DREAMS have come true-First Indian Lady BISHOP

DREAMS HAVE COME TRUE.

The.Rt.Rev.Dr.E.Pushpalalitha becomes the first Woman Bishop ever in India in the context of CSI  Diocese of Nandyal which is still part of Anglican Church in the World.

We congratulate her.

The Church of South India has today appointed its first woman bishop.

The Revd Eggoni Pushpalalitha was ordained in 1983 and has most recently been a priest in the Diocese of Nadyal in Andhra Pradesh.

Her appointment comes only days after the Church of Ireland elected its first woman bishop, the Revd Pat (Patricia) Storey as the new Bishop of Meath and Kildare.

Provincial Secretary of the Church of South India, Mani M. Philip confirmed that Miss Pushpalalitha had been appointed by the Synod Selection Board this afternoon.

"We have been ordaining women since 1976," he told ACNS, adding that in its constitution, the province mandates that at least 25 per cent of all statutory bodies should be women.

Bishop-designate Pushpalalitha is expected to be installed on Monday 30 September.

One of the 38 Member Churches of the Anglican Communion, the Church of South India is a 'united' Church--the result of the union of churches of varying traditions Anglican, Methodist, Congregational, Presbyterian, and Reformed. It was inaugurated in September 1947

WE AT CSIPASS CONGRATULATE HER.

How can we tolerate?You better judge.

Jacob Reginald

2 hours ago 

All arrangements are being done to dedicate the new DEVIKULAM CSI church by the Bishop Rev. B.N. Fenn on 29th September 2013 but a retired pastor Mr. Ponniyan who does not have any qualification to become a reverent and filed case against the diocese over his salary, conducted a dedication service on 22nd September 2013 by trespassing into the new church just a week before. The secretary of the pastorate Mr. Christopher Raj is cutting ribbon along with his family and friends. What a pity?

Dear Readers,

This photo appeared in the 'Facebook' today.Details posted by Mr.Jacob Rejinald,who is a church 

member from Munnar area.He is an Evangelist also.

We humbly request all our readers to judge yourselves and respond.

How can we tolerate this??

csipass workers.Puthiyara,Calicut.

Delhi gang-rape case: Death sentence for all four convicts

NEW DELHI: After a nine-month-long trial, fast track court on Friday handed down death penalty to all the four convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case. The court while pronouncing the judgment said that "it cannot turn a blind eye on the rising cases of sexual assualt against women" and that the incident shook the "collective conscience of the society". The court said the case falls under rarest of rare category. 

"In these times when crime against women are on rise, we cannot turn a blind eye towards such gruesome crime,we need to send a message that it will not be tolerated," the judge said. 

Gym instructor Vinay Sharma, bus cleaner Akshay Thakur, fruit-seller Pawan Gupta and Mukesh Singh, who were found guilty in all 13 charges, including murder and rape, were given death sentence by judge Yogesh Khanna today. Out of the six men arrested in the case, Ram Singh committed suicide inside Tihar Jail. Another accused, who was 17 at the time of the crime, was sent to reform home for three years by a juvenile court.

The shocking rape-murder case had triggered nationwide protests and debate over women safety in the country and eventually saw the Parliament passing a stringent change in rape laws.

The Indian Penal Code (IPC) was amended to provide death penalty in rape cases that cause death of the victim or leave her in a vegetative state. The Act also introduced several other new offences such as causing grievous injury through acid attacks, sexual harassment, use of criminal force on a woman with intent to disrobe, voyeurism and stalking.

Besides gang rape and murder, the court had held Mukesh (26), Vinay Sharma (20), Pawan Gupta (19) and Akshay Singh Thakur (28) guilty of attempt to murder, unnatural offences, dacoity, destruction of evidence, conspiracy, kidnapping or abducting in order to murder, while acquitting them of the charge of murder in dacoity.

