# Association of Theologically Trained Women of India

The Association of Theologically Trained Women of India (ATTWI) is an association of Indian women theologians which was constituted in 1979 in Chennai.
It is an ecumenical organisation with more than 500 members.

## History

In 1977, Shanti Solomon and D. Hoeffer, a German missionary pioneered a conference for theologically trained women in Chennai with a three-fold purpose:
* to help the theologically trained women to explore ways and extend responsible participation in the total life and mission of the Church.
* to focus the attention of Churches on the presence of theologically trained women among them and to recognise their potential.
* to encourage theologically trained women to organise themselves into an all-India association to develop strategies for meeting their needs.
Another conference was organised in 1978 in Chennai. In 1979, an ad hoc committee was constituted to draft a constitution for forming an association. ATTWI became a reality in 1979.

## Sessions, venue and topics

| Session | Year | Venue | Topic |
| I | 1979 (20–22 February) | Gurukul Lutheran Theological College & Research Institute, Chennai (Tamil Nadu) | Theologically Trained Women in India - Dare, Share and Act |
| II | 1981 (3–6 February) | Jeevan Jyothi Retreat Centre, Hyderabad (Undivided Andhra Pradesh) | Theologically Trained Women of India - Called to Serve |
| III | 1983 (26–30 May) | Queen Victoria Girls Inter College, Agra (Uttar Pradesh) | New Dimensions in the ministry |
| IV | 1985 (17–20 January) | Charal Mount, Charalkunnu (Kerala) | Feminist Theology in the West and Indian Church's Response |
| V | 1987 (26–30 September) | UMT College, Calcutta (West Bengal) | Christian Home - the Nursery for Christian Concepts |
| VI | 1990 (8–11 February) | Animation Centre, Bishop's House, Nagercoil (Tamil Nadu) | New Dawn for Women |
| VII | 1992 (23–26 October) | Mecosabagh Girls Hostel, Nagpur (Maharashtra) | Theology - A Faith Experience |
| VIII | 1997 (21–24 January) | Operation Mobilisation Retreat Centre, Secunderabad (Undivided Andhra Pradesh) | Theology - Praxis |
| IX | 2002 (31 October - 2 November) | Bosco Institute for Research and Development of Youth (BIRDY), Hyderabad (Undivided Andhra Pradesh) | Towards a new community - a violence free society |
| X | 2006 (3–5 May) | Serampore College, Serampore (West Bengal) | Empowered by God - Women transcend barriers |
| XI | 2009 (October) | | |
| XII | 2014 (July) | Henry Martyn Institute, Hyderabad (Telangana) | |
| XIII | 2020 (January) | CSI Synod Centre, Chennai (Tamil Nadu) | |
| XIV | 2024 (21-22 May) | CSI LITE Centre, Chennai (Tamil Nadu) | Reimaging our potential |

## Membership

Membership to ATTWI is presently restricted to those who hold a degree in theology offered by the Senate of Serampore College (University) or such other theological degrees recognised by the Senate.

## Notable people

* B. V. Subbamma, AELC (1925-2009)
* Elizabeth Paul, CSI (1927-2001)
* Navamani Elia Peter, MCI (1933-)
* Lalitha Krupa Rao, CBCNC (1942-2013)
* Marathakavalli David, CSI (1950-2011)
* Graham Basanti, JELC (1950-)
* R. L. Hnuni, BCM (1953-)
* Pushpa Lalitha, CSI (1956-)
* Rajula Annie Watson, CSI (1960-)
* Evangeline Anderson Rajkumar, ALC (1963-)

## Appraisal

* Wati A. Longchar, Consultant, World Council of Churches: ... ATTWI is an inter-denominational organisation which strives to uplift women and girl child, deal with issues pertaining to women and girl child rights, have dialogue with the concerned organisations, and make representation on their behalf and by doing so help the society to develop a healthier community by creating awareness.

## Publications

* Feminist Hermeneutics, Lalrinawmi Ralte, Evangeline Anderson Rajkumar, ISPCK, New Delhi, 2002, ISBN 81-7214-710-4.

