Teachers and students gather in Orissa for Temple School courses.

Temple School Week in India

Fifteen teachers and students gathered at Chandragiri, Orissa, India, July 15–18, 2008, to study two Temple School courses: Introduction to Understanding Scripture, and Elders: Servants of God’s People. Several in attendance have been called to the office of elder.  Students completed two of the three pre-ordination preparatory courses of study during the week.

Instructors included Steven L. Shields, of the Asia Mission Field. They were assisted by translator Birsuna Mandal. Local church leaders Amson Mallick and Syamal Rao taught their classes directly in the Oriya language.

Several of the newly called people represent a new generation of leadership for the church in the state of Orissa, where the Community of Christ has been ministering for almost 50 years. Located mostly in remote and undeveloped rural villages, there are about 150 congregations of the church in Orissa, with a total average weekly attendance of 20,000 people. 

—Steven L. Shields reporting