ISKCON Ministries to Work Together More and More

[Guest guest]

ISKCON Ministries to Work Together More and More

 

 

The adventure started in Alachua, in June 2002, when representatives

of several Ministries came together and chalked out a plan for cooperation

and envisioned where they wanted to be in ten years. At that meeting they

decided to meet again in Mayapur, before the GBC meetings. So on 18 and 19

February 2003 they came together again, this time with more Ministries

represented. Present were, either for the full two days or in part:

 

· HH Bhakti Caru Swami Maharaja - Ministry of Culture

· HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja and Kaunteya Dasa - Congregational

Development Ministry

· HH Lokanatha Swami Maharaja - Padayatra Ministry

· HH Prahladananda Swami Maharaja - Sannyasa Ministry and Health and Welfare

Ministry

· Nrsimha Kavaca Dasa - Deity Worship Ministry

· Suresvara Dasa - Ministry of Cow Protection and Agriculture

· Vijaya Dasa - Book Distribution Ministry

· Drutakarma Dasa attended as guest and Hemagopi Devi Dasi, Corresponding

Secretary of the Congregational Development Ministry, served as secretary

for the meetings.

 

The main discussion, continued from the meetings in Alachua, was on

the function of the proposed ISKCON Ministry Council. A proposal for

establishing officially the Council was written and presented for discussion

to the GBC. Among the Ministries there is a lot of willingness to network

and help each other, to standardize the educational tools and to share

resources. Through these get-togethers personal bonds are also strengthened.

The mood of this effort by the Ministries to come together can be

graphically represented by a circle (the devotee) surrounded by other

circles (the Ministries), meant to assist and serve the Vaisnavas of ISKCON

in their different functions and phases of life. For instance the Child

Protection Office serves the devotee as a child and the Youth Ministry

offers guidance to the young adult; when the devotee gets married the

Grihastha Ministry comes into play. The Cow Protection and Agriculture

Ministry serves the person especially if he or she lives on a farm and the

Congregational Development Ministry assists especially if the devotee is a

member of an urban community. The Women's Ministry assists the ladies; when

a mature man is ready to take sannyasa the Sannyasa Ministry helps him. The

Ministry of Educational Development, the Culture Ministry, the Deity Worship

Ministry, and the Health and Welfare Ministry serve the person throughout.

Other Ministries, like the Padayatra, the Communication and the Book

Distribution Ministries, serve the devotee in his or her outreach activities

for sharing the message of Krishna consciousness to the masses.

 

The participants elected Anuttama Prabhu as Chairperson for the Ministries

Council and he accepted, at least till the next meeting, to take place in

the West in about six months.

 

For more information on individual Ministries you can check:

www.iskconministries.com.