Madhya Kerala Diocese
Encyclopedia
The Madhya Kerala Diocese is one of the twenty-two dioceses of the Church of South India
(successor of the Church of England
) covering the central part of Kerala
. When the Church of South India was inaugurated on 27 September 1947, it was called the Diocese of Central Travancore and was renamed the Diocese of Madhya Kerala. It was a part of the erstwhile Anglican Diocese of Travancore and Cochin founded in 1879. In Kerala, there are other three CSI Dioceses viz: North Kerala Diocese, South Kerala Diocese
, East Kerala Diocese.
is in Kottayam
, Kerala
. The Bishop's House and a Retreat Centre is in the campus of the Headquarters. The Diocese publishes THE TREASURY OF KNOWLEDGE , monthly, as the organ of the Diocese.
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 2 zones (North Zone and South Zone), each headed by a District Minister. And it is further divided into 12 District Councils. The Bishop of the diocese is assisted by the Executive Committee, formed by an election from the Diocesan Council.
.
of the Diocese is Rt. Rev. Thomas K Oommen since March 5, 2011.
The Bishops of the Madhya Kerala Diocese :
Anglican
CSI
Church of South India
The Church of South India is the successor of the Church of England in India. It came into being in 1947 as a union of Anglican and Protestant churches in South India. With a membership of over 3.8 million, it is India's second largest Christian church after the Roman Catholic Church in India...
(successor of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
) covering the central part of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. When the Church of South India was inaugurated on 27 September 1947, it was called the Diocese of Central Travancore and was renamed the Diocese of Madhya Kerala. It was a part of the erstwhile Anglican Diocese of Travancore and Cochin founded in 1879. In Kerala, there are other three CSI Dioceses viz: North Kerala Diocese, South Kerala Diocese
South Kerala Diocese
South Kerala Diocese is a diocese of the Church of South India. In 2010 the diocese has 352 ordained pastors, 49 retired pastors and more than 200 church workers. There are 60 districts and 623 churches in this diocese.-History:...
, East Kerala Diocese.
About the Diocese
The Diocesan HeadquartersHeadquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
is in Kottayam
Kottayam
Kottayam is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative capital of the Kottayam district. Kottayam Kottayam (Malayalam: കോട്ടയം) is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative...
, Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. The Bishop's House and a Retreat Centre is in the campus of the Headquarters. The Diocese publishes THE TREASURY OF KNOWLEDGE , monthly, as the organ of the Diocese.
The Diocese has a Diocesan Council which governs the diocese. All the clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
of the diocese and elected laymen from the local congregations are the members of the Diocesan Council. The Diocese is divided into 2 zones (North Zone and South Zone), each headed by a District Minister. And it is further divided into 12 District Councils. The Bishop of the diocese is assisted by the Executive Committee, formed by an election from the Diocesan Council.
District Councils of the Diocese
The Diocese is divided into 12 District Councils. Each Council has a chairman presbyterPresbyter
Presbyter in the New Testament refers to a leader in local Christian congregations, then a synonym of episkopos...
.
- AdoorAdoorAdoor is a town and a municipality near Pandalam in Pathanamthitta district, Kerala state, India, spread over an area of 20.42 km2. The town is located midway between Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam. It is among one of the three municipalities in Pathanamthitta district.-Etymology:It is...
Dist. Council with 9 pastorates. - ElanthoorElanthoorElanthoor is a village in Pathanamthitta district in the state of Kerala, India.The village owns a significant position in ecumenism,with temples and churches ata hand's distance,but not much noticed by others....
Dist. Council with 10 pastorates. - EttumanoorEttumanoorEttumanoor is a major town in Kottayam District of Kerala, India, located 11 kilometers north-east of Kottayam town, 65 km from Cochin and 73 km from Cochin International Airport...
Dist. Council with 9 pastorates. - KodukulanjiKodukulanjiKodukulanji is a small village situated in Chengannur Taluk, Alleppey district, Kerala, India. It is located around 5 km north of the Achankovil River and 7 km south of the Pamba River. Nearest railway station is Chengannur . Nearest Airport is Cochin . The village is predominantly...
Dist. Council with 4 pastorates. - KottayamKottayamKottayam is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative capital of the Kottayam district. Kottayam Kottayam (Malayalam: കോട്ടയം) is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative...
Dist. Council with 15 pastorates. - KumplampoikaKumplampoikaKumplampoika is a village in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala, India.Kumplampoika evolved out of "Kumbhi Ulavum Poika" which literally connotes the presence of "Kumbhi" in the village a few hundred years back...
Dist. Council with 9 pastorates. - Mallappally Dist. Council with 9 pastorates.
- Mavelikara Dist. Council with 16 pastorates.
- Mundakkayam Dist. Council with 7 pastorates.
- PallomPallomPallom is a small village on the highway from Kottayam to Trivandrum in southeastern India. It has not undergone much change when compared to other parts of Kerala. The nearest airport is the Cochin International Airport which could be reached within 2 hours. It is just 6 km from Kottayam...
Dist. Council with 14 pastorates. - PunnavelyPunnavelyPunnavely is a village situated on the border between Pathanamthitta district and Kottayam district in Kerala State, India. 'Punna' is the Malayalam term for Ball Nut tree , and 'Vely' means 'fence'...
Dist. Council with 7 pastorates. - TiruvallaTiruvallaTiruvalla , is a city and a Taluk headquarters located in Pathanamthitta district in the State of Kerala in South India, spread over an area of 27.94 km2...
Dist. Council with 11 pastorates.
| Membership | 2.75 Lakh |
| District Councils | 12 |
| Presbyters in active service | 155 |
| Catechists | 20 |
| Readers | 43 |
| Pastorates | 120 |
| Congregations | 382 |
| Congregations outside Kerala | 12 |
| Congregations outside India | 19 |
| Colleges | 4 |
| Higher Secondary Schools | 5 |
| Special Higher Secondary Schools | 2 |
| High Schools | 13 |
| Upper Primary Schools | 9 |
| Lower Primary Schools | 102 |
| English Medium Schools (unaided) | 2 |
| Nursery Schools | 3 |
| Boarding Homes and Day Care Centres | 17 |
| Hospitals | 2 |
| Theological Institute | 1 |
Bishops of the Diocese
The current BishopBishop
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 Diocese is Rt. Rev. Thomas K Oommen since March 5, 2011.
The Bishops of the Madhya Kerala Diocese :
Anglican
- The Rt. Rev. J.M Speechly (1879–89)
- The Rt. Rev. E.N Hodges (1890-04)
- The Rt. Rev. Dr. C.H Gills (1905–24)
- The Rt. Rev. E.A.L Moore (1925–37)
- The Rt. Rev. B.C Corfield (1938–44)
- The Rt. Rev. Dr. C.K Jacob (1945–47)
CSI
- The Rt. Rev. Dr. C.K Jacob (1947–57)
- The Rt. Rev. Dr. M.M John (1958–74)
- The Rt. Rev. T.S Joseph (1974–81)
- The Rt. Rev. Dr. M.C Mani (1981–93)
- The Rt. Rev. Dr. Sam Mathew (1993-01)
- The Rt. Rev. Thomas Samuel (2001–11)
- The Rt. Rev. Thomas K Oommen (2011- )