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The Church of South India (C.S.I.) is a union of many Protestant Christian churches
spread throughout South India. It is the largest Protestant Church in India and
second largest denomination in terms of size (after the Catholic Church in India).
It is one of the four United Churches in the Anglican Communion.
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The Church of South India is the result of the union of churches of varying traditions--Anglican,
Methodist, Congregational, Presbyterian, and Reformed--in that area. It was inaugurated
in September 1947, after protracted negotiation among the churches concerned. Organized
into 16 dioceses, each under the spiritual supervision of a bishop, the church as
a whole is governed by a synod, which elects a moderator (presiding bishop) every
2 years. Episcopal is thus combined with a synod type government, and the church
explicitly recognizes that Episcopal, Presbyterian, and congregational elements
are all necessary for the church's life. The Scriptures are the ultimate standard
of faith and practice. The historic creeds are accepted as interpreting the biblical
faith, and the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper are recognized as of
binding obligation. The Church of South India has 4 million members and 15,000 congregations
in 22 dioceses (including, for historical reasons, one diocese in northern Sri Lanka).
The CSI runs 94 colleges, 1922 schools, 70 hospitals, 7 theological seminaries, 5 engineering
colleges and 2 medical colleges. The CSI also has about 3200 presbyters serving in various functions.
In the 1960s the Church became conscious of its social responsibility and started organizing rural
developmentprojects. There are 50 such projects all over India, 50 training centers for young
people, and 525 residential hostels for a total of 35,000 children...
more...
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