49-568: The Madurai-Ramnad Diocese is a diocese of Church of South India in Tamil Nadu state of India . The diocese is one among the 24 dioceses of Church of South India , a United Protestant denomination. The diocese was one among the initial 14 dioceses already existing at the time of formation of Church of South India in 1947. The diocese comprises following six districts Madurai , Dindigul , Virudhunagar , Theni , Sivagangai , and Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu state. The cathedral church of
98-774: A Presbyter who is authorized to confirm. The Church of South India opposes the death penalty. In 2013, the CSI consecrated its first female bishop, Eggoni Pushpalalitha . The Church of South India, since 1984, has allowed women's ordination . Additionally, "it has taken up issues of gender, dalits and landlessness ." In 2008, CSI supported the faction of the Anglican Church— Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (GAFCON)— which opposed allowing gay priests inside church. “The Bible does not recognise gay marriages or gay priests,” said Reverend Benny Thomas of CSI, Mumbai. Indian bishops sided with traditionalists on
147-663: A United Church diocese. The CNI diocese today covers Maharashtra, and the bishop is Prakash D. Patole. Founded from Calcutta diocese in 1890, the current diocese is based in Ranchi , its territory is Jharkhand and the bishop is B. B. Baskey. Erected in 1893 from the Diocese of Calcutta. The diocese is headquartered at Allahabad and serves Uttar Pradesh . The diocese was originally created in 1902/03, from Chotanagpur diocese. The CNI Northeast diocese, based in Shillong , North East India
196-573: A landmark in the ecumenical movement. The logo of the Church of South India consists of a Cross superimposed on a stylized Lotus flower in a white backdrop; around which the motto and name of the Church, is embossed. It was designed by J. Vasanthan of the American College, Madurai . The imposing central position of the Cross denotes the foundation of the Church and its faith, while its four arms of
245-788: A view to a unified church were initiated by the Australian Churches of Christ Mission, the Methodist Church of Australia, the Wesleyan Methodist Church, the Methodist Episcopal Church and the United Church of Northern India during a religious convention in Lucknow in 1929. A negotiation committee was set up in 1951 using the plan of Church Union that resulted from the earlier consultations as its basis. The committee
294-730: Is a united Protestant Church in India . It is the result of union of a number of Protestant denominations in South India that occurred after the independence of India. The Church of South India is the successor of a number of Protestant denominations in India, including the four southern dioceses of the Church of India, Burma and Ceylon ( Anglican ), the South India United Church ( Congregationalist , Presbyterian and Continental Reformed ), and
343-518: Is a major emphasis in the CNI. There are synodal boards in charge of various ministries: Secondary, Higher, Technical and Theological Education, Health Services, Social Services, Rural Development, Literature and Media. There is also a synodal Programme Office which seeks to protect and promote peace, justice, harmony and dignity of life. The CNI currently operates 65 hospitals, nine nursing schools, 250 educational institutions and three technical schools. Some of
392-681: Is structured with three holy orders of Bishops , Priests and Deacons . 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 three years. Due to the Madras High Court's ruling, which invalidated the recent elections and identified procedural discrepancies at the Synod meeting held in Hubli in January 2023. The Moderator and
441-924: The Anglican Communion its bishops participate in the Lambeth Conferences . It also has representation in the Anglican Consultative Council . Consequently, the CSI is in full communion with the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht and the Philippine Independent Catholic Church . It is a member of the World Council of Churches , the World Alliance of Reformed Churches , Christian Conference of Asia and
490-558: The Board of Theological Education of the Senate of Serampore College . These include: Church of North India The Church of North India ( CNI ) is the dominant united Protestant church in northern India. It was established on 29 November 1970 by bringing together most of the Protestant churches working in northern India. It is a province of the worldwide Anglican Communion and a member of
539-722: The Chalcedonian Christological Definition , as well as the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed . Both creeds are included in the Church liturgy as the profession of faith . The Church practices infant baptism for children born in Christian homes and adult or believer's baptism for others. Baptized children are members of the church and share in the privileges and obligations of membership so far as they are capable of doing so. The Church of South India practices
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#1732852455247588-597: The Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral : The first three points could be accepted without any controversial question. But the fourth became contentious, as the Anglican Church maintained episcopal polity within the historical episcopate and believed that all its bishops and priests could trace an unbroken line of succession from St. Peter ; whereas the rest of the churches in the negotiations conformed to other ecclesiastical polities and did not subscribe to
