We are familiar with traditional Catholic lay organizations, such as Legion of Mary, Sodality of Our Lady, Vincent de Paul Society etc. They are organized basically for the spiritual welfare of their members and for offering their services to the clergy for teaching of catechism for parish children, assisting the parish priest for raising funds etc. But BCC is basically different from these traditional pious organizations and is based on the mission of the laity to influence the mass of people towards building a new social order based on justice, freedom, unity and fraternal love.

BCC takes its inspiration from the Second Vatican Council which brought new insights on the mission of the laity, as persons commissioned in the transformation of the social, economic, political and cultural structures of the society from within as “Leaven in the mass” (Apostolate of the Laity, No.7; Church in the Modern World, No.31). Further the synod of the Bishops (1971) made a categoric statement: “Action for justice and development appears to us a constitutive dimension of the preaching of the Gospel”. All these official statements of the Church, while presenting the mission of the laity as the Church, demand structural changes to assist the laity for the fulfillment of their mission. It was the genius of the leaders of the church to organize the BCC (Anbiam).

Therefore BCC (Anbiam) is an effort to bring together lay men and lay women of the same area as the church to discover their mission to build a new society based on justice, unity, freedom and fraternal love. The discussion is to begin with a review of the needs, events, and desires of the people. After examining the issue carefully and the values at stake, deeper reflection would be in the light of the Word of God for a response in action. The choice of the Word of God from the Old or New Testament should have some relevance to the issue analyzed. The enthusiasm created during the reflection should lead to action to build the Kingdom of God.

It appears that the original plan for BCC is forgotten in many places. As we find that the agenda of the B.C.C. in most places is reduced to a reflection on the Sunday Gospel and recitation of the Holy Rosary. It is just another pious exercise with little relevance to the mission of the laity. Will the leaders of the Church revive the BCC as an apostolic movement?