Church of South India

Church of South India Logo of the Church of South India Classification Protestant Orientation Anglican Polity Episcopal Moderator The Most Revd Dr. S. Vasantha Kumar Associations Anglican Communion, World Council of Churches, World Alliance of Reformed Churches, Christian Conference of Asia, Communion of Churches in India, National Council of Churches in India Geographical areas Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Sri Lanka Origin September 1947 Chennai Merge of Anglican and Protestant including some Methodist, Presbyterian and Baptist Congregations 14,000 1 Members 3.8 million 1 Ministers 1,214 2 Hospitals 104 1 Secondary schools 2000 schools, 130 colleges Part of a series on Christianity in India Background Nasrani St. Thomas Christians (history) Ancient Crosses of India Synod of Diamper Coonan Cross Oath People St. Thomas the Apostle St. Francis Xavier St. Gonsalo Garcia Devasahayam Pillai St. Alphonsa Muttathupadam Thomas of Cana Mother Teresa Mar Augustine Kandathil Mar Sapor and Prodh Marthoma Metrans St. Gregorios of Parumala St. Baselios Eldho Fr. Kuriakose Elias Chavara Fr. Varghese Palakkappillil St. Geevarghese Mar Dionysius William Carey Churches Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Chaldean Syrian Church of North India Church of South India Jacobite Syrian Latin Catholic Malankara Malankara Orthodox Syrian Malabar Independent Syrian Mar Thoma Presbyterian St. Thomas Evangelical Syro-Malabar Catholic Syro-Malankara Catholic The_Pentecostal_Mission Indian Christianity portal v · d · e The Church of South India (commonly known just as CSI) is the successor of the Church of England in India. It came into being in 1947 AD as a union of Anglican and Protestant churches in South India. With a membership of over 3.8 million, it is India's second largest Christian church after the Roman Catholic Church in India.3 CSI is one of four united churches in the Anglican Communion. The inspiration for the Church of South India was born from ecumenism and inspired by the words of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Gospel of John, 17.21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. That they all may be one is also the motto of the Church of South India.1 Contents 1 History 2 Logo 3 Organization 3.1 Synod 3.2 Dioceses 3.3 Congregations 3.4 Agencies 4 Affiliations 4.1 Theological education 5 Ecumenism 6 Gallery 7 See also 8 References 9 External links History The Church of South India was inaugurated at St. George's Cathedral Chennai in 1947 The CSI was inaugurated September 27th in 1947 at St. George's Cathedral Chennai, only a month after India achieved its independence from the United Kingdom. It was formed from the union of the South India United Church (itself a union of churches from the Congregational, Presbyterian and Reformed traditions) and the southern provinces of the Anglican Church of India, Pakistan, Burma and Ceylon and the Methodist Church of South India.4. In the 1990s, a small number of Baptist and Pentecostal churches also joined the union 1. The presiding bishop of the inaugural function was Rt. Rev. C. K. Jacob of the Anglican Diocese of Travancore and Cochin. A vast congregation gathered in the cathedral at Madras from all over the world. The following historical declaration made by Bishop Jacob at the inaugural.5 "Dearly Beloved brethren, in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ the head of the church, who on the night of his passion prayed that his disciples might be one, and by authority of the governing bodies of the uniting churches whose resolutions have been read in your hearing and laid in your prayer before Almighty God; I do hereby declare that these three churches, namely - The Madras, Madura, Malabar, Jaffna, Kannda, Telugu; Travancore Church councils of the South India united church; The Methodist church of South India. Trichinopoly, Hyderabad and Mysore districts; The Madras, travancore and Cochin, Tinnevelly and Dornakal dioceses of the churches of India, Burma and Cylon; are become one Church of South India, and these bishops, presbyters, deacons and probationers who have assented to basis of union and accepted the constitution of the Church of South India, whose names are laid upon this Holy table are bishops, presbyters