Additional sessions judge Yogesh Khanna, presiding the special fast track court, also convicted them for kidnapping or abducting with intent to secretly and wrongfully confining a person, abducting to subject a person to grievous hurt and slavery, abducting woman to cause her defilement, voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery and dishonestly receiving property stolen in the commission of a dacoity of the IPC.

"The accused have also tried to destroy the evidence after the incident, so they are convicted under section 201 of the IPC. They had abducted the victim to have illicit intercourse with her, so they are convicted under section 366 of the IPC," the judge had said while pronouncing the judgement on Tuesday.

While pronouncing the verdict, the judge said, even though the proceedings against accused Ram Singh (34), who was found dead in his prison cell after he committed suicide on March 11, were abated, "he is also convicted under same sections (gang rape, murder and other offences)".

On the night of December 16, last year, Ram Singh, Vinay, Akshay, Pawan, Mukesh and the juvenile had gang-raped the girl in a bus after luring her and her 28-year-old male friend, who was also assaulted, on board the vehicle, which was later found to be plying illegally on Delhi roads.

The victim's friend, a software engineer, had fractured his limbs in the incident. The girl succumbed to her injuries on December 29, 2012 at a Singapore hospital.


courtesy-Times of India

MEMBERS SUSPENDED FOR MISLEADING GOVT.AUTHORITIES-WELL DONE BISHOP FENN

With great pleasure we inform you that Mr.C.M.Babu(DC MEMBER, and Ex-manager of Malabar schools management,Later expelled by the Executive Committee))and Mr.Aby Abraham(secretary,kunnamkulam CSI CHURCH) and Mr.Rainor Kunieth(DC and PC member.CSI Puthiyara) are suspended from all the elected posts.They misled the Govt.and it badly affected the approval of teachers working in our schools.Rev.Vinod Allen was appointed as the Corporate Manager by the Moderator's Commissary,who has all the powers of the Bishop.But these people sent complaint to the Govt.claiming that Commissary is not a Bishop.They know pretty well that when a Bishop is on long leave or sick as per the constitution The Moderator will appoint another Bishop( From neighboring Diocese)as 'commissary"(Bishop -in -Charge).
But they deliberately confused the Govt.Authorities and questioned the 'Dignity' of this great Church.As a result of this 'Foolish and Childish' activity the approval of number of employees working under the management is pending.They are not getting salaries for long time.The Govt.conducted a hearing on this issue and they were not in a position to open their mouths when the Constitution of CSI was opened.

Mr.Jayachandra Hermon alias Unni,Mr.Sajan Mathew(C.M.Babu's brother),Mr.Rainor Kunieth(DC AND PC member,puthiyara)and Mr.Sushanth Rejinold were the people raised different 'Foolish Complaints with the Govt. Mr.Sushanth did not appear for hearing.Mr.Jacob Mathew alias Rony(functioned as Trichur Schools manager without the decision of Executive Committee,illegally appointed by ex-Bishop K.P.Kuruvila)appeared for Mr.Sajan Mathew.None of them could not justify their versions and the baseless allegations raised against the management.

Mr.Rainor Kunieth and Mr.Sushanth had submitted another confusing complaint with the Regional Deputy Director of Higher Secondary Education ,Calicut and the salaries of few teachers were withhold by 'confusion'.(It was published by leading news papers).The Director from Trivandrum interfered and salaries were released.The teachers Association also interfered in this regard. 

In short the good image of the Management as well as the Diocese is spoiling by their childish activities and the poor employees and their families are struggling.

Nobody can file a single complaint against the present Corporate Manager because he is functioning strictly according to the Kerala Education Rules(Not like Paul David and C.M.Babu Functioned).The department is very happy with his performance and we are gaining very good image among the Govt.Officials,which was totally spoiled by Rev.Paul David and C.M.Babu,the ex-managers).

Now we congratulate the Bishop Fenn and the officers of the Diocese for taking firm decision to remove these persons from the elected posts on a social issue.

