Biennium
Report presented at the Madras Diocesan Council - 2003
1. Partnership in Mission
- Learning Together
- Sharing Together
- Growing Together
2. Aims and Objectives
• To link city congreagations with rural congreagations and to establish relationship between the people of God.
• To interact with overseas mission partner churches.
• To establish ecumenical relations with other denominations and also to promote inter faith dialogue.
With the above aims and objectives the following action programmes have been initiated.
3. Twinning Programme
• Identifying city churches which come forward to be twinned with rural churches
1. To establish new relationship.
2. To foster fellowship.
3. To create awareness among the congregations to become sensitive and to respond to the needs of rural congregations including constructing new churches for worship.
• Encouraging partner churches under the Twinning programme to come together in order to have both city and rural exposure and combined programmes for youth fellowships, women fellowships and Sunday schools.
In the last few years several city churches have constructed church buildings for rural congregations that did not have proper worship centers.
Rural and city congregations have also met for a daylong fellowship of singing, sharing the good news and their lives.
In this biennium, 51 rural congregations have approached the Bishop requesting him to link them with city churches under Twinning programme. Some of the city churches have already constructed church buildings in the rural areas and work is in progress in other areas. Recently few more city churches have joined the Twinning programme.
4. Churches built and Dedicated during the Biennium
|
S.No
|
Rural Congregation
|
City Congregation/Individual
|
| 1. |
Madharpakkam, Roshanagar Pastorate
|
Ambathur Pastorate |
| 2. |
Pillaiyar Kandigai
Nagalapuram Pastorate |
Christ Church , Virugambakkam |
| 3. |
Nallathur, Uthukottai Pastorate |
Peranbar Alayam, Aminjikarai |
| 4. |
Baitakodiampedu
Nagalapuram Pastorate |
Tamil Wesley Church, Perambur |
| 5. |
Kailvelli, Nagalapuram |
Missionary Chapel |
| 6. |
Othapai, Othikadu Pastorate |
St.George’s Cathedral |
| 7. |
Puliyur, Thirukalikundram
|
Christ Church, Virugambakkam |
| 8. |
Dhanaraj Kandigai, Arcot Kuppam
|
Rev.Ashok Kumar |
| 9. |
Meyyur, Uthukottai |
Missionary Chapel |
5. Work in Progress
|
S.No
|
Rural Congregation
|
City Congregation/Individual
|
| 1. |
Neyapakkam, Thiruvellore
|
Good Shephard Church ? |
| 2. |
Kulipanthandalam, Thirukalikundram |
Christ Church, Alandur |
| 3. |
Meyyur, Uthukottai |
Missionary Chapel |
| 4. |
Perunkanchi, Sholingur |
Arpudhar Zion Church, Nungambakkam |
| 5. |
Amirthapuram, Thiruttani |
Mr. Thomas Bauliaha |
| 6. |
Valarkundram, Andrewpuram Pastorate
|
St.George’s Cathedral |
| 7. |
Parathur, Othikkadu
|
Mambalam |
| 8. |
Arumbakkam, Arcot kuppam |
Mr. Pratap Singh |
| 9. |
Kunnamedu, Arcot kuppam |
Mr. Pratap Singh |
6. Acceptance Given
|
S.No
|
Rural Congregation
|
City Congregation/Individual
|
| 1. |
KM Agraharam Village
Kothapallimetta
|
Mr.Jeyasingh
St.John’s Matriculation School |
| 2. |
Mangalam Pudur, Sholingur
|
Arpudar Zion Church |
| 3. |
Poondi Village
Andrewpuram Pastorate |
Yesu Anbar Alayam |
| 4. |
Sathyavedu New |
Church of the Risen Redeemer
Kodambakkam |
| 5. |
Andisiruvellore, Vedal Pastorate |
Wesley Church, St.ThomasMount |
| 6. |
Meleri Village, Nemili Pastorate
|
Christ Church, Virugambakkam |
| 7. |
Siruvanampudur, Sathyavedu
|
Wesley Church, Perambur |
| 8. |
Nandivaram Guduvancherry Pastorate |
Zion Church |
Apart from encouraging city churches to construct church buildings in rural areas, the Department is also very keen on encouraging partner churches under twinning programme to come together in order to have both city and rural exposures and to have combined programmes. An attempt was made to this effect during youth Sunday in 2002, which was very successful.
