Bible Society of India elects Rev. Dr. Mani Chacko as new general secretary

Rev. Dr. Mani Chacko was Wednesday announced as the new general secretary of the Bible Society of India (BSI).

Dr. Chacko, who is the present director of the Bangalore-based Ecumenical Christian Centre, replaces the outgoing general secretary, Dr. BK Pramanik.

"I consider this a great privilege. It is nothing but an appointment from God," Dr. Chacko said, adding "I realise the fact that I am going to shoulder a great responsibility. Only with God's grace I will be able to do justice to the expectations."

Dr. Chacko is an ordained minister of the Church of South India (CSI) and is a widely known scholar and ecumenist.

He has written several articles and authored and edited books on contemporary ecumenical and social concerns. Dr. Chacko holds a PhD from King's College London.

On his priorities for BSI, Dr. Chacko said he would focus on deepening the relationship of the organisation with churches, established as well as independent groups, including house churches.

Further, he said he will strive to connect with various colleges, not just theological but also secular. "Basically building relationship between institutions and churches would be my top priority," he said.

In addition, he would focus on the translations of the Bible, particularly to bring the "liberative potential" hidden in the Scriptures. "In that regard, I will emphasize on issues of the suffering, marginalized, HIV/Aids patients, conflict resolution and others," he said.

An Old Testament scholar, Dr. Chacko earlier served as the principal of Gurukul from 2001-2006. He served the Gurukul as a faculty member for 16 years and several years as the Head of the Department of the Old Testament.

He is a member of the South Asia Institute of Advanced Christian Studies (SAIACS), Bangalore, and serves on the executive board of the Madras Christian College, Chennai.

Established in Calcutta in 1811 AD, the Bible Society of India translates and distributes Bible in numerous native Indian languages. It has its headquarters at Bangalore with 15 Auxiliaries and corresponding office in Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Island.