The United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India (UELCI), Mission and Development Partners Round Table Meeting held in YMCA, Chennai during January 24-26, 2009 marked a significant landmark in the historical landscape of UELCI. “Accompanying each other for Justice and Life” was the theme of the 2009 Round Table Meeting. The meeting observed the participation of Lutheran World Federation (LWF), World Council of Churches (WCC), Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), United Evangelical Lutheran Church in Germany (VELKD), Church of Sweden Mission (CSM), Lutheran Partners in Global Mission (LPGM), Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod (LCMS), Normisjon, Danmission, Lutheran World Relief India (LWRI), Dan Church Aid (DCA), National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) and Tamil Nadu Christian Council (TNCC). Rev. Dr. Augustine Jeyakumar, Executive Secretary, UELCI & LWF National Committee India in his welcome address noted that the Round Table Meeting is a significant podium to open more new doors of opportunities for a broader and wider cooperation and diakonia among mission and development partners. He declared open the Round Table Meeting quoting the Scripture verse, “if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile” - Mt. 5: 41. Rev. Chandran Paul Martin, Deputy General Secretary, LWF in his orientation briefed about the rationale of LMCI – its founding, process, governance and coordination, methodology and the sessions scheduled for the meeting. In the keynote address Dr. Kjell Nordstokke, Director, DMD, LWF enumerated about Mission and Diakonal Strategies in the Changing Context. He opined, “Diakonia is an integral part of the gospel,” and added that “a new paradigm is imperative in these current changing contexts.” The presentation on Contemporary Mission Focus and Coordination Mission Round Table by Rev. Inken Woehlbrand, Oberkirchenratin, VELKD focused on the present status of LMCI, role of the church and its mission. “The very nature of being is ecclesia and the activity of becoming is missiology and they are intrinsically intertwined” quoted Rev. Woehlbrand in her presentation. The session on climate change and transformative practices in the changing context by Dr. George Zachariah, Professor, Gurukul Lutheran Theological College highlighted the need for the churches in the developing and the third world countries to raise its prophetic voice against this human right issue. Concepts on Purpose Driven Church and Art and Gospel were enunciated by Mr. Oddvar Holmedal, Project Coordinator, Normisjon and Rev. Henrik Sonne Petersen, Programme Manager, Danmission respectively. New Partnership in Global Diakonia presented by Rev. Joseph Chu, Programme Director, ELCA and New Partnership in Humanitarian Aid presented by Mr. Kishore Kumar Nag brought about ELCA’s global mission approach and the ACT alliance process respectively. Participation from Henry Martin Institute and Christian Institute of Management shed light correspondingly on Interfaith Praxis and Capacity Building. Reflection on the existing policies of cooperation was discussed by the panel comprising Dr. George Chunakara, Programme Executive for Asia, WCC; Rev. Martin, and Rev. Woehlbrand. Participants were divided into three groups to discuss on 1) Review of LMCI terms of reference and administrative guidelines viz-a-viz merging of LMCI and Round Table, 2) Vision and purpose of Round Table viz-a-viz merging of LMCI and Round Table, and 3) Prioritizing the issues/recommendations. The group discussions led to the following recommendations: prophetic diakonal approach, partnership values, LWF scholarship, transparency and spiritual leadership, capacity building as priority in churches, purpose driven church, ecological concerns with focus on climate change, analytical paradigm on religious tolerance and pluralism, evangelism, art and gospel, peace and reconciliation in the churches and conflict management. The Round Table Meeti