Junior Ministry
The World Conference of The Boys’ Brigade and Christian Youth organisations included membership of the Junior Ministry in India.
The Junior Ministry in India was established in 1978. Work is presently concentrated in Tamil Nadu State in the south of India where there are currently about 86 groups operating with 7,000 members. Companies are run through the Arcot Lutheran Church (ALC) and the Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church (TELC) who each appoint staff to administer, supervise , and train voluntary leadership.The Junior Ministry organise their work in ‘Circles’ in place of our name ‘Companies’, These circles are further divided into ‘Teams’ and then ‘Groups’. Their motto is ‘Follow the Star’ (from Matthew 2:9) and they have a number of handbooks entitled ‘Starfiles’. The JM cater for both boys and girls between the ages 10 and 18, irrespective of creed, colour or caste. Like The Boys’ Brigade they fulfil the church’s task of proclaiming the Gospel to young people and include the objective ‘to promote the habits of obedience. reverence, discipline and selfrespect and all that tends towards a true Christian discipleship.’ They work to establish good morals, health and hygiene and to remove impediments of social stigma and superstition. Teaching is often carried out in the open air under the shade of the nearest tree. So Indian traditions combine with experience from elsewhere to form a unique and distinct approach to their work.
Media Files
Object
Junior Ministry Scarf
The Junior Ministry uniform consisted of a scarf emblazoned with the Junior Ministry logo. The scarf shown was in use in 1990.
Private Collection.