CHURCH GROWTH HISTORICAL DIMENSION
(a) Church of South India
One of the greatest landmarks in the history of Ecumenism is the formation of the “Church of South India” and its inauguration at St. George’s Cathedral, Madras on 27th September 1947. After sincere prayers and intense negotiations started in the year 1919 at Tranqubar, among the Anglican, Presbyterian, Methodist and Congregational Churches, the formation of the CSI is an effective demonstration of the mighty act of the Holy Spirit that “They May all be one” (St. John 17.21). It was indeed a grateful act of commitment, dedication, fellowship and sacrifice, among the uniting Churches for a new life and new pilgrimage.
(b) C.S.I. VELLORE DIOCESE
The composite Madras Diocese was bifurcated to form the Vellore Diocese on 26th January 1976. Primarily a rural Diocese, it comprises 72 Pastorates, about 15,000 families and over one lakh members, both urban and rural. Three hospitals, one post graduate College, a number of Higher Secondary and Elementary Schools, Technical Training Institutes and an Agricultural Farm are under its control.
(c) CHRIST CHURCH VELLORE-6:
Christ Church, an offspring of the CSI was established in Oct 1961. The Church itself is a typical miniature model of ecumenism, bond for the best. Its multilingual congregation (speaking different languages, mainly Malayalam, Telugu and Tamil) includes members coming from different walks of life, denominational backgrounds and states of South India. Not withstanding the composite nature, Christ Church has the unique distinction of all along maintaining congregational unity in diversity as also evidenced by the unanimous election to the Pastorate Committee for more than a quarter of a century since the first election held in February 1973 and thereafter.
Much water has flown under the bridge from its inception in 1961 to date. From a small number of families, after forty years of dedicated Christian Ministry, Christ Church has grown up by leaps and bounds in all direction both internally and externally, as dealt with more exhaustively elsewhere in this narrative. At present there are 433 families over a thousand members, of whom 922 are communicant members, including St. Paul’s Church (an outreach ministry of Christ Church) Village congregation. The Church was not built in a day. Quite naturally, it took time, ideas, skills, time, energy and money, not only to provide pastoral care, nurture and build the body of Christ but also to put up the Church building, four in a row, other related structures and provide the basic infrastructure and amenities. The profound reality is the mingling of the human with the divine in God’s plan for growth. GOD was the one responsible for INCREASE. Even so, the LORD had worked through the faithful men. True to its meaning Christ Church has become ‘THE LORDS HOUSE’ for the “called out ones”. We are an organised united community of members, who acknowledge JESUS CHRIST as their supreme ruler and meet for real worship regularly, in the holy solemn Church atmosphere and living presence of God, growing from strength to strength in Christian Life and witness. All glory, laud and honour to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.
(a) Church of South India
One of the greatest landmarks in the history of Ecumenism is the formation of the “Church of South India” and its inauguration at St. George’s Cathedral, Madras on 27th September 1947. After sincere prayers and intense negotiations started in the year 1919 at Tranqubar, among the Anglican, Presbyterian, Methodist and Congregational Churches, the formation of the CSI is an effective demonstration of the mighty act of the Holy Spirit that “They May all be one” (St. John 17.21). It was indeed a grateful act of commitment, dedication, fellowship and sacrifice, among the uniting Churches for a new life and new pilgrimage.
(b) C.S.I. VELLORE DIOCESE
The composite Madras Diocese was bifurcated to form the Vellore Diocese on 26th January 1976. Primarily a rural Diocese, it comprises 72 Pastorates, about 15,000 families and over one lakh members, both urban and rural. Three hospitals, one post graduate College, a number of Higher Secondary and Elementary Schools, Technical Training Institutes and an Agricultural Farm are under its control.
(c) CHRIST CHURCH VELLORE-6:
Christ Church, an offspring of the CSI was established in Oct 1961. The Church itself is a typical miniature model of ecumenism, bond for the best. Its multilingual congregation (speaking different languages, mainly Malayalam, Telugu and Tamil) includes members coming from different walks of life, denominational backgrounds and states of South India. Not withstanding the composite nature, Christ Church has the unique distinction of all along maintaining congregational unity in diversity as also evidenced by the unanimous election to the Pastorate Committee for more than a quarter of a century since the first election held in February 1973 and thereafter.
Much water has flown under the bridge from its inception in 1961 to date. From a small number of families, after forty years of dedicated Christian Ministry, Christ Church has grown up by leaps and bounds in all direction both internally and externally, as dealt with more exhaustively elsewhere in this narrative. At present there are 433 families over a thousand members, of whom 922 are communicant members, including St. Paul’s Church (an outreach ministry of Christ Church) Village congregation. The Church was not built in a day. Quite naturally, it took time, ideas, skills, time, energy and money, not only to provide pastoral care, nurture and build the body of Christ but also to put up the Church building, four in a row, other related structures and provide the basic infrastructure and amenities. The profound reality is the mingling of the human with the divine in God’s plan for growth. GOD was the one responsible for INCREASE. Even so, the LORD had worked through the faithful men. True to its meaning Christ Church has become ‘THE LORDS HOUSE’ for the “called out ones”. We are an organised united community of members, who acknowledge JESUS CHRIST as their supreme ruler and meet for real worship regularly, in the holy solemn Church atmosphere and living presence of God, growing from strength to strength in Christian Life and witness. All glory, laud and honour to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.
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