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The Church of South 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 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 ) 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 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 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 many (EMS), the , 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 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, , 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 , 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 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 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 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 '.'" 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. 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 , 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. Guideto People in Periodical Literature Missionalia Many of the foreign guests were invited to preach. In the late Guideto Social Science and Religion in Periodica Islamica morning there was a panel on the subject "The CSI Beyond Fifty Periodical Literature Religious andTheological Abstracts IBR (International Bibliography of Religion Index One:Periodicals Years." The two speakers-Bishops Victor Premsagar, a past Book Reviews) moderator now retired, andM. Azariah, the currentbishop of the Madras Diocese-initiated what proved to be a time of collective Index, abstracts, and full text of this journal are available on databases introspection that opened up to the public some of the problems providedby EBSCO,H. W. Wilson Company,InformationAccess Company, that the CSI is facing: its failures in subsequent union efforts and UniversityMicrofilms. Also consultInfoTrac databaseat manyacademic following 1947, its need for a new spirituality, elite domination and public libraries. For more information, contact your online service. in a church of the poor, male domination, a hierarchical organi­ zation that is disempowering, and the need for transparency and Opinions expressed in the INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN are those of the authors accountability among those in positions of leadership. "The and not necessarily of the Overseas Ministries Study Center. political will to bring about change is lacking, especially at the Copyright© 1998byOverseasMinistriesStudyCenter. All rightsreserved. top level." Thus the celebrations ended on an uneasybut healthy note. Second-class postage paid at New Haven, Connecticut. Not only did this celebration call to remembrance an impor­ POSTMASTER: Send address changes to INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN OF tanteventin Indianand ecumenical church history, butits details MISSIONARY RESEARCH, P.O. Box 3000, Denville, New Jersey 07834, U.S.A. also revealed much about the self-understanding and nature of ISSN 0272-6122 the . First, and perhaps most obvious, the CSI is a large and well-established church. It has stayed together over the years and is the largest Protestant church in India with, as its brochure indicated, 2.8 million members in 10,114 congre-

April 1998 51 gations within 21 dioceses. It also has 1,930 schools, 38 colleges, 10w.S At the political level, a great deal of power is concentrated 51 vocational polytechnic schools, 104 hospitals and clinics, and in the episcopacy at the diocesan and especially synodic levels. 512 hostels for poor children. Whether or not this represents This transformationis notdueto a cleverconspiracybysome significant growth through evangelism is a moot point.' but its fanatical Anglicans seeking to take over the CSI. numerical and institutional strength has given it a well-recog­ had some important advantages at the outset. If the estimates of nized placewithinSouthIndian society, as was acknowledged at Rajaiah D. Paul are correct, virtually half of the original members the public meeting. It is therefore not surprising that its golden of the CSI were Anglicans:" half of the original bishops were jubilee generated a lot of good feeling and pride among the Anglicans," and the Anglican Church had the prestige of having participants at this large and happygathering. Moreover, theCSI been the established church. At a deeper level, Indian society is was playing host not only to its own membership but to an profoundly hierarchical in nature," and the model of the monar- appreciative world in a warm and generous way. All the del­ egates and guests received food, housing, and gifts to take home. OnSaturday the Madras Diocese provided 7,000 lunchpackets to Given today's intense those who attended the morning Communion service. Second, the Church of South India is also a well-connected economic competition, can and respected church within ecumenical circles. The large num­ a CSI with a hierarchical ber of overseas and Indian guests, many of them holding high positions within their churches and agencies, bore eloquent leadership become a testimony to that fact. There were, however, no official represen­ healing community? tatives of the Roman -a surprise, since Protes­ tant-Catholic relations at the local and diocesan levels are often very good in India. It was also obvious that the CSI leadership chical missionary has not yet become a distant memory. Also, took these partner church and agency relationships very seri­ most studies of Indian politics show that it is based upon patron­ ously, for they certainly played a prominent partin the festivities client relationships." It is therefore not surprising that common throughout the three days. Historic relationships were affirmed, Indian attitudes and modes of behavior should affect the life and and partner voices were heard in key public events as well as in work of the church, enhancing the prominence and power of the times of private conversation with the CSI leadership. episcopacy well beyond what was originally