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The Church of South India Golden Jubilee John C The Church of South India Golden Jubilee John C. B. Webster n September 27,1947, just six weeks after India became economic imbalances globalization had created.while the latter O an independent country, the Church of South India saw it, in terms of the vision in the Twenty-Third Psalm, as (CSI) came into existence. This new church, a union of former challenging globalization at the conceptual and programmatic Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Congregational churches, levels of what we want to achieve through development. was an event of great ecumenical significance, providing both a After lunch the crowds began to gather, and the processions model and much inspiration for union negotiations elsewhere in began to move toward the cathedral, where the first mass gath­ the world.' On September26-28,1997, the Churchof SouthIndia ering took place at 5:00 p.m. There was a long line of school celebrated its golden jubilee in Madras (now Chennai) around children, diocesan delegates, bands, buses, trucks, placards, and the theme "Unite, Liberate, Celebrate." Each of the twenty-one floats. There was a lot of noise, decorations, cheer, and milling dioceses was invited to send 200 delegates to this churchwide around on the well-illumined cathedral premises at refreshment celebration (2,600 actually registered), while the host diocese stands, bookstores, and handicraft stalls. The opening service of planned to send 20 from each of its 110 pastorates. They were praise and thanksgiving was followed by welcoming guests as joined by guests from sister churches in India and abroad, well as receiving greetings from some of them and then by a including the archbishop of York, the moderators of the Church cultural program. By this time over 5,000 people were present, of Scotland, the United Reformed Church (U.K.), the Presbyte­ and the emphasis was clearly on celebration. rian Church (USA), the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, the Association of Churches and Missions in Southwest Ger­ Message from Lesslie Newbigin many (EMS), the Church of North India, the vice-moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan, the president of the Uniting Saturday, September 27, began with a service of Holy Commun­ Church in Australia, and the metropolitan of the Mar Thoma ion, the first part of which was held in the pandal before shifting SyrianChurch.The maineventswereheld in an enormous pandal to the cathedral itself for Communion. As people settled into (tent) alongside St. George's Cathedral, where the initial union their seats, a six-minute recorded message was played from had taken place. Lesslie Newbigin, who had been consecrated fifty years ago and Those three days of celebration were the culmination of a was the only one of the original CSI bishops still alive. He series of earlier events. A study booklet on the jubilee theme was described the service of unification and acknowledged that "the published in English and the four South Indian languages. There reason for union was simply obedience to our risen Lord, to his were separate retreats for bishops, clergy, and laity as well as a prayer that his people should be one." In commenting further on theological conference, rallies for children and youth, and re­ John 17, he pointed out that "it is not unity of any sort, for any gional gatherings of the Women's Fellowship.' September14 was reason" that Christ prayed for "but this very specific unity in the celebrated as Jubilee Sunday throughout the CSI. A Commission Truth, and the Truth is Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ consecrat­ on Evaluation was also appointed and mandated to report on the ing himself to the Father." He then urged upon all present a state of the church to the CSI Synod at its regular biannual deeper consecration to the cross of Jesus Christ, the Truth who meeting in January 1998. had consecrated himself to the Father so that, in the face of the The festivities in Madras began on Friday morning, Septem­ ber 26, with a flag-raising in the cathedral compound, the open­ ing of an exhibition of Dalit paintings at a nearby CSI school, and A long line of children, the dedication of the Golden Jubilee Auditoriumat the CSIsynod headquarters. Several hundred people were present for this diocesan delegates, bands, service of dedication and for the seminar that followed, entitled buses, trucks, and floats "Rethinking the Church's Role in Development in the Context of Globalization." Michael H. Taylor, director of Christian Aid in emphasized that this was Great Britain, began by contrasting oikoumene, a global habitat clearly a celebration. that is a "hospitable place for everyone," with globalization, a competitive marketplace. "Our mission," he said, "is to convert 'globalization' into 'ecumenism.'" This is to be carried out by temptations of these changed times, that loyalty would tran­ concerted efforts both to reform the global economic orderand to scend every other possible loyalty and we would be, would be resist the institutions of globalization