## Executive Committees

The executive committees:
| Term | President | Vice-President | Secretary | Treasurer | Executive Committee Members |
| 1979-1981 | Vanitha Nallathambi | Nalini Arles | Katakshamma Paul Raj | Annamma K. K. George | Shanti Solanki |
| 1979-1981 | Vanitha Nallathambi | Nalini Arles | Katakshamma Paul Raj | Annamma K. K. George | Graham Basanti |
| 1979-1981 | Vanitha Nallathambi | Nalini Arles | Katakshamma Paul Raj | Annamma K. K. George | Merian Mary |
| 1979-1981 | Vanitha Nallathambi | Nalini Arles | Katakshamma Paul Raj | Annamma K. K. George | Principal UTC |
| 1979-1981 | Vanitha Nallathambi | Nalini Arles | Katakshamma Paul Raj | Annamma K. K. George | President of AICCW |
| 1979-1981 | Vanitha Nallathambi | Nalini Arles | Katakshamma Paul Raj | Annamma K. K. George | Executive Secretary of Asian Church Women's Conference |
| 1981-1983 | Saroja Moses Sangha | Florence Deenadayalan | Sumathi Williams | Susy David | Smitha Pramanik |
| 1981-1983 | Saroja Moses Sangha | Florence Deenadayalan | Sumathi Williams | Susy David | Shantha Kumari |
| 1981-1983 | Saroja Moses Sangha | Florence Deenadayalan | Sumathi Williams | Susy David | Vatsala Christian |
| 1983-1985 | Annamma K. K. George | Christina Lall | Sarojini Prasad Rao | Grace Bai Joseph | Nihar Nalini Chatriya |
| 1983-1985 | Annamma K. K. George | Christina Lall | Sarojini Prasad Rao | Grace Bai Joseph | Smitha Rathod |
| 1983-1985 | Annamma K. K. George | Christina Lall | Sarojini Prasad Rao | Grace Bai Joseph | Vimala Kantharao |
| 1985-1987 | Annamma K. K. George | Christina Lall | Sarojini Prasad Rao | Grace Bai Joseph | Nihar Nalini Chatriya |
| 1985-1987 | Annamma K. K. George | Christina Lall | Sarojini Prasad Rao | Grace Bai Joseph | Vimala Kantharao |
| 1985-1987 | Annamma K. K. George | Christina Lall | Sarojini Prasad Rao | Grace Bai Joseph | Sumathi Williams |
| 1985-1987 | Annamma K. K. George | Christina Lall | Sarojini Prasad Rao | Grace Bai Joseph | Hannah Joseph |
| 1985-1987 | Annamma K. K. George | Christina Lall | Sarojini Prasad Rao | Grace Bai Joseph | Sarala David |
| 1985-1987 | Annamma K. K. George | Christina Lall | Sarojini Prasad Rao | Grace Bai Joseph | Saroja Sangha |
| 1985-1987 | Annamma K. K. George | Christina Lall | Sarojini Prasad Rao | Grace Bai Joseph | Navamani Elia Peter |
| 1985-1987 | Annamma K. K. George | Christina Lall | Sarojini Prasad Rao | Grace Bai Joseph | Mathai Zachariah |
| 1987-1990 | Padmasani J. Gallup | S. A. Benjamin | E. Joseph | S. Devapalana | Smitha Pramanik |
| 1987-1990 | Padmasani J. Gallup | S. A. Benjamin | E. Joseph | S. Devapalana | Jessie Ranjan |
| 1987-1990 | Padmasani J. Gallup | S. A. Benjamin | E. Joseph | S. Devapalana | Shanti Kumari |
| 1987-1990 | Padmasani J. Gallup | S. A. Benjamin | E. Joseph | S. Devapalana | Annamma K. K. George |
| 1987-1990 | Padmasani J. Gallup | S. A. Benjamin | E. Joseph | S. Devapalana | M. Bage |
| 1990-1992 | Navamani Elia Peter | Nirmala Vasantha Kumar | Rajakumari Joseph | Ratnavathi Babu Rao | Rachel Matthew |
| 1990-1992 | Navamani Elia Peter | Nirmala Vasantha Kumar | Rajakumari Joseph | Ratnavathi Babu Rao | Manoj Manjari Kumari |
| 1990-1992 | Navamani Elia Peter | Nirmala Vasantha Kumar | Rajakumari Joseph | Ratnavathi Babu Rao | Grace M. Joseph |
| 1990-1992 | Navamani Elia Peter | Nirmala Vasantha Kumar | Rajakumari Joseph | Ratnavathi Babu Rao | Padmasani J. Gallup |
| 1990-1992 | Navamani Elia Peter | Nirmala Vasantha Kumar | Rajakumari Joseph | Ratnavathi Babu Rao | Narendra John |
| 1992-1997 | Navamani Elia Peter | Vijayamma Prasad | Florence Deenadayalan | Shanta George | Suguna Devasundaram |
| 1992-1997 | Navamani Elia Peter | Vijayamma Prasad | Florence Deenadayalan | Shanta George | Manoj Manjari |