and deacons of this church. in the name of the Father, and the son, and the Holy Sprit. Amen"6 Discussions about the merging of South India's Protestant denominations began at a 1919 conference at Tranquebar (today known as Tharangambadi). This famous conference on church union is known as Tranquebar 1919.7 One of the main leaders of this conference and later negotiations was Bishop V. S. Azariah of the Dornakal diocese who was the first Indian bishop of the Anglican Church. The Church of South India is considered the result of twenty-eight years of prayers and discussions. By the independence of India in 1947, the union was achieved and the CSI officially established. The inaugurations of the Church of South India opened a new chapter in the history of the churches. This was the first time in the history of the church such a union was realised between Episcopal and non-episcopal churches. By this union four traditions came together i.e. Anglican (Episcopal), Congregational, Presbyterian, and Methodist. One of the three churches to come into Church of South India was South India United Church (S.I.U.C.). S.I.U.C. was formed in 1908. This was a union between Congregationalists and Presbyterians. The Basal Mission, district of Malabar also joined the S.I.U.C. in 1919. When C.S.I. was inaugurated there were fourteen dioceses. Today the church has twenty-two dioceses and more than 2 million members. There are eight diocese in Tamil Nadu, six in Andrhra Pradesh, four in Kerala, three in Karnataka and one in Sri Lanka. Logo The logo of the CSI is a cross superimposed on a stylized lotus and surrounded by the motto and the name of the church. The symbols of the lotus and the Christian cross used in the logo possess a rich cultural heritage in India and is used to symbolize the call and mission of the CSI. In Indian mythology, the lotus flower is the seat of the Creator. It is also known variably as those that are born in mud and the flower of the sun. These symbolisms are adopted to interpret the position of God and the nature and role of the people in the CSI. The petals of the lotus and the cross are knitted together with the symbol of the fiery-tongues of the Holy Spirit as referenced in the book of the Acts of the Apostles. It is an expression of the people's communion with God. The original colors, red (for life) and purple (for piety and ecclesiastical) on a white backdrop communicate the nature of the mystical union where an inseparable companionship is established between God and humanity. The motto and the name of the CSI is placed in a circle around the lotus and the cross. The words are taken from the prayer of Jesus Christ who prayed not only for the church but also for the whole world. This universality is portrayed by placing the words in a form of circle, a symbol which also represents the universe. It calls for the unity of both the church and all peoples of India. The central position of the cross in the logo conveys the idea that it was the sacrifice that was made by Jesus on the cross that is the foundation of the Church. The four ends of the cross painted in deep color indicates that it is the cross that guides all Christians to join in one stream to pray and labor united for a peaceful coexistence and communal harmony. Organization Built in 1503 AD, St. Francis CSI Church, in Kochi is the oldest church under the auspices of the CSI The church accepts the Lambeth Quadrilateral as its basis and recognises the historical episcopate in its constitutional form 2. The CSI Church is the second largest church in India based on the population of members, next to the Roman Catholic church, and also the largest Protestant denomination in the country. Synod The church is governed by a synod based in Chennai and headed by a presiding bishop bearing the title of Moderator who is elected every two years. The current moderator is S. Vasanta Kumar, Bishop of the Diocese of Karnataka Central.The deputy moderator is G. Devakadatcham, Bishop of the Diocese of Kanyakumari. Dioceses The church is further divided into 22 dioceses, each under the supervision of a bishop, including one diocese encompassing Jaffna, Sri Lanka. The dioceses are governed by diocesan councils composed of all clergy in the diocese as well as lay people elected from