Deacons Commission secretary and Mennonite World Conference (MWC) president-elect Henk Stenvers and a Mennonite World Conference delegation consisting of Hanna Soren and Vikal Rao (Deacons Commission), Paul Phinehas (Executive Committee, Asia representative) and Cynthia Peacock (Regional Representative, South Asia) made church visits in India in December 2018.

In Raipur, India, they participated in the dedication of a new building for Antakiya Mennonite Church Kodopali, a Bhartiya General Conference Mennonite Church (BGCMC) 14 December 2018. This building received financial support from the Global Church Sharing Fund. Some 500 people came from the surrounding countryside for the celebration that included a program, lunch, dancing and singing.

Hanna Soren receives a welcome at the BGCMC Dangniya church as Paul Phinehas looks on.

With music and marching, the BGCMC congregation in Gehrapali welcomed the MWC delegation. BGCMC president and former MWC executive committee member Prem Prakash Bagh and his daughter Palak hosted the MWC delegates for breakfast at their home in Jhilmila.

The MWC delegation worshipped with the Mennonite Church India congregation in Dondi in their four-year-old building.

The Mennonite Church in India congregation at Dhamtari displays the Shared Convictions of Mennonite World Conference in Hindi.

Fellowship meal at Gehrapali congregation.

Deacons Commission secretary Henk Stenvers greets local Mennonites in Gehrapali.

A young choir leads worship singing at the Dondi congregation of Mennonite Church in India.

—Mennonite World Conference release