| 1992-1997 | Navamani Elia Peter | Vijayamma Prasad | Florence Deenadayalan | Shanta George | Awala Longkumer |
| 1992-1997 | Navamani Elia Peter | Vijayamma Prasad | Florence Deenadayalan | Shanta George | Sennangshila Benjamin |
| 1992-1997 | Navamani Elia Peter | Vijayamma Prasad | Florence Deenadayalan | Shanta George | P. C. Laltlani |
| 1992-1997 | Navamani Elia Peter | Vijayamma Prasad | Florence Deenadayalan | Shanta George | Vidya Benjamin |
| 1992-1997 | Navamani Elia Peter | Vijayamma Prasad | Florence Deenadayalan | Shanta George | Ratnavathi Babu Rao |
| 1992-1997 | Navamani Elia Peter | Vijayamma Prasad | Florence Deenadayalan | Shanta George | Nirmala Susai |
| 1992-1997 | Navamani Elia Peter | Vijayamma Prasad | Florence Deenadayalan | Shanta George | Shyamala Baby |
| 1992-1997 | Navamani Elia Peter | Vijayamma Prasad | Florence Deenadayalan | Shanta George | Kunjamma Philip |
| 1997-2002 | Jessie Nesakumar | B. V. Subbamma | Soumini Jayan | Sabitha Swaraj | Shyamala Sukumar |
| 1997-2002 | Jessie Nesakumar | B. V. Subbamma | Soumini Jayan | Sabitha Swaraj | Margaret Prabhu |
| 1997-2002 | Jessie Nesakumar | B. V. Subbamma | Soumini Jayan | Sabitha Swaraj | Ida Swamidas |
| 1997-2002 | Jessie Nesakumar | B. V. Subbamma | Soumini Jayan | Sabitha Swaraj | Anne Bhosle |
| 1997-2002 | Jessie Nesakumar | B. V. Subbamma | Soumini Jayan | Sabitha Swaraj | Sunitha Noronha |
| 1997-2002 | Jessie Nesakumar | B. V. Subbamma | Soumini Jayan | Sabitha Swaraj | Ashwathy John |
| 2002-2006 | Evangeline Anderson Rajkumar | Annamma Thariyan | Pankaja Manilal | Ratnavathi Babu Rao | B. Subhashini |
| 2002-2006 | Evangeline Anderson Rajkumar | Annamma Thariyan | Pankaja Manilal | Ratnavathi Babu Rao | Shanti Tilak |
| 2002-2006 | Evangeline Anderson Rajkumar | Annamma Thariyan | Pankaja Manilal | Ratnavathi Babu Rao | Graham Basanti |
| 2002-2006 | Evangeline Anderson Rajkumar | Annamma Thariyan | Pankaja Manilal | Ratnavathi Babu Rao | Christina Lall |
| 2002-2006 | Evangeline Anderson Rajkumar | Annamma Thariyan | Pankaja Manilal | Ratnavathi Babu Rao | Thankamma Varkey |
| 2002-2006 | Evangeline Anderson Rajkumar | Annamma Thariyan | Pankaja Manilal | Ratnavathi Babu Rao | Anna Mary |
| 2006-2009 | Nirmala Vasantha Kumar | Susan George Matthew | Limatula Longkumer | Krupaveni Prakasha Rao | Susan Thomas |
| 2006-2009 | Nirmala Vasantha Kumar | Susan George Matthew | Limatula Longkumer | Krupaveni Prakasha Rao | Leela Rajanandam |
| 2006-2009 | Nirmala Vasantha Kumar | Susan George Matthew | Limatula Longkumer | Krupaveni Prakasha Rao | Ivaleen Ammanna |
| 2006-2009 | Nirmala Vasantha Kumar | Susan George Matthew | Limatula Longkumer | Krupaveni Prakasha Rao | Kanthamani Christopher Raj |
| 2006-2009 | Nirmala Vasantha Kumar | Susan George Matthew | Limatula Longkumer | Krupaveni Prakasha Rao | Lovely Mukherjee |
| 2006-2009 | Nirmala Vasantha Kumar | Susan George Matthew | Limatula Longkumer | Krupaveni Prakasha Rao | Rualzamawii |
| 2006-2009 | Nirmala Vasantha Kumar | Susan George Matthew | Limatula Longkumer | Krupaveni Prakasha Rao | Ravi Tiwari |
| 2009-2014 | Priscilla Reuben | | | | |
| 2014-2020 | Syamala Sukumar | | | | |
| 2020-2024 | Jyothi Sundar | | | | |
| 2024-Present | Jessica Richard | Dakerlin Mukhim | Sofia Christabel | Laila Vijayan | Shantha Kumari |
| 2024-Present | Jessica Richard | Dakerlin Mukhim | Sofia Christabel | Laila Vijayan | Minitha |
| 2024-Present | Jessica Richard | Dakerlin Mukhim | Sofia Christabel | Laila Vijayan | Elizabeth Giri |
| 2024-Present | Jessica Richard | Dakerlin Mukhim | Sofia Christabel | Laila Vijayan | Vedakani |
| 2024-Present | Jessica Richard | Dakerlin Mukhim | Sofia Christabel | Laila Vijayan | Elizabeth Aharone |