the local congregations.8 Congregations The church has 14,000 local congregations with 3.8 million members worldwide. While the majority of the members are in India, congregations exist in Sri Lanka where a full diocese is organized, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.CSI members also worship in different parts of India including New Delhi (Delhi Malayalam Congregation, 59, Mandir Marg, Ph:23363755) and other two churches; Kolkata, Bhopal, Bhilai, Mumbai,Pune.9 Name Headquarters Location Bishop Link Dornakal Diocese Dornakal Andhra Pradesh B. Satyanandam Devamani [1] Karimnagar Diocese Karimnagar P. Surya Prakash [2] Krishna-Godavari Diocese Machilipatnam G. Dyvasirvadam [3] Medak Diocese Secunderabad T. S. Kanaka Prasad [4] Nandyal Diocese Nandyal P. J. Lawrence [5] Rayalaseema Diocese Kadapa K. B. Yesuvaraprasad [6] Central Karnataka Diocese Bangalore Karnataka Suputhrappa Vasantha Kumar [7] Karnataka Northern Diocese Dharwad J. Prabhakara Rao [8] Karnataka Southern Diocese Mangalore John S. Sadananda [9] East Kerala Diocese Melukavumattom Kerala K. G. Daniel [10] Madhya Kerala Diocese Kottayam Thomas K Oommen [11] North Kerala Diocese Shoranur K. P. Kuruvila [12] South Kerala Diocese Trivandrum John Wilson Gladstone [13] Coimbatore Diocese Coimbatore Tamil Nadu Manickam Dorai [14] Kanyakumari Diocese Nagercoil G. Davakadasham [15] Madras Diocese Chennai V. Devasahayam [16] Madurai-Ramnad Diocese Madurai A. Christopher Asir [17] Thoothukudi - Nazareth Diocese Thoothukudi J. A. D. Jebachandran [18] Tirunelveli Diocese Tirunelveli J. J. Christudoss [19] Trichy-Tanjore Diocese Tiruchirappalli G. Paul Vasanthakumar [20] Vellore Diocese Vellore Yesuratnam William [21] Jaffna Diocese Jaffna Sri Lanka Daniel Thiagarajah [22] Agencies The church runs 2000 schools, 130 colleges and 104 hospitals in South India. In the 1960s the church became conscious of its social responsibility and started organising rural development projects. There are 50 such projects all over India, 50 training centres for young people and 500 residential hostels for a total of 35,000 children.1 The School for Small Farmers is a specific agency catering to the needs of the farming communities in their Dalit and Adivasi congregations.10 Affiliations Theological education The church recognises theological degrees granted by institutions affiliated with the Board of Theological Education of the Senate of Serampore College. These include: Kerala United Theological Seminary (KUTS), Trivandrum Andhra Christian Theological College (ACTC), Hyderabad Bishops College (BC), Calcutta Gurukul Lutheran Theological College & Research Institute (GLTCRI), Chennai Karnataka Theological College (KTC), Mangalore South Asia Theological Research Institute (SATHRI), Bangalore Serampore College (SC), Serampore Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary (TTS), Madurai United Theological College, Bangalore (UTC) Karnataka Theological College, Mangalore (KTC) Ecumenism The CSI is a member of the Anglican Communion and its bishops participate in the Lambeth Conferences and has representation on the Anglican Consultative Council. It is also a member in the World Council of Churches, World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and the National Council of Churches in India. The CSI is in full communion with the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church of India and the Church of North India (CNI). The CSI, CNI, and Mar Thoma Church jointly formed the Communion of Churches in India (CCI) in 1978 for mutual recognition of the ministry and leaders, intercommunal relationship, and to explore possibilities of working together especially in the field of evangelization in India and other areas of cooperation in the fulfillment of the mission of the Church. Gallery St. Mary's Church, Chennai Oldest Anglican church in India Holy Trinity Cathedral, Palayamkottai, Tirunelveli St. George's Cathedral, Chennai Anderson Church, Chennai English Wesley Church in Broadway, Chennai. One of the oldest Methodist churches in the Asia Pacific region Communion service, Church of the Risen Redeemer, Kodambakkam, Chennai Church in Nangamangalam, Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh Christ Church, Trivandrum, Kerala Mateer Memorial CSI Church,Trivandrum,Kerala