Jashwant Rao Chitambar
Encyclopedia
Jashwant Rao Chitambar (5 September 1879-4 September 1940) was the first India
n Bishop
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
of North and South India, elected in 1931.
, United Provinces
, India
. He was the son of native preacher
Rajaram Chitambar, who was a converted
Mahratta
Brahmin
, one of the first converts to Christianity as a result of missionary
work in western India. Both of Chitambar's parents were of the high caste Indians, who converted to Christianity.
in 1907. He became a Hindustani
pastor
, district superintendent, and educator. He was the first Indian delegate to General Conference. One of the founders of the National Missionary Society of India, Chitambar was a delegate to the World's Missionary Conference in Edinburgh
in 1910.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
of North and South India, elected in 1931.
Early life
Chitambar was born in AllahabadAllahabad
Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...
, United Provinces
United Provinces of Agra and Oudh
The United Provinces of Agra and Oudh was a province of India under the British Raj, which existed from 1902 to 1947; the official name was shortened by the Government of India Act 1935 to United Provinces, by which the province had been commonly known, and by which name it was also a province of...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He was the son of native preacher
Preacher
Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
Rajaram Chitambar, who was a converted
Conversion to Christianity
Conversion to Christianity is the religious conversion of a previously non-Christian person to some form of Christianity. It has been called the foundational experience of Christian life...
Mahratta
Mahratta
Mahratta may refer to* the Maratha caste, a ruling class of the Indian subcontinent* the Maratha EmpireShips*SS Mahratta , lost in a collision with SS Victoria in 1887 in the River Hoogly.* SS Mahratta , lost on the Goodwin Sands in 1909....
Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
, one of the first converts to Christianity as a result of missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
work in western India. Both of Chitambar's parents were of the high caste Indians, who converted to Christianity.
Ordained ministry
Chitambar was accepted into the membership of the North India Annual ConferenceAnnual Conference
An Annual Conference in the United Methodist Church is a regional body that governs much of the life of the "Connectional Church." Annual conferences are composed primarily of the clergy members and a lay member or members from each charge . Each conference is a geographical division...
in 1907. He became a Hindustani
Hindustan
Hindustan or Indostan, literal translation "Land of River Sindhu ", is one of the popular names of South Asia. It can also mean "the land of the Hindus"...
pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
, district superintendent, and educator. He was the first Indian delegate to General Conference. One of the founders of the National Missionary Society of India, Chitambar was a delegate to the World's Missionary Conference in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
in 1910.
Episcopal ministry
He was elected to the episcopacy of the M.E. Church by the Central Conference of Southern Asia in 1931. His election made him the second native Protestant bishop. He became ill on his return from the General Conference of 1940, and he died 4 September 1940 in Jubbulpore, India. He was buried in Jubbulpore.Selected works
- John WesleyJohn WesleyJohn Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
, the Man Who Did Exploits, in God's Heroes Our Examples, 1914. - Mahatma GandhiMahatma GandhiMohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
: His Life, Work and Influence, 1933. - Translation of Christian Hymns.
- Member of committee that revised "The Standard Hindustani Dictionary."