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Assure My Future: The Journey of the Church of South India Girl Child Sunday

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Shibi Peter As the Church of South India (CSI) marks twenty-five years since the launch of the Commitment to the Girl Child campaign and the observance of Girl Child Sunday in 2000, the occasion invites reflection on one of the most significant social interventions in the life of the Indian Church. What began as an initiative of the CSI Diaconal Ministry has grown into one of the most sustained, church-led campaigns for gender justice in South Asia. Over these twenty-five years, the CSI’s call has remained constant in affirming the blessedness of the girl child, created in the image of God. From the first Decade of the Girl Child to the renewed campaign Assure My Future (2014), the observance has evolved into a prophetic movement that transformed ecclesial consciousness and social witness across dioceses, influencing public policy and global ecumenical discourses on gender justice. It was amid alarming realities of female foeticide, infanticide, child sexual abuse, exploitative child...
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Rev. Florence Deenadayalan: The Feminine Voice of the Devine!

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On this day, September 28, the Church of South India and the wider ecumenical community celebrate the life of Rev. Florence Deenadayalan on her second death anniversary. As one of the first women to be ordained in the CSI, she occupies a historic place in the struggle for women’s ordination and ministry in India, breaking barriers in an era when the role of women in the church was still fiercely contested! __________ Shibi Peter Rev. Florence Deenadayalan, a prominent figure in the Church of South India and one of the first women pastors in India, passed away on September 28, 2023. Her remarkable life and testimony, serving in the CSI Central Karnataka Diocese, will be remembered as a significant milestone in the ecclesial history of India. In 1982, the Synod of the Church of South India officially accepted the ordination of women, following years of deliberations that began in 1972. In 1987, Florence, along with Rev. Elizabeth Paul and Rev. Nirmala Vasantakumar, became one of the firs...
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The Ecumenical Vision of the Church of South India: From Organic Unity to Global Witness

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Shibi Peter Today, September 27, the Church of South India (CSI) celebrates its formation day, marking its official establishment on September 27, 1947. This day offers an occasion to reflect on the remarkable journey of a church that embodies ecumenism in action. Unlike many churches that pursue unity while preserving cultural or denominational distinctions, the CSI emerged as a living expression of organic unity, firmly rooted in the social, political, and spiritual realities of South India. The Church of South India has embraced ecumenism not merely as an external affiliation but as an integral theological and ecclesial vision embedded in its very identity. Unlike institutional platforms that aim for denominational unity while preserving cultural homogeneity, the CSI emerged as a living embodiment of organic unity well before the theological frameworks of the modern ecumenical movement were formally articulated. Though the 1910 World Missionary Conference in Edinburgh is often credi...
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Making History: Rev. Jose George Appointed Bishop of the CSI Diocese of Kollam–Kottarakkara

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Shibi Peter On August 3, at the CSI Headquarters in Chennai, the official announcement of Rev. Jose George’s appointment as Bishop of the Kollam–Kottarakkara Diocese marked a decisive moment in the ecclesiastical journey of the Church of South India (CSI). This event is not merely an administrative transition but a historic milestone in the life of the CSI in Kerala—a history that began with the formation of the Travancore–Cochin Anglican Diocese in 1879 and subsequently expanded into six Dioceses of Church of South India within the Kerala Region. The consecration of Rev. Jose George bears particular historical significance, as he becomes the first Dalit priest in 58 years to be elevated to episcopal leadership, following the consecration of Bishop T.S. Joseph in the CSI Madhya Kerala Diocese. This act of recognition thus represents far more than the continuity of episcopal succession; it embodies the long-deferred affirmation of communities historically relegated to the margins of bot...
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Location: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
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Elizabeth Kuruvilla: A Pioneer of Indian Ecumenism

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Shibi Peter When the Mar Thoma Sevika Sangham celebrates its annual Sevika Sangham Day on September 8, it is also an occasion to remember the lives of many women whose sacrifices have defined the witness of the faith community—from Mrs. Kandamma Varghese to Dr. Annamma George, and many others. Yet, the mission and leadership of women have rarely been properly acknowledged in Indian Church history. From women who served in Christian missions to global ecumenical figures like Mrs. Sara Chacko, many remain forgotten. In this context, the extraordinary life of Mrs. Elizabeth Zachariah—later known as Elizabeth Kuruvilla—who served as the General Secretary of the Mar Thoma Sevika Sangham, deserves to be remembered. Born in 1894 in Kozhikode, Elizabeth Kuruvilla passed away in 1944 while serving as General Secretary of the Mar Thoma Sevika Sangham. This year marks her 130th birth anniversary and the 80th year of her passing. It is also the centenary of her election as Vice President of the W...
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The Feminine Landscape of Devotion: A Precious Document in Church History

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Shibi Peter   "I feel that women’s voice, once it is heard, will activate and make audible the other small voices as well." — Ranajit Guha, The Small Voice of History  After nearly two years of intense effort, the centenary souvenir of Bethel Ashram, Tiruvalla— Samarppanathinte Penbhoomika —has finally reached its readers. This publication compellingly illustrates the depth of the Kerala society’s indebtedness to the visionary leadership and selfless commitment of the order of Sisters, led by Sr. Shanthamma Joseph. Credit is also due to the editorial direction of Mr. Shanti M. Jacob, the Chief Editor, whose intellectual and organizational acumen has been central to shaping this volume into a significant contribution to ecclesiastical historiography. The dominant narrative of the CSI Madhya Kerala Diocese has historically centered on an Anglo-Syrian imagination—an interplay of CMS mission historiography and Syrian Orthodox ecclesiastical tradition. This hybridity and occasi...
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Bishop Vedanayagam Samuel Azariah: The Epitome of Indian Christian Mission

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Bishop Vedanayagam Samuel Azariah Shibi Peter August 17, 2025 marks the 151 st  birth anniversary of Bishop Vedanayagam Samuel Azariah (1874-1945), the first Indian Bishop of the Anglican Church and one of the most influential Christian leaders of the twentieth century. His pioneering contributions to the indigenisation of mission, the strengthening of ecumenical witness, and the affirmation of the dignity of marginalised communities left a lasting imprint on both Indian Christianity and the global church. This note seeks to visit his life and mission, reflecting on how his faith, ;leadership, and vision continue to inspire the Church’s witness for justice, unity, and service in contemporary times.   A social reformer who shaped the Indian national movement with his radical ideas, the founder and dedicated practitioner of indigenous missionary movements, an intellectual who defined global ecumenical movements through his vision and action, a visionary who laid the foundat...
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Location: Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
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