The All India Assembly of Mission (AICOCIM) concluded with Nagpur on Thursday (18th September) with a strong message that the rally is not the end but the beginning of an ongoing work. Over the course of four days, nearly 450 participants, including leaders from all India’s states, have been engaged in prayer, discussion and planning on 13 tracks.
The final morning was dedicated to reporting from each track covering areas such as disciple, justice, digital engagement, family, and theological education. The facilitators emphasized that the conversation that began in Nagpur will continue through new initiatives designed to equip the church for the next decade.
Vijayesh Lal, General Secretary of India’s Evangelical Fellowship (EFI), reminded his delegates that the true measure of the parliament was not a session or resolution, but continued to go on afterwards.
“The Congress is not over,” Lal said. “It’s the entrance and exit, and the key is not that we’ve gathered together, but that we’ll be calling from here.
He described the conference as an “Kayros moment” in the Indian Church, an era of acceptance of surrender, courage and imagination. “Please don’t just remember this Congress,” he said. “Let’s make that an exercise.”
Nagpur Declaration, New Committee and Task Force
As a concrete result of the assembly, Lal presented a draft Nagpur Declaration, which is described as a statement of Indian Christian Witnesses. The draft will be distributed to participants for feedback and improvements next month before confirmation. The representative reminded that the declaration is intended not only as a reflection of the Congress but as a contract of commitments for the years to come.
The closing session also marks the launch of several new committees under the Indian Evangelical Fellowship, each designed to address the realm of pressing needs. These include the Disciple’s Committee, the Judiciary Committee, the Dalit and Tribal Committee, the Digital and AI Committee, the Shepherd Committee to Provide Pastors’ Pastors with Pastors, and the Family and Single Committee.
“These committees are launched today as part of the EFI’s 75th anniversary ceremony,” Lal said, emphasizing that it represents a long-term commitment to strengthening the church’s mission.
In addition to the committee, LAL has announced that a specialized task force will be established in the coming days to focus on key areas. These include evangelism, grassroots theological education, media and artificial intelligence, mental health, research, leadership development, and empowerment of women and youth.
“These task forces ensure that the results of Congress will be submissive over the next 10 years,” Lal said. “What happened here should not remain here. We pray, unite and advance, knowing that Christ will rise and cannot shake his kingdom.”
Once the assembly is closed, EFI leaders emphasized that the work of 13 tracks, new committees and upcoming task forces will shape the church’s mission well beyond Nagpur. Their purpose, they said, was to see enduring changes in discipleship, justice, digital engagement, idyllic care and family life.
“Cole is very easy, but it’s not easy,” Lal said in his final recommendation. “It is to surrender to Christ, stand with courage and imagine a new path for witnesses for the next decade.”
The assembly concluded with prayer and thanksgiving, with organizers expressing confidence that their commitment to Nagpur will strengthen witnesses in churches across the country in the coming years.
