A team from the Diocese of Leicester recently travelled to our Link Diocese of Trichy‑Tanjore in the Church of South India (CSI) to strengthen long-standing partnerships, share ministry expertise, and deepen intercultural connections.
The visit - our first since the Covid pandemic - brought together colleagues from across our intercultural ministry and intergenerational priorities, including diocesan Intercultural Ministry Director, Ministry Enabler and Pioneer, Youth Engagement Enabler, as well as three young adults and a local Methodist minister.
It was Intercultural and Intergenerational Ministry in action - a reconnecting of communities - with the group returning to Leicester feeling spiritually inspired and energised.
Over ten days, the team took part in vibrant children’s and youth ministry, exploring the rich Christian heritage of the region, and met with Church, college, and community leaders who are shaping the future of faith in South India.
They enjoyed hospitality and shared in meaningful worship, deep conversation and cultural exchange – and had a whole lot of fun whilst doing so!
During the trip, the Trichy-Tanjore collaborative invited our diocese to help lead a children’s rally on India’s Republic Day. The team planned and ran games and activities, led prayers and worship, and had the privilege of watching children’s dance performances to mark the occasion.
They also visited a variety of orphanages, primary, secondary and specialist schools, where they learnt Tamil with SEND children, experienced vocational training including basket weaving, sewing and entrepreneurship, and played kabaddi at an all-girls school.
They stopped off at several colleges and were inspired by their ‘eco community’. “One college grows a lot of their own food and has recently invested in a sandalwood plantation. Another has established a paper recycling plant and community composting facility on campus,” explained Matt Long, Youth Engagement & Intergenerational Communities Enabler.
They also chatted with college faculty and student prefects around the importance of student voice and the role of young leadership in governance, said Matt: “We were able to talk about our diocesan listening work and learn from their student participation and enrichment programme.”
Along with Matt, the young adults talked with Trichy’s Diocesan Youth Team and led several church youth groups and Sunday schools.
“Leading a Bible study with the local youth was a major highlight,” said Sam, a young adult from our diocese. “Seeing their surprise that church could be enjoyable and fun was a gift.”
The group visited key historical sites, including the first Protestant printing press in India, established in 1706 in Tranquebar (Tharangambadi) by German Lutheran missionary Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg. Renowned for producing the first complete Tamil translation of the New Testament and for introducing the printing press to Protestant mission work in South India, Ziegenbalg also helped promote Tamil literature and education. As the entry point of Protestant Christianity in India, Tranquebar became an early hub for translation, printing, education, and ecumenical collaboration between Anglican, Lutheran and Methodist traditions.
They very much enjoyed leading multilingual, intercultural worship songs in Trichy’s schools and churches.
Michael Ravuri, Intercultural Ministry Enabler, described it as a privilege to be part of the diocesan team visiting Trichy.
“Although I have spent much of my life in India, returning after four years and encountering a different city and its cultures brought fresh insight into my life and ministry,” he explained.
“It was encouraging to learn about the longstanding connection between Trichy and our diocese, dating back to Revd Dr Andrew Wingate, who played a key role in establishing this relationship between Leicester and Trichy.”
Michael said one of the most striking aspects of the visit was witnessing how God works through people across cultures. “We visited a church that was once largely attended by people from South India,” he explained. “Over time, as some members moved away, people from North India began settling in the area. This created new opportunities for mission and ministry, leading the church to consider offering services in Hindi and involving Hindi-speaking ministers. It was a powerful example of God’s intercultural vision in action.”
Alongside this, they also visited a children’s home supporting those with special needs, as well as educational institutions shaped by strong Christian values and ethos.
“It was inspiring to see how these ministries are making a meaningful difference in the wider society and taking the gospel in creative ways when persecution on Christian communities has grown year by year,” said Michael. “We also witnessed an encouraging growth in the number of young people actively engaging in the life of the Church.
“Overall, this visit has deepened my understanding of intercultural ministry and renewed my appreciation of how God continues to work through diverse communities, cultures and languages.”
As the first Diocesan trip to Trichy in some years, the plan now is to reestablish a regular rhythm of visits to and from Leicester.
During the stay, the team met the new Bishop of Trichy-Tanjore, The Rt Revd Dr S. Samuel Rajadurai, who led a brilliant Bible study on the book of Ruth, exploring faith as an amalgam of experience of past, experiments in the present and expectations of future.
They also stopped off at the mission hospital, where they got to see the ambulance that members of our wider diocese generously donated towards and helped the Trichy Diocese to purchase during the pandemic. You can read about that here.
Reflecting on their journey, were they saw God and the experience of link diocese ministry, our young adults said:
“I saw God in the unity of worship - when we danced together and walked the streets of the village playing drums, praying for every household. In those moments, language and culture didn't matter; we were all one in the Spirit.” - Sam
“Overflowing churches who gave us wonderful hospitality was such a biblical demonstration of what church should be like! The joy amongst children was also such a glimpse of God. The way colleges and schools put God at the centre were amazing!” - George
“I’m thankful to God that we’re able to see the bigger purpose of His kingdom in the Trichy diocese. India is a happening place with young energy always buzzing around.” - Freddie
Expressing thoughts on the trip and the wider intercultural gifts that we share as link dioceses, Jessie Tang, our Intercultural Ministry Director added:
“I really saw the legacy that our partnership with Trichy Diocese has made - there were many appreciative memories shared of how the Diocese of Leicester and Trichy have connected in the past.
“Whilst visiting various ministries, churches, schools, colleges and hospitals, we were able to share multilingual songs, words of encouragement and prayer," she said. "It was amazing to see an auditorium full of student councillors at Bishop Heber College come alive in singing ‘Multilingual Grace’, a song of thankfulness to God, in various languages.”
She continued: “We also engaged in conversation about intercultural worshipping communities and discussed what unified diverse worship and ministry might look like - particularly with North Indian migrant workers settling in the South.
“I am glad to have been part of a multiethnic group in a space which is proud of their Christian heritage, even with complexities around that history.”