The Madhya Kerala Diocese is one of the twenty-four

dioceses In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

of the Church of South India (commonly referred to as CSI) (successor of the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...

) covering the central part of

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

. When the Church of South India was formed on 27 September 1947, the diocese was called the Diocese of Central Travancore. It was a part of the erstwhile Anglican

Diocese of Travancore and Cochin The Madhya Kerala Diocese is one of the twenty-four dioceses of the Church of South India (commonly referred to as CSI) (successor of the Church of England) covering the central part of Kerala. When the Church of South India was formed on 27 S ...

founded in 1879. The Diocese was later renamed as Diocese of Madhya Kerala.

History

The history of the Madhya Kerala Diocese dates back to the work of the

Church Missionary Society The Church Mission Society (CMS), formerly known as the Church Missionary Society, is a British mission society working with the Christians around the world. Founded in 1799, CMS has attracted over nine thousand men and women to serve as mission ...

in the state of

Travancore The Kingdom of Travancore ( /ˈtrævənkɔːr/), also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor, was an Indian kingdom from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. At ...

. R.H. Kerr and Claudius Buchanan, visited the Malabar Syrians in 1806, during the episcopate of

Mar Dionysius I Mar Dionysius I (Mar Thoma VI) (died 8 April 1808), was the 6th Metropolitan of the Malankara Syrian Church from 1765 until his death. A member of the Pakalomattom family (Thazhmon, Ayroor) he appealed to outside authorities to assert his positi ...

Lord William Bentinck Lieutenant General Lord William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck (14 September 177417 June 1839), known as Lord William Bentinck, was a British soldier and statesman who served as the Governor of Fort William (Bengal) from 1828 to 1834 and the First G ...

sent Kerr to Travancore for the purpose of investigating the state of the native church. During the British period, CMS missionaries started a relationship with

Saint Thomas Christians The Saint Thomas Christians, also called Syrian Christians of India, ''Marthoma Suriyani Nasrani'', ''Malankara Nasrani'', or ''Nasrani Mappila'', are an ethno-religious community of Indian Christians in the state of Kerala ( Malabar region ...

; a

division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...

occurred between Orthodox Syrian Christians and a minority from the Church, who were in favor of the reformed ideologies of the CMS missionaries. According to some estimates, about 6,000–12,000 Orthodox Syrian Christians joined the Church of England in India in 1837; these were known as Syrian Anglicans. Early in 1876, the Society began negotiations with the

Secretary of State for India His (or Her) Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for India, known for short as the India Secretary or the Indian Secretary, was the British Cabinet minister and the political head of the India Office responsible for the governance of th ...

so that a new diocese can be formed under the

Jerusalem Bishopric Act The Bishops in Foreign Countries Act 1841 (5 Vict., c. 6) is an Act of Parliament passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom to enable the United Church of England and Ireland to create bishops overseas. The Act authorised the consecration o ...

for the

in the Native States of

and

Cochin Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of K ...

. The Diocese of Travancore and Cochin (in the Church of India, Burma and Ceylon) was erected with its See at

Kottayam Kottayam () is a municipal town in the Indian state of Kerala. Flanked by the Western Ghats on the east and the Vembanad Lake and paddy fields of Kuttanad on the west. It is the district headquarters of Kottayam district, located in south- ...

in 1879 and John Speechly, then Principal of the Cambridge Nicholson Institute (CMS theological college, Kottayam), was announced as the first Bishop of Travancore and Cochin. Speechly was consecrated a bishop on 25 July 1879 at St Paul's Cathedral; he arrived at Kottayam on 27 January 1880. In 1888, Speechly left for England and was unable to return, and

Noel Hodges Edward Noel Hodges (1849 – 18 May 1928) was an Anglican bishop. Edward Noel Hodges was born in 1849 in Old Dalby, Leicestershire, England, the fourth son and the sixth of nine children of Abraham Hodges (1819-1910) and Jane née Rule (1808-190 ...

(1890–1904), a CMS Missionary from Ceylon followed him as diocesan bishop. He was installed in the Pro-Cathedral,

in November 1890. During the episcopate of Hodges, the first missionary enterprise of the diocese was organised as its Home Mission, was started at Adoor in 1903. Hodges retired in 1905 and was succeeded by

Hope Gill Charles Hope Gill was Bishop of Travancore and Cochin from 1905 to 1924. Gill was born into an ecclesiastical family on 11 February 1861 and educated at St Edmund's School in Canterbury, King William's College on the Isle of Man and Queens' C ...