intended."The CSI There is also much to be learned from what was conspicu­ is, after all, a profoundly Indian church. Moreover, during the ously absent in these celebrations. For example, what was on past two decades the struggle for survival in India generally, for display in Madras was the urban church rather than the rural improving or at least maintaining one's place in society, has majority. Only one layman apart from the general secretary was become much more intense and ruthless than before. Conse­ quently,the commandof all available resources, includingchurch resources, has become more urgent, and power more central­ What was on display at ized, than previously. This development has raised considerably the stakes in church elections, especially at the highest levels," Madras was the urban and as was pointed out during the closing seminar, it has signifi­ church, not the rural, and cantly diminished any political will those at the top may have for making meaningful change. The problem is widely recognized, the clergy, not the laity. as this statement by a national consultation held in July 1997 at United Theological College, , indicates: We are deeply concerned over the abuse of power, corruptionand given a leadership role in the major gatherings. Women domi­ nepotism manifested at all levels of the Church's life. Episcopacy, natedonlythechoirandculturalprogramsat the endof each day, which is designed for a pastoral and teaching ministry, has as if their role in the church was merely decorative.' Young become, by and large, an administrative office. Power has come to people could express their exuberance only in the processions. be concentrated in the hands of the Bishops. Ecclesiastical leader­ Even the clergy were reduced largely to passive roles, leaving the ship, ... linking itself with institutional powers and lay persons bishops very much at the front and center. One got the impres­ 'with vested interests, dominates the decision-making process. sion that the dominant color of this jubilee was not gold but The congregational participation in the administrative structure purple! is made ineffective, if not non-existent." This transformation from a union to an Anglican churchalso From a Union Church to Anglican affects the capacity of the Church of South India to deal with the more pressing unity issues it now faces. For all intents and This imbalance is symbolic of a deeper reality within the CSI. purposes, the question of ecclesiastical union has been resolved, What began as a genuine union of different churches in 1947 has but the social unity of the CSI is becoming increasingly a prob­ become over the intervening fifty years an Anglican church. lem. The most obvious form of this is caste rivalries between There is little of , , or Congregation­ (those previously called untouchables) and non-Dalits, alism left in the CSI, except in memory, whereas Anglicanism is although it may take the related form of the priority of the urban very evident at the levels both of symbolism and of church versus the rural churches. There have been deliberate splits on politics. Clergy dress and the place of the bishop in the ceremo­ this issue over the past fifty years, and breakaway churches have nial life of the church are the most obvious symbols of this been organized. The question thus is whether, in these times of transformation. The same is true of the Book of Common Wor­ intense economic competition, a hierarchical leadership, one ship, which is used in urbancongregations, while "freeworship" based on a patron-client model, can reorient the CSI to become tends to prevail in rural congregations, where the literacy level is the "healing, reconciled and reconciling community" the mod­

April 1998 53 erator claimed it to be, or whetherotherprioritieswill necessarily young theologian said afterward that what was seen and heard take precedence. in Madras was the voice of the "senior center" of the church, of This raises a final question begged by the golden jubilee those who can "glow and reminisce," of those who "had their celebrations. Can the CSI provide the leadership in the ecumeni­ chance and blew it. . .. Now those of us who were born into the cal arena for the ongoing search for Christian unity many of the CSI have a responsibility to make our voices heard." Both the overseas guests seemed to be lookingto the CSIfor? Duringthose obvious strengths of the Church of South India and such restless­ three days there was no clear voice from within the CSI pointing ness within it are hopeful signs for the next fifty years. the way forward for the CSI itself or for Christians in general. A Notes------­ 1. The uniting churches were the Church of India, Burma, and Ceylon 7. Of the fourteen original bishops, seven were Anglicans (Elliott, (Anglican); the Methodist Church in South Ind ia; and the South Hollis, Jacob, Joseph, Mutyalu, Selwyn, and Smith), three were India United Church, wh ich itself was a union (in 1908) of Congre­ Methodists (Curushanta, Thorp, and Whittaker), three were Con­ gational and Presbyterian churches that the southernmost group of gregationalists (Kulandran, Legg, and Sumitra), and one was Pres­ churches connected with the Basel Mission later joined.The remain­ byterian (Newbigin) (Bengt Sundkler, Church of South India: The ing Basel Mission churches joined the Church of South India, some Movementtowards Union , 1900-1947,rev . ed . [London: Lutterworth in 1958 and the rest in 1968. The Nandial Diocese of the Anglican Press, 1965], p. 341). Church joined the CSI in 1975. 