The history of the
Church of South India (CSI)
"that they all may be one..."
Church of South India (CSI)
Church of South India is one of the largest Christian communities with over 14,000 local congregations and 3.8 million members worldwide. While many of the members are in India, congregations exist in Sri Lanka, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Singapore, Ireland, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
History
In the 19th century, India witnessed the growth of nationalism, it was during this time that the Christian community in India went through a division among the Churches, this was mainly due to differences between the various missions from abroad, several efforts were made to bring about a united, indigenous Christian church in India free from dependence on denominational links with churches in the West. It took over 20 years to reach an agreement amongst the Christian denominations to form a Union.
In 1941, the Methodists gave their vote and in 1945 the General Council of the Church of India, Burma and Ceylon (the Anglican Church) gave their consent for the four Anglican dioceses in South India to go into the union. In 1946, the
General Assembly of the South India United Church decided to accept the scheme. These decisions led to the formation of the Church of South India in 1947.
It was on the historic day of 27th September 1947 that the Church of South India was inaugurated at St. George’s Cathedral Chennai, only a month after India achieved its independence. The inauguration 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. Through this union, four traditions came together:
- Anglican
- Congregational
- Presbyterian
- Methodist
Church of South India - Motto
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, “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.” This then became the motto of the Church of South India, “That they all may be one”.
Church of South India - Logo
The key components of the CSI Logo were the Cross, Motto, Lotus and name of the Church representing the rich cultural heritage of India and is used to symbolize the call and mission of the CSI. It is an interesting fact to note that the colours chosen for this logo also have a significant meaning:
- Red symbolizes life
- Purple symbolizes piety and ecclesiastical tradition
- White backdrop communicates inseparable companionship established between God and humanity.
The Church of South India is a united and uniting church moving forward with a dynamic vision for The Communion of Churches in India. In 1978 the Church of South India (CSI), Church of North India (CNI), and Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church of India jointly formed the Communion of Churches in India (CCI) for
mutual recognition of the ministry and leaders, inter-communal relationships, and exploring possibilities of working together and other areas of cooperation in the fulfilment of the mission of the Church in India.
Church of South India - 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 Most Reverend A. Dharmaraj Rasalam, Bishop of South Kerala Diocese, The Deputy Moderator is Right Reverend Reuben Mark, Bishop of the Karimnagar Diocese.
Church of South India - Dioceses
The church is further divided into 24 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.
The overall governance of the Church of South India vests with the Synod of the Church of South India which is the apex legislative and policy-making body. The properties both movable and immovable are governed and administered through a Trust, known as the Church of South India Trust Association (CSITA), which exists and functions under the authority of the Synod of the Church of South India.
Church of South India (Today)
The Church of South India is one of the largest Protestant churches in India with twenty-four dioceses, its prayer book, and its communion service that draws from several denominational sources. The church runs 2,300 schools, 150 colleges and 104 hospitals in South India. In the 1960s the church became conscious of its social responsibility and started organising rural development mission projects. There are 50 such projects all over India, 50 training centers for young people and 600 residential hostels for over 50,000 children.
The Church of South India today, endeavours to share the love of Jesus Christ with the people of India through the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus, responding to human needs through various institutions, mission fields and through emergency relief work, striving to build a society through community development projects and skills training programs for the marginalized and disadvantaged sections of society and programs to care for God’s creation.
CSI Madhya Kerala Diocese
The Madhya Kerala Diocese is one of the twenty-four dioceses of the Church of South India (commonly referred to as CSI covering the central part of Kerala). When the Church of South India was formed on 27 September 1947 the diocese was called the Diocese of Central Travancore. It was a part of the former Anglican Diocese of Travancore and Cochin was founded in 1879. The Diocese was
later renamed the Diocese of Madhya Kerala.
The Madhya Kerala Diocese covering the central part of Kerala, is a reflection of the rich and strong CMS heritage and maintains a vigorous ongoing commitment towards missionary work through many mission fields set up in different parts of India. The Diocese also supports various educational institutions/boards, organization-led activities, also there are parishes outside Kerala and India
functioning under the Madhya Kerala Diocese.
Rt. Rev. Dr Malayil Sabu K. Cherian is our presiding Bishop of Madhya Kerala Diocese.
All Saints CSI Parish, Jebel Ali functions under the Madhya Kerala Diocese.