The Madhya Kerala Diocese is one of the twenty-four dioceses of the Church of South India (CSI), a United Protestant denomination covering the central part of Kerala.
When the Church of South India was formed on 27 September 1947, the diocese was called the Diocese of Central Travancore. The diocese was formed from the ecclesiastical territories of Protestant denominations in India, including the Diocese of Travancore and Cochin of the Church of India, Burma and Ceylon (Anglican) that was founded in 1879, the South India United Church (Congregationalist, Presbyterian and Continental Reformed), and the southern district of the Methodist Church.
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History
The history of the Madhya Kerala Diocese dates back to the work of the Church Missionary Society in the state of Travancore. R.H. Kerr and Claudius Buchanan, visited the Malabar Syrians in 1806, during the episcopate of Mar Dionysius I. Lord William Bentinck 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; a division occurred between Orthodox Syrian Christians and a minority from the Church, who were in favor of the Reformed theology of the CMS missionaries. According to some estimates, about 6,000–12,000 Orthodox Syrian Christians joined the Church of India, Burma and Ceylon in 1837; these were known as Syrian Anglicans.
Early in 1876, the Society began negotiations with the Secretary of State for India so that a new diocese can be formed under the Jerusalem Bishopric Act for the Church of England in the Native States of Travancore and Cochin. The Diocese of Travancore and Cochin (in the Church of India, Burma and Ceylon) was erected with its See at Kottayam 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 (1890–1904), a CMS Missionary from Ceylon followed him as diocesan bishop. He was installed in the Pro-Cathedral, Kottayam 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 (1905–1925), who was consecrated in Westminster Abbey 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 Church of India, Burma and Ceylon (CIBC), the South India United Church (Congregationalist, Presbyterian and Continental Reformed), and the southern district of the Methodist Church merged to form the Church of South India, a United Protestant denomination. The presiding bishop at the CSI's inauguration was C. K. Jacob, Bishop of Travancore and Cochin who became Bishop in Central Travancore. The diocese's territory was reduced and renamed the Diocese of Central Travancore. Subsequently, it has been renamed the Diocese of Madhya Kerala after the state of Kerala was formed in 1956 — Madhya is Hindi for central.
Due to the presence of CSI Syriac Christians in the Church of South India, churches of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (in Oriental Orthodox Communion, autocephalous), Malankara Jacobite Syriac Orthodox Church (in Oriental Orthodox Communion, under Antioch) and Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church 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 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 Kottayam, Kerala. 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, Kottayam.
Bishops
Anglican Bishops of Travancore and Cochin
John Speechly (1879–1889)
Noel Hodges (1890–1904)
Hope Gill (1905–1924)
Edward Moore (1925–1937)
Bernard Corfield (1938–1944)
Cherakarottu Korula Jacob (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 (2011–2020)
Sabu Koshy Cherian (2021-Till date)
District Councils
The Diocese is divided into 12 District Councils. Each Council has a chairman presbyter.
Institutions under the diocese
Ashram
Bethel Ashram, Thiruvalla
Printing Press
C.M.S. Press, Kottayam (The first printing press in Kerala, established in 1821)
Weaving School
CMS Weaving School, Tholassery, Thiruvalla
Colleges
CMS College Kottayam (The first college in Kerala, established in 1817)
Peet Memorial Training College Mavelikara
Bishop Moore College 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, Kottayam
Bishop Hodges Higher Secondary School Mavelikara
CMS Higher Secondary School Mallapally
CMS College Higher Secondary Kottayam
CMS Higher Secondary Kuzhikala
Notable churches
Within Kerala
Holy Trinity CSI Cathedral, Kottayam
St.Joseph CSI Church, Poovathoor
St.Peter's CSI Church, Puthuppally
CSI Ascension Church Kottayam
CSI Christ Church, Thiruvananthapuram
St. Stephen's CSI Church Pariyaram Mallappally
CSI Christ Church, Alappuzha
CSI Christ Church, Mavelikkara
CSI Christ Church, Kodukulanji
St. Paul's CSI Church, Ranni
St. Johns CSI Church Neelampara Karukachal
Transfiguration CSI Church, Varikkad Thiruvalla
Holy Trinity CSI Church Mundakayam
St. Thomas CSI Church, Tholassery Thiruvalla
St. Thomas CSI Church, Kumbanad Kumbanad
St. Thomas CSI Church, Punnakadu
St. Thomas CSI Church, Pattathanam, Kollam
Holy Immanuel CSI Church, Mallappally
CSI Christ Church, Kaviyoor
St. Andrew's CSI Church, Kozhuvalloor