637-512: The Christian Conference of Asia and on an international level it is a member of the World Council of Churches , the Council for World Mission , World Alliance of Reformed Churches , World Methodist Council and in full communion with the Anglican Communion . The CNI is also in partnership with many other domestic, regional and international Christian agencies. Since its formation in 1970,
686-527: The Church of Bangladesh . Being a United Protestant denomination, the inspiration for the Church of South India came from ecumenism and the words of Jesus as recorded in the Gospel of John ( 17.21 ); as such "That they all may be one" is the motto of the Church of South India. With a membership of nearly four million, it is the second-largest Christian church based on the number of members in India. Four different church traditions were brought together in
735-616: The National Council of Churches in India also co-led a consultation speaking out against homophobia. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) listed the Church of South India as being among the Anglican provinces open to blessing same-sex couples . In 2016, a seminary affiliated with the CSI offered a seminar on LGBT issues. "The Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary in Madurai held a two-hour seminar on gender and sexuality..." However, in 2023
784-645: The National Council of Churches in India . Through the Communion of Churches in India , it is also in partnership and full communion with the Church of North India and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church . The Church of South India maintains close partnerships with the Church of Scotland , Episcopal Church of the United States , Methodist Church of Great Britain , Presbyterian Church in Korea , Presbyterian Church in
833-669: The World Methodist Council and the World Communion of Reformed Churches . The merger, which had been in discussions since 1929, came eventually between the Church of India, Pakistan, Burma and Ceylon ( Anglican ), the Methodist Church , Disciples of Christ , and some congregations from the United Church of Northern India ( Congregationalist and Presbyterian ). The CNI's jurisdiction covers all states of India with
882-424: The rite of Confirmation , by which the confirmands (those being confirmed) upon profession of their Christian faith, obtain confirmation of their baptisms and thereafter, get to partake fully in the privileges and obligations associated with Church membership. Secondarily, this is also a coming of age ceremony. Confirmation is almost always administered by a Bishop with the imposition of hands and occasionally by
931-450: The (Anglican) Church of India, Pakistan, Burma and Ceylon ; and the Methodist Church of South India. The inaugural service was presided by Bishop Rt. Rev. C. K. Jacob , of the Anglican diocese of Travancore and Cochin . As part of it, nine new bishops, drawn from all the traditions, were consecrated to serve with five Anglican bishops already in the office. Each new bishop was ordained with
980-494: 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 600 residential hostels for a total of 50,000 children. The church is further divided into twenty-four 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
1029-463: The Anglican views on apostolic succession . After extensive dialogues, an agreement was reached that all who were already ordained in any of the uniting churches would be received as ministers in the united Church; provided all new ordinations after the union, would be conferred by episcopally ordained bishops of the united Church, with the imposition of hands. The intention was to introduce an episcopate in historic succession (from Anglicanism) into
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#17328524552471078-419: The CNI is both historical as well as constitutional. There are 26 dioceses, each under the supervision of a bishop . The main administrative and legislative body is the synod , which meets once every three years to elect a presiding bishop, called a moderator, and an executive committee. The moderator acts as the head of the church for a fixed term; another bishop is elected Deputy Moderator. Social involvement
1127-420: The CNI's 1970 creation; the current diocese covers parts of Bengal and the bishop is Paritosh Canning. Split from Calcutta diocese in 1837, the Diocese of Bombay was the last new Indian diocese of the Church of England before all colonial dioceses became independent in 1863. Like Calcutta, Mumbai diocese has been a very large Church of England diocese, a diocese of the independent Indian Anglican church, and now
1176-469: The CSI is the key document that governs the administration and management of the church. It comprises 14 chapters detailing rules for the functioning of the Church at every level, from local congregations to the pastorate, dioceses and the Synod. The most important part of the CSI Constitution is "The Governing Principles of the Church" which sets out 21 governing principles on which the other chapters of
1225-537: The CSI: Anglican, Congregational, Presbyterian, and Methodist. All these churches had been established in India through the missionary work of churches in Europe, America, and Australia, which had started their work in India at different periods from the beginning of the 18th century. The Church of South India Scheme was the first practical attempt of its kind toward a union, on the basis of the following points enunciated in
1274-487: The Church of North India with the exception of the Methodist Church in Southern Asia, which decided not to join the union. The CNI is a trinitarian church that draws from the traditions and heritage of its constituent denominations. The basic creeds of the CNI are the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed of 381 AD . The liturgy of the CNI is of particular interest, as it combines many traditions, including that of