8. Dr. R. Yesuratnam described the church hierarchy of bishops, pres­ 2. The CSI Women's Fellowship celebrates its own golden jubilee in byters, , and laity as a chaturvarna system, with the laity and 1998. women as the shudras, the bottommost caste ("Liberation from 3. Bishop M. Azariah's estimatethat "over the pastfive decadesalmost Jubilee Perspective," South India Churchman, July 1997, pp. 7-8 . In 200 percent has been added to the baptized membership even if the like manner, Dr. Stanley J. Samartha pointed out that "even those majority were biological additions" is probably accurate ("The State who criticise the hierarchical caste system as Brahmanical have of the Union of the CSt Its Prospects at the Threshold of Its Golden failed to protest against the gradual transformation of episcopacy Jubilee Year," People's Reporter,September1-15, 1996,p.3).But there into a Brahmanical system" ("Vision and Reality: Reflections on the are several problems with estimates of this kind .One is that the base Church ofSouthlndia-12," People'sReporter, September 1-15, 1997, figures for 1947are only estimates and may well be on the high side . p.4). Rajaiah D. Paul put them at 1,010,000 at the time of union (TheFirst 9. See, for example, Atul Kohli, The State and Poverty in India (Cam­ Decade: An Accountof the Church of South India [Madras: Christian bridge: Cambridge Univ . Press, 1987); Rajni Kothari, "Integration Literature Society, 1958], p. 209). This is probably high , because and Exclusion in Indian Politics," Economic and Political Weekly, fifteen years later the diocesan totals added up to only 1,146,316,a October 22,1988, pp.2223-27; Paul R.Brass, ThePoliticsofIndia Since mere 13.5 percent increase (RenewalandAdvance [Madras:Christian Independence (Cambridge: Cambridge Univ . Press, 1990). Literature Society, 1963], p. 210). A second problem is that there are 10. The original Plan of Union defined the bishop as "shepherd, not as no figures on how many new members are converts from other lord eitherin act or in title," and described the functions of the office , thus forcing Azariah and others to make what are at best as including pastoral oversight, teaching, supervision of public educated guesses . The third is that where organized opposition to worship, "ordination of ministers and authorization to ministers to Christian evangelism is strong, membership figures may be deliber­ officiate and preach," and "oversightof the disciplineoftheChurch." ately deflated in order to avoid provocation. Fourth, in some areas These funct ions are repeated in the CSIconstitution, withleadership many Dalits seeking the Scheduled Caste benefits they are denied in evangelism added; in addition, the constitution also confines the because they are Christians remove themselves from the church administrative duties of the bishop to presiding over the diocesan rolls, even though by they remain Christian, attend worship, council and taking part in the proceedings of diocesan committees, and give to the church regularly. while explicitly prohibiting separate controlling authority over the 4. Two women presbyters were among those serving Communion in finances of the diocese ("The Plan of Union," in Greater Peace, Closer the pandal on Saturday morning. The Synod of the Church of South Fellowship, Fullness of Life, ed. Lily Amirtham and Sam Amirtham India approved the ordinationof women in 1982.Bishop M.Azariah [Chennai:Church of South India, 1997],pp. 442-43; TheConstitution estimated that there are currently about forty ordained women in oftheChurch ofSouthIndia, with Amendments up toandApproved bythe full-time ministry within eight of the twenty-one CSI dioceses. This Synod of Janua ry 1972 [Madras: Christian Literature Society, 1972], figure represents less than 2 percent of all CSI pastors ("State of the pp .23-26). Union").While this representsan improvement, the total numberof 11. This trend can be seen in Dr. 's description of the women in full-time pastoral and/or evangelistic work as Bible January 1996meeting of the CSISynod, the church's highestgovern­ women, diocesan women workers, and in other capacities has ing body ("Silver Jubilee Session of the Synod of the CSI: Impres­ declined quite dramatically over the past fifty years. Women do sions and Reflections," People's Reporter, February 1-15, 1996, p. 3; serve as church officers as well as members of local Pastorate and "Issues before Churches in India: Reflections on Twenty-Fifth Committees and Diocesan Councils. A few have been selected to Session of CSI Synod, Jan. 11-16,1996," ibid ., February 16-29, 1996, represent their dioceses at meetings of the synod, and that number pp.3-4). appears to be increasing. See John C. B. Webster et al., From Role to 12. Statement by the participants of a national consultation entitled Identity:DalitChristian Women inTransition(:ISPCK, 1997), pp. "Revisioning the Life and Witness of the Church for the Twenty­ 36-37. First Century in the Light of the Experience of the Church of South 5. "It is estimated that, after nearly five decades, the Book of Common India," held at United Theological College, Bangalore, July 9-12, Worship is being used fairly widely in as many as over 1,000 1997. For a fuller description of the consultation, which recom­ pastorates.This leaves about 200pastorates who still find it difficult mended limiting the terms and administrative powers of bishops, to give up their pre-uniondenominational preferences in their ways see Sam Amirtham, "Consultation on the Life and Witness of the of worship" (M. Azariah, "State of the Union," p. 3). It should be CSt" in Amirtham and Amirtham, Greater Peace, pp. 355-56 . The borne in mind that many pastorates that are predominantly rural People's Movement Towards of the Church of South may include a town congregation. India has taken a similar position; see B. J. Premiah, "Emergence of 6. These were 220,000 Methodists (22 percent), 290,000 Congregation­ Reformation Movements in the Church of South India, " ibid ., pp. alists and Presbyterians (29 percent), and 500,000 Anglicans (49 391-92, and K. Swarnidhas, "CSI Jubilee Year-5: Towards Being a percent) (Paul, First Decade, p. 209). People's Church," People's Reporter, November 16-30, 1996, p. 3.

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