Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church (NELC) is a multi-lingualLutheranChristian church that is centred mainly in four states of NorthIndia -Jharkhand,Assam,Arunachal Pradesh, andWest Bengal. The reach of the Church extends intoNepal[1] and the NELC also works inBhutan. It is one of the three Lutheran denominations in northeast India along with theBodo Evangelical Lutheran Church and theGossner Evangelical Lutheran Church.
The Church was founded in 1868 byHans Peter Boerresen, aDane, andLars Olsen Skrefsrud, aNorwegian.[2] NELC missionaryPaul Olaf Bodding invented theSantali latin alphabet that is still used by people in the region today.Santals form the majority of church members, withBoro andBengali people comprising most of the rest of the members. Currently, it has more than 85,000baptized members.[3]
The NELC took its present name in 1958 and its headquarters are situated inDumka, a growing educational center northeast of Kolkata. The church provides theological training and education.[4] The NELC is one of ten members of the United Evangelical Lutheran Churches in India.Mornai Tea Estate in earlier it was Goalpara district now recently formedKokrajhar district, Assam, is owned by the church. The NELC runs several health centers and community health programs and has its main hospital in Mohulpahari,Jharkhand.[5]
Lars Olsen Skrefsrud andHans Peter Børresen, succeeded byPaul Olaf Bodding.
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