1323-610: The Church of South India. The Church of South India union ceremony happened at St George's Cathedral in Madras on 27 September 1947, a month after India achieved its independence from the United Kingdom . It was formed from the union of the SIUC, (South India United Church itself a union of churches from the Congregational , Presbyterian and Reformed traditions); the southern provinces of
1372-514: The Church of the Brethren in India and the Disciples of Christ denominations joined in the negotiations as well. A new negotiation committee was set up in 1961 with representatives from all the above-mentioned denominations. In 1965, a finalized plan of Church Union, known as the 4th Plan of Union 1965, was made. The union was formalized on 29 November 1970 when all the negotiating churches were united as
1421-582: The Communion of Churches in India, of which the CSI is a part, filed an application before the Supreme Court opposing petitions for same-sex marriage, writing that marriage is a divine institution uniting two persons of the opposite sex, and also writing to the President of India on the subject. Some dioceses of the church have confirmed that transgender persons may be ordained as clergy. On transgender issues,
1470-531: The Constitution and the rules contained therein rest. While amending any part of the Constitution can be approved by a two-thirds majority of the Synod, amending the Governing Principles requires a three-fourths majority. As a united Protestant Church , the Church of South Indian is a member of the World Methodist Council , as well as the World Communion of Reformed Churches ; as a constituent member of
1519-602: The Deputy Moderator position along with the position of General Secretary and Hon. Treasurer is currently vacant and awaiting election. The officers were elected for a three-year term at the Synod meeting. The church is presently under the administration of court-appointed administrators, Justice R. Balasubramanian and Justice V. Bharathidasan, pending new elections for these key leadership roles. The church runs 2,300 schools, 150 colleges and 104 hospitals in South India. In
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1568-602: The Diocese of Madras has a ministry specifically for transgender people. In 2012, the denomination invited a transgender pastor to preach. The CSI Synod Liturgical Congress has developed several new orders for worship for different occasions. The order for the Communion service, known as the CSI Liturgy, has been internationally acclaimed as an important model for new liturgies. The committee has also produced three different cycles of lectionaries for daily Bible readings and "propers", and collects for Communion services. In addition,
1617-561: The Lotus petals simultaneously depict the fiery split tongues of the Holy Spirit . The motto of the CSI embossed on the logo, which is an excerpt of Jesus 's prayer in John 17:21, is used as an inclusive affirmation of the need for the unity of all people. The Church of South India is a Trinitarian Church that draws from the traditions and heritage of its constituent denominations. The Church accepts
1666-504: The Methodists and such smaller churches as the Church of the Brethren and the Disciples of Christ . Provision is given for diverse liturgical practices and understandings of the divine revelation. The polity of the CNI brings together the episcopal, the presbyterial and the congregational elements in an effort to reflect the polity of the churches which entered into union. The episcopacy of
1715-681: The Republic of Korea , Presbyterian Church of India , Presbyterian Church (USA) , Reformed Church in America , United Church of Christ and the Uniting Church in Australia . The church accepts the Lambeth Quadrilateral as its basis and recognises the historical episcopate in its constitutional form. Like Anglican and most other episcopal Churches, the ministry of the Church of South India
1764-439: The Synod of the CNI has elected a Moderator and one Deputy every three years. When originally founded in 1813, the fourth overseas diocese of the Church of England covered all the subcontinent, all Australasia and some of Africa. With its 1835 split to create Madras diocese , Calcutta was made metropolitan over all its original area, and has been split many times since. The Bishop of Calcutta remained Metropolitan of India until
1813-403: The administration of the CNI. The CNI participates in many ecumenical bodies as a reflection of its commitment towards church unity. Domestically it participates in a joint council with the Church of South India and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church known as the Communion of Churches in India . It is also a member of the National Council of Churches in India . Regionally, the CNI participates in
1862-650: The committee has also brought out a supplement to the Book of Common Worship. Cherishing the reformation principle of worship in the native language, the CSI liturgy and church services are completely in the vernacular, in all the different South Indian states and Northern Sri Lanka , which comprise its ecclesiastical province . The important observances and festivals include Lent (including its first day, Ash Wednesday ), Passion Week , Palm Sunday , Maundy Thursday , Good Friday , Easter , Ascension Thursday , Pentecost , Lammas and Christmas . The Constitution of
1911-754: The diocese as well as lay people elected from the local congregations. Each church will have representation in diocesan council based on their membership. The diocese is headed by the Bishop, who is a presbyter elected through the Diocesan Council. He is considered as the head of the diocese and all the institutions belonging to the diocese. Other than the Bishop, the following are the important administrative posts of each diocese: The Diocesan Council also consists of Diocesan Executive Committee, Diocesan Standing Committee, and Pastorate Committee. The church recognizes theological degrees granted by institutions affiliated with