(1905–1925), who was consecrated in

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the Unite ...

and arrived in Kottayam in 1906. The full creation of Diocesan structures which began in 1879 was fulfilled in 1920, when Gill constituted, "Travancore and Cochin Diocesan Council" to assist in the management of the temporal affairs and financial business of the church. On 27 September 1947, the four southernmost dioceses of CIBC united with other churches to form the Church of South India. The presiding bishop at the CSI's inauguration was C. K. Jacob, Bishop of Travancore and Cochin who became Bishop in Central Travancore; his diocese's territory was reduced and renamed the Diocese of Central Travancore. Subsequently, it has been renamed the Diocese of Madhya Kerala after that state was formed in 1956 — ''madhya'' is Hindi for central. Due to the presence of Syrian Anglicans in the CSI, churches of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (in Oriental Orthodox Communion, autocephalous),

Malankara Jacobite Syriac Orthodox Church The Jacobite Syrian Christian Church (JSCC), or the Malankara Archdiocese of the Syrian Orthodox Church in India also known as Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, the Jacobite Syrian Church, and the Syriac Orthodox Church in India, ...

(in Oriental Orthodox Communion, under Antioch) and

Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church The Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church, often shortened to Mar Thoma Church, and known also as the Reformed Syrian ChurchS. N. Sadasivan. A Social History of India'. APH Publishing; 2000. . p. 442. and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar ...

do interact frequently on occasions such as family gathering and marriages.

Administration

The Diocese has a Diocesan Council which governs the diocese. All the

clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

of the diocese and elected laymen from the local congregations are the members of the Diocesan Council. The diocese is divided into two zones (North Zone and South Zone), each headed by a District Minister. And it is further divided into twelve District Councils. The bishop of the diocese is assisted by the Executive Committee, formed by an election from the Diocesan Council. The Diocesan Headquarters is at

. The Bishop's House and a Retreat Centre is in the campus of the Headquarters. The Diocese also publishes an official newsletter named '' Njananikshepam'' (The Treasury of Knowledge) every month. The newsletter was published first in the year 1848 from C.M.S. press,

Bishops

Anglican Bishops of Travancore and Cochin * John Speechly (1879–1889) *

(1890–1904) *

(1905–1924) * Edward Moore (1925–1937) * Bernard Corfield (1938–1944) *

Cherakarottu Korula Jacob Cherakarottu Korula Jacob was Bishop of Travancore and Cochin in the mid twentieth century (1945-1957). He was the 6th bishop of the diocese and the first native bishop and the first bishop of the Madhya Kerala Diocese of the Church of South I ...

(1945–''1947'') CSI Bishops in Central Travancore/Madhya Kerala * C.K. Jacob (''1947''–1957) * M.M. John (1958–1974) ** T.S. Joseph, assistant bishop (consecrated 1 July 1967) * T.S. Joseph (1974–1981) installed 27 December * M.C. Mani (1981–1993) consecrated 8 February * Sam Mathew (1993–2001) consecrated 1 September * Thomas Samuel (2001–2011) *

Thomas K Oommen Thomas Kanjirappally Oommen (born 29 November 1953) is an Indian Anglican bishop. He was the Bishop of the Madhya Kerala Diocese and Moderator of Church of South India. Early years Thomas K Oommen was born on 29 November 1953, to an agrarian S ...

(2011–2020) * Sabu Koshy Cherian (2021-Till date)

District Councils

The Diocese is divided into 12 District Councils. Each Council has a chairman

presbyter Presbyter () is an honorific title for Christian clergy. The word derives from the Greek ''presbyteros,'' which means elder or senior, although many in the Christian antiquity would understand ''presbyteros'' to refer to the bishop functioning a ...

Institutions under the diocese

Ashram * Bethel Ashram,

Thiruvalla Thiruvalla, alternately spelled Tiruvalla, is a town in Kerala and the Headquarters of the Taluk of the same name located in Pathanamthitta district in the State of Kerala, India. The town is spread over an area of . It lies on the banks of ...

