIKBK), Mizoram Independent Church of India (ICI), Manipur Isua Krista Kohhran (IKK), Mizoram Karbi Anglong Baptist Convention (KABC), Assam Karbi Anglong Presbyterian Church Synod(KAPC), Assam Khasi Jaintia Presbyterian Synod Sepngi(KJPSS), Meghalaya Khasi Jaintia Presbyterian Synod Mihngi(KJPSM), Meghalaya Lower Assam Baptist Fellowship (LABF), Assam Manipur Baptist Convention (MBC), Manipur Manipur Presbyterian Church Synod(MPS), Manipur Mizoram Presbyterian Church Synod(MPCS), Mizoram Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC), Nagaland North Bank Baptist Christian Association (NBBCA), Assam Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church (NELC), Assam Presbyterian Independent Church of NEI(PICNEI), Assam Reformed Presbyterian Church, North Eastern India(RPCNEI), Manipur Ri-Bhoi Presbyterian Church Synod(RBPS), Meghalaya The Salvation Army, India Eastern Territory(SAIET), Mizoram Tripura Baptist Christian Union (TBCU), Tripura Tripura Presbyterian Church Synod (TPCS), Tripura Zou Presbyterian Church Synod (ZPCS), Manipur

Associate Units Association of Theologically Trained Women in India (ATTWI), Mizoram Branch Church's Auxiliary for Social Action, North East India (CASA), Guwahati Friends Missionary Prayer Band (FMPB), Shillong India Campus Crusade for Christ (CCC), Bairasal India Every Home Crusade North East India (IEHC-NEI), Shillong Mizo Theological Association (MTA), Aizawl North East Centre for Training and Research (NECTAR), Shillong NEI Christian Endeavour (NEICE), Shillong NEI Committee on Relief and Development (NEICORD), Shillong North East India Harvest Network(NEIHN), Shillong Serving in Missions North East India (SIMNEI), Shillong Shillong Christian Youth Organisation & Conference (SCYO &C), Shillong Students Christian Movement, Meghalaya Zone (SCMM) The Leprosy Mission, Mizoram (TLM), Aizawl Thlarau Bo Zawngtute (TBZ), Aizawl. World Vision of India, NEI, (WVI) Guwahati Young Men Christian Association (YMCA NEI ), Guwahati Zoram Evangelical Fellowship (ZEF), Aizawl

See also Council of Baptist Churches in North-East India National Council of Churches in India List of Christian denominations in North East India

External links nccindia.in Website of National Council of Churches in India www.neiccshillong.in Website of North East India Christian Council

References