CSI Missionary Chapel along with the twinning partners Mamallapuram Pastorate and Uthukottai Pastorate, celebrated two days of youth festival on June 22nd and 23rd. About 100 youth from these churches participated in this festival. They sang together, worshiped together, played together and learnt together. The CSI Missionary Chapel hosted the programme. The pastors of the three churches took part in the conduct of all the programme. They shared the life of their pastorates with the congregation. The youth Director was there to encourage and the Hon. Director of the Department Of Ecumenical Relations coordinated and encouraged the partcipants.
To reciprocate, the Uthukottai Pastorate arranged a similar programme (Youth Festival) in August 2002 at Kasireddipet in which 200 youth came together. Fifteen youth members from Missionary Chapel along with their Pastor participated in this programme.
The Department for Ecumenical Relations and the CSI Christ Church, Virugambakkam organised the youth festival “CONGREGATE” on 30th June 2002 . Christ Church, Virugambakkam invited it’s partner churches of Kothapallimetta Pastorate, Marakkanam Pastorate, Pallipat Pastorate, Nemili Pastorate, Thirukalikundram Pastorate and Nagalapuram Pastorate. All the 7 Pastors, the youth Director and 170 youth from these Pastorates participated in this festival. It was a joyous occasion to all the youth. The Bible quiz programme, singing competition and skit competition helped the youth to learn together.
I thank the Pastors Rev. Augustine Andrews, Rev. Manuel Titus and Rev. Francis Devadoss for their initiative.
7. The City Congregations
- Attend church dedication services with busloads of people.
- Visit rural congregations at the time of anniversaries and festive occasions.
- Spend a day with them praying together, playing together and sharing.
These are all some of the visible expressions of the twinning programme.
8. Partnership with Overseas Dioceses
• The Diocese of Madras has partnership relations with the following Churches / Dioceses :
1. Carlisle Diocese, U.K.
2. Uniting Church in Australia, Australia.
3. St. Peter’s Episcopel Church, New Jersey.
• We have active prayer fellowships praying for each other.
• We explore the means of exchanging people and ideas and finding resources for some of our ongoing programmes in educational, medical and social ministries.
• We constantly explore possibilities of establishing new partnership relations with other churches abroad.
Overseas Visitors from Partner Churches Abroad
There were many overseas visitors in this biennium :
• Canon Ivor Smith Cameron and four of his friends from UK visited our Diocese on 9th January 2002.
• Rev. Prof. Kenneth Ross, the newly appointed General Secretary of the Board of World Mission, Church of Scotland and Ms. Jill Hughes, the Asia Secretary were here on 2nd March 2002 to have consultation with our Diocese in connection with the preparation of the report on “ The Church without walls” in Scotland.
• Dr. Dale Bishop the Executive Minister, Rev. Dr. Patricia Tucker, the President, Division of Overseas Ministries and Rev. Dr. James Vijayakumar, Area Executive, Southern Asia Office, Global Ministries, UCC, the Disciples of Christ, USA visited our Diocese on 24th April 2002.The Department of Ecumenical Relations organized a felicitation for them on that day in CSI Ewart Girl’s School Auditorium.
• Rev. Jane Butterfield and Rev. Dr. Titus Presler, from Episcopal Churches, USA, visited our Diocese between 8th and 10th May 2002. They were also speakers at the CSI Quadrenniel women conference on the 9th.
• Rev. Dr. Eleazer. S . Fernandez, Director,Common Global Ministries,UCC, Disciples of Christ, USA, visited between 25th June and 3rd July 2002.
• Rev. Bubsy Arulambalam, the outgoing Executive Secretary for Church Projects and Relationship, and Rev.John Barr, the incoming Executive Secretary, from the Uniting Church in Australia, visited during July 23rd - 25th, 2002.
• Rt. Rev. Kumara Illangasinhe of the Anglican Diocese, Colombo, visited on 16th July 2002.
• Prof. Dr. Charlotte G. Patton from the Diocese of New York visited our diocese during 25th July and 31st July 2002.
• A team of 9 members from the Methodist Church, UK along with Rev.P.J.Jayaseelan of TTS, made a brief visit on 5th August 2002.
• A eleven members team from the United Church of Christ , USA drawn from different women Fellowships of UCC, led by the Area Executive, Southern Asia, Global Ministries Rev. Dr. Vijayakumar visited our Diocese during 17th –20th October 2002.
• Eileen Barnett from UCA, Austaralia visited our Diocese during 23rd-28th October 2002.This is her second visit.She visited Boyal Memorial School and the Girl’s Hostel at Kollagunta.
• The Secretary of the Presbytarien Churches in Taiwan Rev. Daniel Yin-Er Cheng and the Tresurer Mr.Kuo, Ming-Huo visited our Diocese in the fist week of December 2002.
