Church of South India
The Church of South India 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. With a membership of over 4.5 million - 5 million, it is the second-largest Christian church based on the number of members in 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, the South India United Church, and 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 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 ; as such "That they all may be one" is the motto of the Church of South India.
History
Origins
Four different church traditions were brought together in 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 the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral:
- The Holy Scripture of the Old and the New Testaments as containing all things necessary to salvation and as being the rule and ultimate standard of faith.
- The Apostles' Creed as the Baptismal Symbol and the Nicene Creed as sufficient statement of the Christian faith.
- The two sacraments, ordained by Christ Himself — Baptism and the Supper of the Lord — ministered with the unfailing use of Christ's words of Institution and elements ordained by Him.
- The Historic Episcopate, locally adapted in the methods of its administration to the varying need of the nations and people called of God into the union of His Church.
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 the Church of South India.
Formation
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, ; the southern provinces of the 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 the imposition of hands by the presiding bishop, along with two more Anglican bishops 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 a landmark in the ecumenical movement.Logo
The logo of the Church of South India consists of a Cross superimposed on a stylized Lotus flower depicting split tongue for Holy Spirit 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 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 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.
Beliefs and practices
The Church of South India is a Trinitarian Church that draws from the traditions and heritage of its constituent denominations. The Church accepts 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 the rite of Confirmation, by which the confirmands 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 a Presbyter who is authorized to confirm.
Capital punishment
The Church of South India opposes the death penalty.Women's ordination
The CSI recommended the ordination of women to the priesthood in 1972. Since 1984, the CSI has ordained women to the priesthood. 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."LGBTQIA+ Ordination and Beliefs
Many dioceses of the CSI church have confirmed that transgender persons may be ordained as clergy. On transgender issues, the Diocese of Madras has a ministry specifically for transgender people. In 2012, the denomination invited a transgender pastor to preach.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..." Bishops and other clergy have supported LGBTQ inclusion through the church's publication, CSI Life.
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 the National Council of Churches in India also co-led a consultation speaking out against homophobia. The British Broadcasting Corporation listed the Church of South India as being among the Anglican provinces open to blessing same-sex couples.