The impacts of the NCFN works are enormous in the speedy growth and development of Church of Nepal. NCF Nepal was the first pioneering organization in assisting Christians and Churches many ways in spiritual and social ministries. There was a handful of Churches in the Country. At present we have more than 1000 Churches affiliated to NCF Nepal.
There are Church buildings, bridges constructed, drinking water systems installed, nonformal projects extensively implemented in the remote rural parts, welfare relief works, radio ministry and gifts distribution for Children project are initiated.
NCFN assisted the Christian prisoners for Christ and persecuted families were assisted during the partyless autocratic ruling from 1960-1990. There were more than 300 court cases were taken care by NCFN.
We appealed to the government regarding Christmas to become a National Holiday. We also made efforts to get the prisoners released in 1990s.NCFN developed and trained many Pastors and leaders for Church ministry, evangelism and mission works. There are enormous achievements made due to the efforts of NCF Nepal. One notable achievement is made recently is obtaining a land registration paper in the name of NawJiwan Church of Kavre district based on NCFN official letter and documents of evidence of NCFN as registered organization and a National body of the Churches. This is one step ahead to give a Church a legal status. Now this church can claim government for government provisions such as tax deduction and subsidy of electricity and water bills.
There are theological institutes and social and health organizations initiated by NCF Nepal, presently they are working independently such as Human Development & Community Services, Nepal Bible Institute (Nepal Bible Ashram); National Relief Services & Asha KO Sandesh Radio Ministry.
Recently we made strategic review of NCFN and confirm our specific strategies, we committed to fulfill the strategic plan reflecting in our annual plans. We are working on changing NCFN structures to facilitate the initiations of the local churches towards spiritual and social ministries.
Nepal is now a republic and secular state. Door is widely opened for evangelism and the church ministry. There is growing expectations from the people. There are still few unsatisfied political groups in movement. There are groups belong to Hindu extremists and royalists who are not happy are against the secular state declaration. Recently there was few times bomb blasts in one of the churches in Nepal.
Along with the growth of the Church of Nepal, denominational groups and church groups are emerged in different names and forms such as NCCN, CEFON, NCS, AGN, NBA and so on. One of our strategies is to seek cooperation. We have started our dialogue with NCCN and planned to initiate dialogues with other groups. We aim to have MOU with the church groups in Nepal. We have regular monthly-united valley prayer meetings. We organize public assemblies in special occasion jointly.
One of our strategies is to build partnership with national and international organizations, churches and friends of NCFN to explore resources for the needs of the Church of Nepal to be empowered to address the spiritual and social needs of the country. We believe that upgraded the capacity of the Churches of Nepal, the church leadership can be empowered to lead the spiritual and social ministry of the Church. The church is not needed to be registered in case of our Member Churches once the churches gain its legal status.
Nepal government facilitating the registration of the Churches under the institutional Acts, which is not very practical, every year the Church has to renew and has to provide taxes to the government. There is no separate religious Acts or Church Acts. There is an acute problem of graveyard land. Christians are compelled to bury the dead body in the Pashupati Chhtra.Few Churches have land of its own. In some of the districts, the Churches have got land from the local municipalities. Though the country is declared as secular state but the interim constitution has mentioned the same old Acts of freedom of religion, which prohibits conversion. NCFN has presented the issues to the existing interim government for solution. We strongly feel that we need to form a pressure group to approach to the constitution assembly our issues for consideration while designing the new constitution. We are planning to present our issues and solution specifically. We are working on it.
We hope the Spirit will bring unity among all the non-denominational and denominational and independent churches and church groups in Nepal to powerfully evangelize the nation with new God revealed strategies in the days to come.