Printing Press * C.M.S. Press,

(The first printing press in Kerala, established in 1821) Colleges *

CMS College Kottayam The CMS College (CMS College Kottayam) is the first Western-style college in India. Overview The college now has 17 Undergraduate and 18 postgraduate departments. There are six research centres in the college. Research work leading to the degr ...

(The first college in Kerala, established in 1817) *

Peet Memorial Training College Peet Memorial Training College is located at Mavelikara, in the district of Alapuzha in Kerala, India. History Peet Memorial Training College, Mavelikara was founded in 1960 in memory of the Rev. Joseph Peet, who was one of the missionaries ...

Mavelikara *

Bishop Moore College Bishop Moore College is an aided college in Mavelikkara, Alappuzha, Kerala, India, affiliated with the University of Kerala. The college is ranked 58 in NIRF 2022, 89 in NIRF 2021, 76 in NIRF 2020, in the rank band 101–150 in NIRF (National ...

Mavelikara *Bishop Speechly College Pallom * CSI College for Legal Studies, Ettumanoor *Baker Women's College, Kottayam *CSI College for Advanced Studies Punnakkad, Kozhencherry Higher Secondary Schools *

Baker Memorial Girls Higher Secondary School Baker Memorial Girls Higher Secondary School is a girls' higher secondary school located in Kottayam, Kerala, India. It was established in 1819. It was the first school of its kind established in India. In 1952 it became the first school in the ...

, Kottayam *

Bishop Hodges Higher Secondary School Bishop Hodges Higher Secondary School', is under C.S.I. Madhya Kerala Diocese in Alleppey District. The school is located at the heart of Mavelikara town (near to Kayamkulam-Thiruvalla highway). History The institution is founded in the year 18 ...

Mavelikara *CMS Higher Secondary School Mallapally *CMS College Higher Secondary

*CMS Higher Secondary Kuzhikala High Schools *CMS College Higher Secondary School

Baker Memorial Girls High School Baker Memorial Girls Higher Secondary School is a girls' higher secondary school located in Kottayam, Kerala, India. It was established in 1819. It was the first school of its kind established in India. In 1952 it became the first school in the ...

, Kottayam *Bishop Hodges Higher Secondary School

Mavelikara Mavelikkara is a taluk and municipality in the ''Onattukara'' region of Alappuzha district in the Indian state of Kerala. Located in the southern part of the district on the banks of the Achankovil River. Etymology The name Mavelikara ...

*CMS Higher Secondary School Mallapally *CMS Higher Secondary Kuzhikala *Buchanan Girls High School Pallom *CMS High School Mundakayam *CMS High School Kattanam *CMS High School Kumplampoika *CMS High School Nedugadapally *CMS High School Pallom *CMS High School Punnavely *CMS High School Olassa *CMS High School Puthupally *CMS High School Kanam *CMS High School

*CMS High School Thalavady *CMS High School Mundiapally Theological Education *Bishop Mani Theological Institute

Self Financing Schools *Baker Vidyapith

* Bishop Moore Vidyapith

*Bishop Moore English Medium Higher Secondary School

* Bishop Moore Vidyapith

Cherthala Cherthala, , (formerly Shertalai, Shertallai or Shertallay) is a Municipal town and a Taluk located at National highway 66 in the district of Alappuzha, in the state of Kerala, India. Cherthala is the satellite town and industrial hub of Al ...

* Bishop Moore Vidyapith

Kayamkulam Kayamkulam is a town and municipality in the ''Onattukara'' region of Alappuzha district in Kerala. It is the second biggest town in Alappuzha district. It is located on the western coast of India, and was an ancient maritime trading center. O ...

*Bishop Speechly Vidyapith Pallom *Christ Church Vidyapith

Kodukulanji Kodukulanji is a village located around 5 km north of the Achankovil River and 7 km south of the Pamba River, in Alappuzha district. Location Kodukulanji is located around 5 km north of the Achankovil River and 7 km south ...

