To Bishops and Leaders of: NCCI Member Churches/ Ecumenical Organisations/Theological Institutions; and Well Wishers,
Greetings from ATTWI! We join you in starting the year 2026 with hope and resilience!
Last year, the Association of Theologically Trained Women of India – ATTWI, called on you to observe ATTWI Founding Day annually on 22 February – the day ATTWI was founded in 1979. We are grateful to all those who held observances and offered special prayers for the theologically trained women in this country. Kindly visit ATTWI’s Facebook page @attwi where news about these observances were featured.
We come to you once again this year with the same call to Churches, ecumenical bodies, and theological institutions to affirm historic milestones such as the founding of ATTWI that paved the way for theologically trained women in India to step into their own and embrace the diverse callings God has given us.
We encourage you to kindly observe February 22, 2026, as ATTWI Sunday and 22-28 February 2026 as Theologically Trained Women Appreciation Week. Suggested ways to commemorate ATTWI Founding Day 2026 and the week-long observances are included as a poster. They are also available as downloadable printable posters (both plain and colour posters for your notice boards). The plan text version is also provided as an annexure at the end of this call announcement.
While remembering ATTWI and its activities on ATTWI Sunday, we encourage you, wherever possible, to send the ATTWI Sunday Offertory to ATTWI to support its ministries. To send your contributions collected towards the support of ATTWI kindly email treasurer@attwi.in with copy to president@attwi.in
ATTWI Office Bearers, Regional Secretaries and Coordinators are available locally for you to connect with to organise these observances. (a list of their contact details is available for download).
We will be encouraged and thankful if you organise such events and invite the theologically trained women locally to join them. Kindly send us photos so that it can be featured in our next Newsletter.
We are proud to belong to the protestant, orthodox, and evangelical churches in India that have embraced women in theologically spaces and fostered our empowerment and growth. We look forward to the continued support of ecclesiastical and ecumenical leaders in this journey to bring justice, peace, and the reign of love in this world.
Please send us a note in reply. It will greatly encourage us. Thank you for your prayers and support.
With thankfulness for your support,
Yours Sincerely,
President & Office Bearers, ATTWI
Annexure: Suggested ways to commemorate ATTWI Founding Day 2026 and the week-long observances:
- Seminar/Webinar/Youth meeting/Small Group meetings to Raise Awareness about ATTWI: ATTWI’s 45-year-old history is still largely unknown in many church, ecumenical, and theological education spaces. We have created a bookmark highlighting the ATTWI’s history and purpose (Click here). For a detailed ‘herstory’, visit the ATTWI website https://attwi.in/history/ . Print and share the bookmark to create awareness, encourage membership, and raise support for ATTWI.
- Make visible the invisible work of theologically trained women: Identify and interview two or three theologically trained women (TTW) in your church/organisation/ecumenical space about their calling, their journey, their challenges, their aspirations, and their contributions to the church and society. Post the interview on Facebook and tag @attwi. This will also be featured in the ATTWI YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@ATTWI
- Document the ‘herstory’ of TTW in your church/organisation: Seek historical documents, and senior TTW who can share oral history about the milestones of TTW in your church or organisational history. Acknowledge both known and unknown leaders who paved the way for TTW to access to theologically theological education, ordination, and vocations in teaching and leadership. Share documentation/ audio recordings with ATTWI at president@attwi.in to contribute to the ongoing ATTWI Herstory Project.
- Build Capacities & employability of TTW: While many TTW go into ordained ministry, this is not possible for everyone. Dignified employment and just wages remain an ongoing challenge. Organise (or sponsor) skill-building workshops for TTW that provide add-on skills and expand employability in varied fields. [Examples: Communication and Media skills; Project Management; Proposal Writing & Grant Documentation; Basic Financial Management for projects; Community Mobilisation & Facilitation skills; Safeguarding + POSH Compliance; Basic counselling skills at a certificate level; Digital Teaching Tools & Curriculum Design; Community Based Rehabilitation Concepts; Newsletter writing & editing; Basic Admin Skills]
- Thanksgiving & Appreciation Service: Invite TTW to visit and speak to churches on ATTWI Sunday and use a liturgy that gives thanks for their contributions, affirms their role, and appreciates their service to church and society.
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