Ajai Lall
Encyclopedia
Ajai Lall is a Christian
preacher
and missionary
in India
. He is the founder and first Executive Director of Central India Christian Mission
. Lall is associated with the Christian churches and churches of Christ, which is part of the Restoration Movement
.
. Before coming to the United States
, Lall had earned a degree in criminal law from the University of Sagar
with the intention of becoming a lawyer. He was highly influenced by his father and the murder of a friend, which led him to become a preacher
instead. He graduated from Mid-Atlantic Christian University, in Elizabeth City
, North Carolina
, in 1982. He then returned to India
and earned a MA in Humanities and a Ph.D. in Public Administration from the University of Sagar
. In addition, he holds a doctorate in literature from the Institute of Theological Studies and Research in Kerala, India.
in 1982, with Lall serving as its Executive Director. By 2009 Central India Christian Mission had over 500 employees, and had started over 700 churches, mostly in India
. Lall makes frequent trips to the United States
for fund raising.
Before a 2008 speaking engagement in Punjab
, local police forced Lall to sign a waiver allowing them to shoot him if his preaching agitated the crowd due to a threatened Hindu
protest. Lall signed the document and then delivered a 40-minute sermon with multiple police AK-47
s pointed at him. The event was completed without incident.
in Cincinnati
, Ohio
. Lall was also appointed by the Prime Minister
of India
to its National Youth Council and has authored four books in Hindi
.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
preacher
Preacher
Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
and missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He is the founder and first Executive Director of Central India Christian Mission
Central India Christian Mission
Central India Christian Mission or CICM is a Christian missionary organization in India. It is supported by Christian churches and churches of Christ, which is part of the Restoration Movement. Its United States office is located in Houston, Texas....
. Lall is associated with the Christian churches and churches of Christ, which is part of the Restoration Movement
Restoration Movement
The Restoration Movement is a Christian movement that began on the American frontier during the Second Great Awakening of the early 19th century...
.
Early life and education
Ajai Lall was born and raised in IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Before coming to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Lall had earned a degree in criminal law from the University of Sagar
University of Sagar
Dr. Hari Singh Gour University |Central University]] in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, India. It was founded Sir Hari Singh Gour on 18 July 1946, during the British Raj and is the oldest university in the state.-Campus:...
with the intention of becoming a lawyer. He was highly influenced by his father and the murder of a friend, which led him to become a preacher
Preacher
Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
instead. He graduated from Mid-Atlantic Christian University, in Elizabeth City
Elizabeth City, North Carolina
Elizabeth City is a city in Pasquotank County and Camden County in the State of North Carolina. With a population of 18,683 at the 2010 census, Elizabeth City is the county seat of Pasquotank County....
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, in 1982. He then returned to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and earned a MA in Humanities and a Ph.D. in Public Administration from the University of Sagar
University of Sagar
Dr. Hari Singh Gour University |Central University]] in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, India. It was founded Sir Hari Singh Gour on 18 July 1946, during the British Raj and is the oldest university in the state.-Campus:...
. In addition, he holds a doctorate in literature from the Institute of Theological Studies and Research in Kerala, India.
Central India Christian Mission
Lall and his wife, Indu, founded Central India Christian MissionCentral India Christian Mission
Central India Christian Mission or CICM is a Christian missionary organization in India. It is supported by Christian churches and churches of Christ, which is part of the Restoration Movement. Its United States office is located in Houston, Texas....
in 1982, with Lall serving as its Executive Director. By 2009 Central India Christian Mission had over 500 employees, and had started over 700 churches, mostly in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Lall makes frequent trips to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for fund raising.
Before a 2008 speaking engagement in Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
, local police forced Lall to sign a waiver allowing them to shoot him if his preaching agitated the crowd due to a threatened Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
protest. Lall signed the document and then delivered a 40-minute sermon with multiple police AK-47
AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
s pointed at him. The event was completed without incident.
Other activities
Lall gave the keynote address at the 2008 North American Christian ConventionNorth American Christian Convention
The North American Christian Convention is an annual summer convention supported by churches, colleges, institutions, and missions programs associated with the Christian churches and churches of Christ, mainly across the United States, but also in other parts of the world. First started in 1927, it...
in Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. Lall was also appointed by the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of India
The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
to its National Youth Council and has authored four books in Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
.