*Hawksworth Vidyapith Tholassery Teacher Training Institutes *B.I.T.T.I, Pallom *C.N.I.T.T.I,

Special Schools * C.S.I VHSS for the Deaf, Thiruvalla * C.S.I HSS for the Partially Hearing, Manakkala, Adoor

Notable churches

;''Within Kerala'' *Holy Trinity CSI Cathedral,

*St.Joseph CSI Church, Poovathoor *St.Peter's CSI Church, Puthuppally *CSI Ascension Church

*CSI Christ Church,

Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...

*St. Stephen's CSI Church Pariyaram

Mallappally Mallappally (meaning "wrestler shrine" in Malayalam, from മല്ലൻ "Mallan" or "wrestler" + പള്ളി "palli" or "shrine") is a taluk in Kerala state in India. It is one of the five taluks that make up the Pathanamthitta district ...

*CSI Christ Church, Alappuzha *CSI Christ Church,

Mavelikkara Mavelikkara is a taluk and municipality in the '' Onattukara'' region of Alappuzha district in the Indian state of Kerala. Located in the southern part of the district on the banks of the Achankovil River. Etymology The name Mavelikar ...

*CSI Christ Church,

*St. Paul's CSI Church, Ranni *St. Johns CSI Church Neelampara Karukachal *Transfiguration CSI Church, Varikkad

*Holy Trinity CSI Church Mundakayam *St. Thomas CSI Church, Tholassery *St. Thomas CSI Church, Punnakadu *Holy Immanuel CSI Church,

*CSI Christ Church,

Kaviyoor Kaviyoor is a village located in Thiruvalla Taluk In Pathanamthitta district of Kerala India, situated on the western bank of the Manimala River.It Comes Under Thiruvalla Sub-District & Thiruvalla Constituency. Demographics *Area: 12.67 ...

*St. Andrew's CSI Church, Kozhuvalloor *CSI St .Andrew's Church Kumplampoika *CSI St. Thomas' Church, Nedungadappally *St. Thomas CSI Church, Thalavady *CSI St. Stephen's Church, Puthuval *CSI St. Marks Church, Olassa *CSI St. Stephen's Church, Mundiappally *CSI St. John The Baptist church, Pallom *CSI St.Pauls Chuch ,Nalunnakkal *Holy Trinity C.S.I Church, Alumpeedika ;''Outside India'' ;Canada *CSI Church, Toronto ;UK *Church Of South India (CSI) Malayalam Congregation, London *ST Thomas CSI Church, Belfast *CSI Congregation of Manchester, Midlands and Sheffield. ;Kuwait *St. Peter's CSI Church *St. Paul’s CSI Church, Ahmadi ;Qatar *CSI St.Thomas Church -Malayalam Congregation, Doha - Qatar ;UAE * CSI Parish, Abu Dhabi *CSI Parish, Dubai *CSI Parish, Sharjah *All Saints CSI Parish, Jebel Ali ;USA *Immanuel CSI Church, New Jersey *CSI Emmanuel Congregation, Atlanta *CSI Congregation of Great Lakes, Michigan *Emmanuel CSI Church, Philadelphia *CSI Congregation of Dallas *CSI Congregation of Hudson Valley *Church of South India Malayalam Congregation of Greater New York ;Australia *Holy Trinity CSI Church, Brisbane ;Ireland *Holy Trinity CSI Congregation, Dublin

Gallery

File:CSIMKDcathedral.jpg, File:CSIALP.jpg, File:Csichristchurch kodukulanji.jpg, File:Christ Church TVM.jpg, File:CSI Christ Church, Mavelikara.jpg,

References

External links

CSI Madhya Kerala DioceseCSI South Kerala DioceseChurch of North IndiaCSI Ascension Church KottayamCSI Christ Church TrivandrumCSI Christ Church KodukulanjiCSI Chennai DioceseDelhi Malayalam CongregationCSI St.Johns Church SecunderabadCSI Wesley Church HyderabadCSI Church PuneCSI Immanuel Congregation SingaporeCSI Church in AustraliaCSI Church MundiappallyCSI Church Los Angeles

Some members of Malankara Syriac Orthodox joined the Anglican Church.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Madhya Kerala, Diocese of Dioceses in Kerala Madhya Kerala Religious organizations established in 1879 1879 establishments in India Anglican bishops of Travancore and Cochin Church of India, Burma and Ceylon

History

Administration

Bishops

District Councils

Institutions under the diocese

Notable churches

Gallery

See also

References

External links