ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses to develop the meaning of religious identity for Indian Christians in the US, and the conflict and community implications that American religion has for this Christian immigrant community. Christian Indians are helping other Indians in their daily lives, especially issues that pertain to their immigrant status, but the end goal is to offer Christianity as the ultimate choice. The service at South Asian Fellowship Centre, rich with religio-cultural amalgamation, segregation and synthesis, reveals the bi-culturalism of the Indian and American religious community in Chicago. The chapter argues that the relationship between religion, ethnicity and bi-national influences create a new and distinct Christian community. Bringing together the Indian community into a Christian sphere for social purposes is an intentional process. Doing friendship is categorized as a social activity primarily through invitations to non-religious activities, relationship-building events and the Christian community. Interviewees expressed that because of shared language and culture, their religious organizations have events that appeal to non-Christians.