• Mary and Pat from All Saints, London visited on 9th January, 2003.
• Saraha Caruthers a volunteer from UCC Australia for a period of six months from 12th August 2002 is now helping the Girl’s hostel and the Day Care Centre in Ikkadu.
• The Department prepared the itinerary for these overseas visitors and arranged visits to some of our institutions and projects to have a bird’s eye view of our Diocesan ministries. After a general orientation these visitors were taken around to visit churches, educational Institutions, special institutions and project spots.
• These visits help both the partner Dioceses to benefit mutually in exchanging ideas and understand the ministries and the thrust areas.
• They also increase our ecumenical faith that we all belong to the universal church.
Visit to Carlisle Diocese
The Diocese of Madras is having partnership relation with the Carlisle Diocese, UK, for quiet some time. Two of our youth members Miss.Hannah Evangeline and Miss. Felishia were sent to Carlisle Diocese under exchange programme to be with the Rydal Hall Community for a period of four months from June 1st to September 30th, 2002. Both of them had a good exposure and gained experience.
Parish Partnership
The parish of Penrith in the Carlisle Diocese has expressed its willingness to have links with a pastorate in Madras Diocese. Andrwes Church Chinglepattu Pastorate is likely to have partnership with Penrith.
9. Ecumenical Concerns
• Encouraging our churches to have ecumenical relations with other denominations at the local level.
• Planning for ecumenical programmes at the Diocese level and at Area level.
• Coming together to express solidarity with each other on issues of common interest.
Ecumenical Christmas Carols and a Dance Drama
The Department For Ecumenical Relations organized an ecumenical Christmas Carols, and a dance drama in Indian ethos, “ Rose of Sharon” depicting the Life of Jesus Christ on Saturday the 15th December 2001 at Ewart Girl’s School. Our Bishop Rt. Rev . V. Devasahayam gave the Christmas message. The Bishop urged the people to empty themselves to be filled with the spirit of Christ and be messengers of God’s peace and goodwill to all people.
The Emmanuel Methodist Church Choir, Santhome Cathedral Choir, and the Christian Cultural Academy set the mood for the “ballet” with a good rendition of carols in English and Tamil. The Telugu Baptist Church gave a solo.
The Krishnasamy sisters, Lata and Geeta, who choreographed the 75 minute long presentation, provided a visual and aural feast combining as they did elements of folk dance and mime to recorded music.
One of the high points of the evening programme was the excellent music. Mr.T Samuel Joseph, better known as music director Shyaam presented the light classic music. The Hindu daily dated 21-12-2001 called it “a distinct visual feast.”
This year also a Multi-Lingual Ecumenical Christmas Carol singing was organised on 6th December 2002 at C.S.I Ewart Girl’s Matriculation School. Various denominations of different languages participated. The Sacred Heart Church, Korean Church Chennai, Oriha Congregation in Chennai, ECI church, TELC Adaikalanather Church, Bethel Telugu Church, The Gurukul Choir, The Christian Cultural Academy Choir (CCA) ,C.S.I St. George’s Cathedral Choir, C.S.I Malayalam congregation, Madras Diocese Pastor’s Choir and Diocesan women Fellowship Choir took part in this ecumenical programme.
Our Bishop Rt. Rev. Dr. V. Devasahayam presided over this programme. The Christmas message was shared by Sr. Leema Rose, President of Tamil Nadu CRI and the Mother General of St. Ann’s convent.
10. Future Plans
It is planned to communicate effectively the aims and the objectives of the Department to all the members of our Diocese and make them participate more meaningfully through the action oriented five point programmes :
- To encourage atleast 10 city churches to choose 10 rural congregations under Twinning programme every year.
- To encourage atleast 10 partner churches to organise two joint programmes every year one in the city and another in a rural area to experience both city and rural exposures.
- To identify new Dioceses abroad and explore the possibilities of having partnership relations and to work on exchange programmes.
- To organise more ecumenical programmes, seminars and conferences.
- To initiate inter - faith dialogue.
I thank the previous Director of the Department Rev. V. S. Vijayakumar for his help. I thank all the Officers of our Diocese and the Bishop’s Chaplain Rev. James Christian for their cooperation and guidance. I also thank the Directors of various Departments in arranging programmes. Finally I thank our Bishop Rt. Rev. V. Devasahayam for all his encouragements in the planning and the execution of all the programmes of our Department. I praise God for His wonderful presence and guidance throughout the Biennium.
Prof. J. Samuel Cornelius
Honorary Director
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