The Presbyterian Agenda

The church in India is believed to date back to apostolic times. When the Pope sent Franciscans to India in the 14th century, they found Christians as well as Hindus in what is now the state of Kerala. These Christians were of Eastern Orthodox background so the Franciscans sought to convert them, as well as the Hindus. The Syrian Orthodox church strongly believes that the apostle Thomas come to India in AD52 and founded their church. Thomas later went over to the East coast where, according to the local tradition, he was killed by Brahmins. Today a shrine marks on St Thomas Mount in the city of Madras marks the place of his death. A reforming movement in the Syrian Orthodox Church gave rise to the Mar Thoma Church in the 19th century.

The Portuguese came to trade in spices early in the 16th century and established a colony at Goa. They were pleasantly surprised to find Syrian Christians there but soon decided they need to be converted to Roman Catholicism. They requested the Pope to send some priests and so Francis Xavier came to south India in 1541. He established Roman Catholic churches among coastal communities before going on to Japan.

The first Protestant missionaries were sent by the king of Denmark in 1706. They settled on the East coast of South India. The work was supported by the SPCK in England. From early in the 18th century British influence began to grow and by the beginning of the 19th century they had trading and administration centres at Bombay, Madras, and Calcutta. At this time many Protestant mission societies were emerging in Britain and America. However, the East India Company had come to India to trade, not to evangelise, so missionaries were not welcome. Wilberforce attempted to pass a bill through Parliament in England making the Company responsible for the social and spiritual welfare of the native people, but his bill was rejected.

The Baptist Mission Society sent William Carey to Bengal (Calcutta) in 1793 on a Danish vessel. He settled in a small Danish territory at Serampore and started preaching the gospel to Hindus. The British had set up Anglican churches to look after their own people, not to reach the local Hindus. In 1812 the charter of the East India Company changed to allow missionaries. CMS sent missionaries, as did the Church of Scotland. In 1830 Alexander Duff was sent out by the Church of Scotland. He settled in Calcutta to begin ministry though education.

The Free Church of Scotland sent missionaries to central India (Nagpur) but the Disruption in Scotland (1843) had repercussions on the mission field. The Union of 1900 also had repercussions, such that the work by the Free Church had to be restarted. Centres were soon opened in Chhapara and Lakhnadon. The Free Churches of Central India (FCCI) was created as a national church in 1956, but was not legally constituted as a Presbytery until 1985. By this time there were three congregations. At that time joining the Reformed Presbyterians in the Northern state of UP was considered.

The Reformed Presbyterian Church (in North India) came about through the union of two Reformed churches established by American Presbyterians. It was this church which established the Presbyterian Theological Seminary (PTS) in 1969. This Reformed church continues today with churches in Delhi, Roorkee, Kanpur, Haridwar and Dehra Dun. The teaching and ruling elders of these churches meet in the Nav Jeevan Presbytery. In Dehra Dun the Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church meets for worship on the PTS campus. An English congregation is seeking its own session. Other congregations based on regional languages (Malayalam, Nepali, Tamil and Manipuri) meet under the direction of this Presbytery. I was privileged to address a meeting of this Presbytery in Dehra Dun in February 2007.

Most of the Presbyterian and Reformed churches established prior to Independence in 1947 were swallowed up in church unions. Australian, American and Scottish Presbyterians had extensive work in Madras and South Arcot. With commonality in Reformed doctrines and Presbyterian polity these united to form the Presbyterian Church of South India in 1904. In North India the United Church of North India (UCNI) brought together Presbyterians and Congregationalists while retaining Presbyterian government.

In 1947 the Church of South India (CSI) was formed. Anglicans, Methodists and Presbyterians united to form what became an Episcopal Church. Presbyterianism was replaced by Episcopacy. The same thing happened in North India with the formation to the CNI in 1957. These unions were held up as ideal models for the Uniting Church in Australia. Both Reformed doctrine and Presbyterian polity were lost from the mainline churches in India.

The mainline churches in India were undermined by liberal doctrine during the last two centuries. Moreover, the Episcopal form of government opened the way for corruption. Such churches continue today, but often with little spiritual life. Charismatic churches have multiplied to fill this spiritual vacuum. These churches usually have no effective church government, being dominated by one leader. There is no interaction or sharing between these independent churches, apart from evangelistic conventions from time to time.

In Allahadad, mainline churches have large buildings (from colonial days), but few members. Numerous small meetings and house churches operate. One friend of ours had left the mainline church and started a church in his house. This is typical of so much of India. In Siliguri we visited Tigi Verghis, an Interserve partner assisting various churches in rural development. One of his neighbours was starting a new independent church. One day we heard singing coming from a house down the street. That was another group meeting, Tigi told us. At PTS in Dehra Dun at least four 'fellowships' were going on within a stone's throw of the campus. Maybe another has started, or one has closed down, since we were there.

I was anxious to get to PTS and learn about the ministry of this Seminary. The PCEA recently sent support to the Reformed Presbyterian Church of NE India (RPCNEI). In correspondence I was told that this church became reformed and Presbyterian after a graduate returned from PTS in 1979. I was delighted to meet the vice principal of PTS, Rev Roshyama, and learn that he was a member of this church. He attended the synod of RPCNEI in February. There are some 20 churches represented in their synod.

Other Reformed and Presbyterian churches can be found in the Darjeeling area. The UCNI is returning to is roots after avoiding union with CNI in 1957. Training of elders and members is going on. There is an Evangelical Presbyterian church in the Darjeeling hills, centred on Kalimpong, which has a Scottish heritage. In the mountain state of Sikkim is another Evangelical Presbyterian church. A Reformed Presbyterian church is located in the city of Bangalore and in a nearby town. Leaders from most of these Reformed churches, including the FCCI, sit on the governing board of PTS.

PTS therefore has a strategic role to play in the much needed teaching of the Reformed faith and Presbyterian government in the vast land of India. Graduates returning to liberal churches face a big challenge to bring about reform in doctrine and practice. Graduates going into mission have a solid foundation for church planting. It was encouraging to see one graduate having planted a church now looking to appoint elders under the direction of the Nav Jeevan Presbytery. It is our hope that these Reformed churches can be drawn into closer fellowship and through further church planting can be linked across the land of India.

L to R: M Chacko [Principal], R Chand, Visitors from DVN Netherlands, V.Minz

Getting to Synod in RPCNRI.

Members of the RPCNEI Synod.