About Ascension CSI Church
Ascension CSI Church of Boston, Massachusetts is a caring community of believers who follow the liturgy and principles of the Church of South India. We meet at the Community United Methodist Church at Wayland, Massachusetts every Sunday at 1.00 pm EST. Since our founding back in 2003, we conduct Worship services in English and Malayalam.
The Church of South India (CSI) was formed in September 1947 as a result of union of various churches in South India and Sri Lanka that previously followed the Anglican, Methodist, Congregational and Presbyterian traditions. CSI is now organized into 22 dioceses, each under the spiritual leadership of a bishop. CSI Synod headquartered in Madras, Tamil Nadu, which elects a Moderator (presiding Bishop) every 2 years, governs the church as a whole. The present Moderator is Rt. Rev. Thomas K. Oommen (Bishop, Madhya Kerala Diocese) and Deputy Moderator is Bishop Vadapally Prasada Rao (Bishop, head of the Dornakal diocese of the CSI in Telangana).
Church of South India (CSI)
When the Church of South India (CSI) was inaugurated on 27th September 1947, it was acclaimed as the most significant event in the Church Union movement, because for the first time after centuries of historic divisions, churches with Episcopal and non Episcopal ministries were brought together in a united Episcopal church.
Four different church traditions had been brought together in the CSI, Anglican (Episcopal), Congregational, Presbyterian and Methodist. All these churches had been established in India through the missionary work of churches in Europe, America and Australia, who had started their work in India at different periods from the beginning of the eighteenth century.