1960-622: The diocese is situated at Narimedu, Madurai. The Cathedral church at Madurai is the biggest Cathedral in South East Asia, sprawling over a four-acre site which is built in Gothic style combined with architectural elegance, Tamil culture and theological significance. It was built during the Rt. Rev. Dr. David Pothirajulu from donations from across the diocese. It was dedicated on the Easter Day, 30 March 1986 by
2009-1165: The exception of the five states in the south ( Andhra Pradesh , Telangana , Karnataka , Kerala and Tamil Nadu which are under the jurisdiction of the Church of South India ) and has approximately 2,200,000 members (0.1% of India's population) in 3,000 pastorates . Saint Thomas Christian denominations Syro-Malabar Catholic , Syro-Malankara Catholic , Latin Catholic Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church , Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church Malabar Independent Syrian Church Chaldean Syrian Mar Thoma Syrian , St. Thomas Evangelical Protestant denominations Andhra Evangelical Lutheran , Assemblies Jehovah Shammah , Christian Revival Church , Church of North India , Church of South India , Garo Baptist , Indian Brethren , Indian Pentecostal Church of God , Church of God (Full Gospel) , North Bank Baptist Christian , Northern Evangelical Lutheran , Methodist Church , Presbyterian , The Pentecostal Mission , Seventh-day Adventist , United Evangelical Lutheran Ecumenical discussions with
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2058-410: The imposition of hands by the presiding bishop, along with two more Anglican bishops (Rt. Rev. A. M. Hollis and Rt. Rev. G. T. Selwynthe) and six presbyters from the uniting Churches, also laying hands. This reconciliation of the Anglican views with those of the other uniting denominations, on the doctrine of apostolic succession , realized in the formation of the Church of South India, is often cited as
2107-459: The issue of homosexuality. The church does not ordain clergy who are active in same-sex relationships. The National Council of Churches in India , of which the CSI is a member, supported the legalization of consensual same-sex relationships in India. In 2015, St. Mark's Cathedral, Bangalore hosted an event, co-led by the Rev. Vincent Rajkumar, aimed at denouncing homophobia. CSI clergy, working with
2156-498: The new united Church and to ensure its maintenance in the future, by keeping all subsequent ordinations episcopal. The Church of South India as it exists today came into being with the perseverance and committed efforts of Rev. Vedam Santiago, who for a long period of time took leadership of the SIUC, the South Indian United Churches, which later, with the joint efforts of Rev. V Santiago and Bishop Azariah became
2205-886: The oldest and well-respected educational institutions in India like Scottish Church College in Calcutta , La Martiniere Calcutta , Wilson College in Mumbai , St. James' School, Calcutta , Hislop College in Nagpur , St. John's Diocesan Girls' School, Calcutta , St. Paul's School in Darjeeling , St. John's College in Agra and College Bishop Cotton School in Shimla, Christ Church College, Kanpur , Sherwood College, Nainital, Ewing Christian College, Prayagraj, Boys High School, St. Andrew's College in Gorakhpur are under
2254-433: The same length promulgates equality. The Lotus flower , called Pankaj meaning "mud-born" in Sanskrit , has been of great spiritual and symbolic significance in India, since ancient times. Its placement in the Logo, proclaims the indigenous nature of the Church of South India and its dependence on the grace of God, just as a Lotus that blooms at sunrise and closes at sunset, depends on the Sun . The stylized rendering, makes
2303-412: The southern district of the Methodist Church . The Church of South India is a member of the Anglican Communion , World Methodist Council and World Communion of Reformed Churches . It is one of four united Protestant churches in the Anglican Communion, World Methodist Council and World Communion of Reformed Churches, with the others being the Church of North India , the Church of Pakistan , and
2352-884: The then CSI moderator, Rt.Rev.Dr. I. Jesudasan. Church of South India Saint Thomas Christian denominations Syro-Malabar Catholic , Syro-Malankara Catholic , Latin Catholic Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church , Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church Malabar Independent Syrian Church Chaldean Syrian Mar Thoma Syrian , St. Thomas Evangelical Protestant denominations Andhra Evangelical Lutheran , Assemblies Jehovah Shammah , Christian Revival Church , Church of North India , Church of South India , Garo Baptist , Indian Brethren , Indian Pentecostal Church of God , Church of God (Full Gospel) , North Bank Baptist Christian , Northern Evangelical Lutheran , Methodist Church , Presbyterian , The Pentecostal Mission , Seventh-day Adventist , United Evangelical Lutheran The Church of South India ( CSI )
2401-422: Was composed of representatives from the Baptist Churches in Northern India; the Church of India, Pakistan, Burma and Ceylon ; the Methodist Church (British and Australian conferences); the Methodist Church in Southern Asia ; and the United Church of Northern India (UCNI). The Methodist Episcopal Church , however, did not join the discussions and, in 1981, it became the Methodist Church in India (MCI). In 1957,
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