Holy Trinity Church in Pragasapuram, Thoothukudi Nazerath Diocese, Tamil Nadu St. Paul's Church, Chromepet, Madras Diocese, Tamil Nadu C.S.I Christ Church, Krishnagiri Diocese of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu St. Mark's Church, Christianagaram, Thoothukudi Nazerath Diocese, Tamil Nadu St. John's Cathedral, Nazareth, Thoothukudi Nazerath Diocese, Tamil Nadu See also Indian Christianity portal Anglicanism portal Association of Theologically Trained Women of India (ATTWI) Christianity in India Christianity in Tamil Nadu Church of North India Church of South India Boys Higher Secondary School Communion of Churches in India Serampore College St. Thomas Christians Telugu Christian References ^ a b c d e f "Church of South India - About". http://www.csisynod.com/about.html. Retrieved 2008-06-21. dead link ^ a b "World Council of Churches - The Church of South India". http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/asia/india/church-of-south-india.html. Retrieved 2008-06-21.  ^ "Operation World - India". Archived from the original on 2008-06-06. http://web.archive.org/web/20080606064653/http://www.operationworld.org/country/indi/owtext.html. Retrieved 2008-06-21.  ^ "Anglican Communion official website - The Church of South India (United)". http://www.anglicancommunion.org/tour/province.cfm?ID=S3. Retrieved 2008-06-21.  ^ http://www.csichurch.com/article/ninan.htm ^ http://www.csichurch.com/article/ninan.htm ^ "Church of South India International Resource Centre". http://www.csichurch.com/. Retrieved 2008-06-21.  ^ "About Kanyakumari Diocese". http://www.csi-kanyakumari.org/About.htm. Retrieved 2008-06-21.  ^ "Council of CSI Congregations in North America". http://www.councilofcsicna.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17&Itemid=2. Retrieved 2008-06-21.  ^ "Church of South India - Department of Dalit and Adivasi Concerns". http://www.csisynod.com/dac.html. Retrieved 2008-06-21. dead link External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Church of South India churches CSI Synod International listing of CSI churches with websites Council of CSI congregations in North America Church of South India International Resource Center Indian Christianity: Church of South India v · d · eChurches in the Anglican Communion Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia · Australia · Bangladesh · Brazil · Burundi · Canada · Central Africa · Central America · Ceylon · Congo · England · Hong Kong and Macau · India, North · India, South · Indian Ocean · Ireland · Japan · Jerusalem and the Middle East · Kenya · Korea · Melanesia · Mexico · Myanmar · Nigeria · Pakistan · Papua New Guinea · Philippines · Rwanda · Scotland · South East Asia · Southern Africa · Southern Cone · Sudan · Tanzania · Uganda · USA · Wales · West Africa · West Indies — extra-provincial churches Churches in full communion: Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church · Union of Utrecht of the Old Catholic Churches · Philippine Independent Church v · d · eChurches in India Syriac Orthodox Group Chaldean Syrian Church · Jacobite Syrian Christian Church · Malabar Independent Syrian Church · Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (Indian Orthodox Church) · Eastern Catholic Group Syro-Malabar Catholic Church · Syro-Malankara Catholic Church · Roman Catholic Group Catholic Church in India Protestant Group Church of North India  · Church of South India  · Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church · North Bank Baptist Christian Association  · Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church · Garo Baptist Convention · Indian Pentecostal Church of God · Seventh-day Adventist · True Jesus Church in India · United Evangelical Lutheran Churches in India · Christianity by State Christianity in Arunachal Pradesh · Christianity in Assam · Christianity in Bihar · Christianity in Chhattisgarh · Christianity in Delhi · Christianity in Goa · Christianity in Jharkhand · Christianity in Karnataka · Christianity in Kerala · Christianity in Madhya Pradesh · Christianity in Maharashtra  · Christianity in Manipur · Christianity in Orissa · Christianity in Punjab (India) · Christianity in Tamil Nadu · Christianity in Tripura · Christianity in Uttar Pradesh · Christianity in West Bengal ·