This is an e-mail received by the office of the General Secretary of National Council of Churches in India from Arcot Lutheran Church (ALC) updating us of the situation in Chennai and the continuing need for support in relief and rehabilitation efforts undertaken by NCCI's constitutional members.
Greetings to you from the Arcot Lutheran church.
Thanks for your kind mail dated Dec 8, 2015 and we are very happily noted the contents with a deep sense of thankfulness.
We take this opportunity to express our deep sense of gratitude for taking time to inform all the NCCI member churches about the devastation happened in Tamilnadu especially in the Arcot Lutheran Church areas of three districts namely Cuddalore, Villupuram and Tiruvannamalai.
As soon as this sorrow and painful incident occurred in our area, the CASA, Chennai came forward and arranged for feeding programmes in five centers. Likewise the UELCI also sent 940 sets of relief materials to the flood affected people in our church. Many of our Mission Partners have also promised to send their help for this flood relief programme. The Dioceses of Church of South India in Madurai and Coimbatore instantly brought many lorry loads of relief materials to the affected people. Today we received one container full of relief materials from two churches in the Karnataka Central Diocese. Till date we were able to reach out nearly 3000 families with relief materials; but the damage by the rain and flood are heavy and the need is immensely great. There are 7000 to 8000 families are still in need of such help and support from our church and every day we receive requests from many of our Pastors in the rural areas.
As such we the ALC take this opportunity once again to thank you for your kind support and solidarity in this mission and for making an appeal to all the member churches to kindly consider extending their helping hand in this relief mission. For any help and every help that we could get will help us to reach out to the affected victims and help them in their time of great sorrow, suffering, pain and need.
Your kind circular to all the member churches in this crucial time shows your solidarity with us in doing this relief operation. And we are thankful to you in all sincerity.
With prayers and kind regards,
Yours sincerely,
Rt. Rev. Raja Socrates. G
Bishop-President, ALC
