CIM, in partnership with the YMCA, has been conducting the YMCA’s Secretary Training Programme for the past seven years. This training programme has been a seal of approval in the confirmation of YMCA secretaries. It is an eight-month-long tripartite arrangement with United Theological College (UTC) training the candidates on theological subjects; YMCA on its vision, policies and CIM on leadership and management, happening in the serene UTC Campus in Bangalore.
The YMCA signed an MOU with CIM to be the training partners to train the YMCA Secretaries. Since 2017, 58 YMCA secretaries have been trained in eight batches. This initiative by the YMCA was to provide professional training in various management practices to develop better managers and secretaries.
Dr. Aby Alexandar, the Executive Director of CIM, mentions, “CIM is privileged to partner with the National Council of YMCAs, equipping its trainee secretaries... I am delighted to have had the opportunity to train the candidates of all the batches. The curriculum is designed to address contemporary management challenges from a Biblical perspective. It is a highly impactful programme with physical sessions over 8 months. Even after the training, the secretaries keep in touch and seek guidance when confronted with complex administrative issues. It continues to be a fruitful collaborative engagement”.
CIM is part of the YMCA Training and Leadership Committee. Dr. Aby represented the organisation at the Committee meeting held at UTC Bangalore in October 2024.
Some key subjects the CIM resource persons teach are Essentials of Leadership, Principles and Practices of Management, Event Management, Finance Management, Project Management and General Administration. The faculty members for the current batch are Mr. Sony Thomas, Mr. Godfrey Henry, Ms. Getzi Joel, Dr. Aby Alexander, CA John Rodrigues and Mr. Joseph Mathai. Mr. Rajiv Kunwar John, the Director of the YMCA Training and Leadership Department of the NCYI, mentions that the partnership has provided in-depth knowledge of various management aspects including Organisational Behaviour and Resource Mobilisation.
When enquired about his personal experiences regarding the programme, Mr. Rajiv replied, “I am fortunate that right from the beginning of the partnership with CIM, I have been at the helm of training the young YMCA Secretaries”. He commented that it was an enriching experience for him and that the best part of CIM intervention was that the management dealt with each subject from a Christian perspective.
Furthermore, Mr. Rajiv exclaims, “I am proud to say that the YMCA Training and Leadership Department of the NCYI is the only one of its kind in the world imparting training to the YMCA secretaries”. He continued, “I have no hesitation in saying that CIM is the best thing that has happened to the YMCA Training and Leadership Department in its more than 100 years of history in imparting training. I envy the young secretaries since I missed such systematic, organised training when I underwent my training in 1998-99”.
While interviewing one of the trainees about his experiences, he recalled that the training provided a comprehensive learning experience. Er. Alok Kumar Sahu is the secretary-in-charge of the Office of the General Secretary, YMCA, Cuttack. He was part of the 2023-2024 batch. He remembers, “Management module has groomed me for spiritual and professional competencies, as well as administrative and leadership roles as a secretary. The training in an ecumenical environment allowed me to learn about the various Indian cultures. The on-field exposure and on-campus activities, and management training with assignments, quizzes, paper presentations, etc. made it particularly effective for the real-world application for my job profile today”.
One of the trainees of the 2024-2025 batch, Mr. Sarthak Joel Tunious, comments that the training he is undergoing will prepare him to be a leader capable of serving the mission of the YMCA and the broader society.