Church of South India

The Church of South India (CSI) is an ecumenical union of several Protestant churches that serves as the heir to the Church of England in many parts of post-colonial South India. The church was created through a merger of Protestant denominations in the late 1940s, and it is unique for its incorporation of varying Congregationalist, Methodist, Reformed, Anglican, and Presbyterian churches into a single unified congregation.

Along with the Church of North India, CSI is one of two Indian churches within the Anglican Communion. It had about 2.8 members around the world, as of mid-2018.

History

Although the history of the Republic of India as an independent state only dates back to 1947, the subcontinental area that gave rise to modern-day India is a huge landmass with an ancient history. As a pluralistic society that is home to more than two hundred recognized ethnic groups, unsurprisingly, dozens of religions are also practiced in India, including Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Sikhism, and Zoroastrianism. Christianity is the third most widely practiced religion in India and is thought to have arrived in the first century CE.

The history of Protestantism in India dates back to 1600 when the first English colonists brought their Anglican faith with them to the subcontinent. These English colonists began to evangelize the local population, leading to a growing Christian presence—particularly in the southern third of the region. By 1814, the Anglicans had established Calcutta (present-day Kolkata) as their first diocese in India.

In the mid-nineteenth century, a growing sense of nationalism began to grip India, eventually leading to its independence in 1947 after protracted social and political struggles. However, even prior to India's independence, many Christian denominations in the region began to reexamine their origins as separate faiths, in part due to heightened interest in establishing an indigenous and independent Christian church in India.

As a result, Indian Christian leaders agreed to the unification of several churches. Among them was a union of the Congregationalist and Presbyterian churches into the South India United Church (SIUC) in 1908.

This movement gained further impetus in 1914 when, under the auspices of the National Missionary Council, leaders of several Christian denominations organized regional councils to examine the differences that kept them separate. These meetings led to the recognition that while they shared a common Christian gospel, many of the divisions of organization and orthodoxy that traditionally separated them were tied to sociopolitical affairs that had little relevance in India.

At a conference in 1919, representatives from the Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, and SIUC faiths gathered to discuss strategies for possible unification. Although the Lutheran collective elected to remain independent, groups from the remaining three denominations entered into discussions to become a single church. Although members of the unifying committee largely agreed upon issues of doctrine, questions about the ordination of ministers proved to be problematic.

The Anglican Church believes in what is called the historic episcopate, in which the church's ministry is perceived to be the direct ministerial descendants of the first apostles. This manner of ordination is transmitted through a laying on of hands from a bishop to the candidate for ordination. As the religious leaders of the other denominations had not been granted their ordination through this rite, negotiations took almost twenty years to reach a consensus. Ultimately, church leaders agreed that as God viewed all his earthly ministries with "undistinguishing regard," all existing ministers would be seen as equal and capable of delivering the sacraments. However, all future candidates for ordination would undergo the ritual laying on of hands.

Finally, the three denominations came to terms and voted for unification. The new Church of South India was inaugurated on September 27, 1947, with a total congregation of roughly one million followers.

Subsequently, several smaller Baptist and Pentecostal churches have also joined the CSI, giving the church congregants from seven different Christian denominations.

CSI continues to explore the possibility of broadening its union to include other Christian denominations and has held meetings since the 1950s with the five Lutheran churches of India and the remaining Baptist churches about the possibility of unification.

Additionally, in 1978, the Church of South India, the Church of North India, and the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church formed the Communion of Churches in India to investigate their mutual commonalities and gauge any potential interest in establishing a common union.

Beliefs

CSI is an ecumenically based Trinitarian church, meaning that although it draws from the traditions of its constituent faiths, its doctrinal foundation is based upon a belief in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, known as the Trinity.

The constitution is derived from the principles of the 1886 Lambeth Quadrilateral, which established a belief that the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are truth, that the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds are the safeguards of Christian faith, and that ordination rites would occur under the auspices of the historic episcopate through a laying on of hands. CSI celebrates the sacraments of baptism and communion.

CSI lists evangelism and social justice as particular areas of concern. As such, the church engages in programs intended to elevate the daily and spiritual lives of its constituents.

Organization

In the 2020s, CSI had between 10,000 and 15,000 congregations in two dozen dioceses, including one in Sri Lanka, with each diocese under the leadership of a bishop, who may be male or female; the church selected its first female bishop, Eggoni Pushpa Lalitha, in 2013. The church also has a female religious order, the Order of Sisters.

The Church of South India has its synod headquarters in Chennai, India, and the presiding council of the CSI Synod is governed by a bishop elected to the role of moderator every two years. The CSI Synod consists of the diocesan bishops as well as laypeople and presbyters who are elected to their positions, with the moderator serving as the head of the church. The role of the presiding synod is assisted by a synod executive council of about eighty members that handles administrative duties for the church.

Bibliography

Bergunder, Michael. The South Indian Pentecostal Movement in the Twentieth Century. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2008.

Chandran, J. Russell. "History of the Church of South India." Church of South India, Congregation of Great Lakes, Michigan, www.csimichigan.org/CSIHistory.html. Accessed 28 Dec. 2024.

"Church of South India." World Council of Churches, www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/church-of-south-india. Accessed 28 Dec. 2024.

Dalal, Roshen. The Religions of India: A Concise Guide to Nine Major Faiths. Penguin, 2010.

“History of CSI.” The Church of South India Diaspora Diocese, www.csidiasporadiocese.org/about. Accessed 28 Dec. 2024.

Lalitha, E. P. "Women's Leadership in the Church of South India." Feminist Theology, 2017, doi.org/10.1177/0966735017714403. Accessed 28 Dec. 2024.

Thangaraj, M. Thomas. "Indian Christian Tradition." Religions of South Asia: An Introduction, edited by Sushil Mittal and Gene Thursby, Routledge, 2006, pp. 185-198.