at the local, national, and seen to be, and would remain, one. In his sermon, David M. international levels . To do this, we need a global rather than a Hope, archbishop of York, also recalled the service of unification colonial or paternalistic church addressing the principalities and and, picking up on the jubilee theme, spoke of the church as powers of globalization in the name of the Gospel and of the herald ("celebrate"), servant ("liberate"), and communion poor. The two other speakers, K. Rajaratnam and Ninan Koshy, ("unite"). also saw globalization as negative in its premises and conse­ On Saturday afternoon there wa s a huge public meeting, quences. The former saw the church's role as redressing the which drew an estimated 10,000 people to the pandal. Most of the meeting was devoted to the presidential address of the CSI John C. B. Webster, a member ofthe Presbyterian Church (USA)delegation to moderator and to greetings from many of the guests. Bishop theChurch ofSouthIndia GoldenJubilee,has beenamissionary in India 1960­Vasant P. Dandin spoke of the CSI as a community that belonged 81and 1994 to the present. to Christ and witnessed to Christ; a healing, reconciled, and 50 INTERNATIONAL B ULLETIN OF M ISSIONARY RESEARCH - - - - _ ...- - ...;;. reconciling community, as well as a serving community, an open International Bulletin community, and a uniting community. Unity was clearly the dominant theme in the remarks of the guests who brought of Missionary Research greetings on both Friday and Saturday evenings. Speakers paid Established 1950 by R. Pierce Beaver as Occasional Bulletin from the tribute to the unity achieved fifty years earlier and looked to the Missionary Research Library. Named Occasional Bulletin of Missionary CSI for leadership as well as guidance in the ongoing work of Research 1977. Renamed INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN OF MISSIONARY RESEARCH Christian unity. 1981. Published quarterly in January, April, July, and October by The chief guests for this occasion were Fathima Beevi, gov­ Overseas Ministries Study Center ernor of Tamil Nadu, and P. A. Sangma, speaker of the Indian 490 Prospect Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, U.S.A. parliament. The former, the only non-Christian to address the Tel: (203) 624-6672 • Fax: (203) 865-2857 jubilee gathering, commended the CSI especially for its noble E-mail: [email protected] • Web: http://www.OMSC.org service to humanity. The latter, a Christian from northeastern Editor: Associate Editor: Assistant Editor: India, provided one of the great moments of the entire celebra­ Gerald H. Anderson Jonathan J. Bonk Robert T. Coote tion. As he was being introduced, there was mounting applause as each of his accomplishments was mentioned. Moving to the ContributingEditors: podium, he addressed the governor, the moderator, and other Catalino G. Arevalo, S.J. Graham Kings Lamin Sanneh church officials on the platform, and then, turning to the audi- David B. Barrett Gary B. McGee Charles R. Taber Stephen B. Bevans, S.V.D. Wilbert R. Shenk Tite Tienou Samuel Escobar Mary Motte, F.M.M. Ruth A. Tucker Barbara Hendricks, M.M. Lesslie Newbigin Desmond Tutu With 2.8 million members, Paul G. Hiebert C. Rene Padilla Andrew F. Walls Sebastian Karotemprel, S.D.B. James M. Phillips Anastasios Yannoulatos 2,019 schools and colleges, David A. Kerr Dana L. Robert 104 hospitals and clinics, Books for review and correspondence regarding editorial matters should be and 512 hostels for poor addressed to the editors. Manuscripts unaccompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope (or international postal coupons) will not be returned. children, the CSI is clearly Subscriptions: $21 for one year, $39 for two years, and $55 for three years, well-established. postpaid worldwide. Airmail delivery is $16 per year extra. Foreign sub­ scribers must pay in U.S. funds only. Use check drawn on a U.S. bank, Visa, MasterCard, or International Money Order in U.S. funds. Individual ence with a wide smile, he addressed them, "Dear Brothers and copies are $7.00; bulk rates upon request. Correspondence regarding sub­ Sisters in Christ!" The entire audience erupted. The pride that scriptions and address changes should be sent to: INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN OF Indian Christians take in this outstanding national leader was MISSIONARY RESEARCH, P.O. Box 3000, Denville, New Jersey 07834, U.S.A. obvious. After drawing parallels between the fifty-year histories Advertising: of India and of the CSI, he urged upon the audience his own one­ Ruth E. Taylor point agenda for the twenty-first century: the empowerment of 11 Graffam Road, South Portland, Maine 04106, U.S.A. women. "We cannot ignore 50 percent of the population; their Telephone: (207) 799-4387 exclusion cannot work any more." Articles appearing in this journal are abstracted and indexed in: An Uneasy but Healthy Introspection Bibliografia Missionaria IBZ (International Bibliography of Christian Periodical Index Periodical Literature) On Sunday, delegates and guests worshiped in local churches.
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