Visit our Partner Church in Northeast India in 2023

Beacon and its long-time Partner Church, the Unitarian Church of Barót, Transylvania, entered a unique Unitarian tri-partnership with the Unitarians of Jowai, in the foothills of the Himalayas in northeast India, in 2021.

Representatives of the three congregations adopted a joint covenant and have been meeting each month via Zoom to get to know each other. We are now inviting other Beaconites to get involved and join us on a trip to Jowai in late February or early March of 2023. Representatives of the Barót church are also planning to go to the area, which is in far northeast India, in Meghalaya state.

If you are interested or want to discuss details of the trip, please contact Rev. Robin or Jean Crichton, a Partner Church leader, by October 1.

After several years of meeting virtually, committee members of all three congregations are excited by the possibility of getting to know each other. "It would be so, so exciting to finally meet members of Summit and Barót in person," says Juban Lamar, a member of the Jowai church.

Besides getting to know members of several congregations and attend a major Unitarian conference, travelers will visit some of the fascinating tourist sites in the hill stations of the beautiful Khasi and Jaintia Hills. Among the natural highlights are waterfalls, stone trekking paths, living root bridges and the crystal clear waters of the Umngot river, which flows toward Bangladesh.

The trip will last about 10 days, with another two days of travel. It will take place in the dry season of late February and/or early March. Costs are expected to total about $2,000 including airfare, local transportation, lodging, and food. The team will be considering fundraising as well, knowing the high cost of this trip.