Along with the thousands of Church members and the employees we offer our whole heated support to the beloved Bishop and the officers.

GIRL STUDENTS AGAINST CHEMICAL WEAPONS-CALICUT BEM GIRLS HSS.

Coimbatore Bishopric Election Held But Hit By Court Stay

It was a case of so near yet so far for the victorious candidates in the Coimbatore bishopric elections held today. Four of them were elected by members of the Diocesan Council to be on the bishopric panel from which the Synod will ultimately choose one as the new bishop. In all there were 11 contestants in the fray. Rev Timothy Ravinder who is the Liaison Officer on the CSI-EMS India Desk topped the panel closely followed by Rev Paul Selwyn Prabhudas who is the incumbent vice president of the diocese. Both were elected in the second round of polling while in the third round two more candidates made it to the panel. They were Rev D. V. Karunakaran, a former Moderator’s Commissary for Coimbatore Diocese, and Rev Richard Durai from Erode.
...
But a serious question mark now hangs over the election itself as a court stay on holding the poll was pasted on the door of the diocesan office this afternoon. Yesterday a city court had issued a stay but the orders were only typed this morning and when the court official went to serve it at the venue of the election, no one accepted it resulting in the court official then pasting it on the door of the diocesan office. The stay is based on a case filed by a member of the CSI church in Yercaud which was not given representation in the diocesan council polls held earlier. The case has been going on for several months now and was being contested by the diocese. Therefore the diocese cannot really claim ignorance about the stay. In fact some sources say the delay in typing the stay order was ‘managed’ to ensure it did not prevent the elections from being held.

Rev Timothy Ravinder is clearly the favourite to become bishop, not least because he has a very good equation with Moderator G. Devakadasham. This relationship blossomed when Rev Ravinder served as head of the CSI Centre in Chennai for a number of years and the Moderator was in charge of the Pastoral Affairs Department of the Synod. Less than a year ago Rev Ravinder had been selected to head the high profile CSI-EMS liaison desk at the Synod Office. With Bishop Devakadasham having less than six months left as Moderator and highly unlikely to seek a second term as head of the CSI , any court-induced delay in validating the election held today will be a worry for Rev Ravinder , perhaps more than for others in the race.

source-youth4csi

India's first transgender pastor finds fulfilment

India(Tamil Nadu):Faith in Christ helped her through many hardships.

Ten years ago, Bharathi, then a teenager, would dance with other transgender friends in the streets of Chennai for money. But now as a Protestant pastor she leads the faithful in worship and plans to minister to her fellow transgenders.

Pastor Bharathi, 28, of the Evangelical Church of India, a Protestant church active in South India, is widely considered the first transgender pastor in the country.

“I feel like a special person,” she says. But her life has been full of tears, agony and hardship.

Born as Bharath Raja, she was the third child and first son to a Hindu family near the coastal district of Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu state.

“I realized I was different as I was growing up. Deep down I felt I was a woman while all the while I was being treated like a boy,” she told ucanews.com.

Her family was angry at her feminine traits and repeatedly told her to act like a boy. The taunts and pressure were so great she even attempted to kill herself.

It was during her struggle with her sexuality in school that she was introduced to Christianity. “I believed in Jesus from a young age,” she said.

Her father would often beat her for attending church, she recalled. But she held firm to her faith.

After finishing her schooling and being unable to take the pressure from her family any more, she ran away to the state capital Chennai and joined a group of transgender people.

"I learned their ways, culture and how they survived in difficult situations. I felt comfortable with them," Bharathi said.

Transgender people generally live on the margins of society and work as commercial sex workers or beg for a living, according to Angel Glady, a transgender activist and member of an NGO working for their  welfare.

India has an estimated 500,000 transgender people, who can be generally seen on the streets and at railway stations begging for money. They also do street performances to make a living since they are not accepted in normal social life.

"Suicide rates are highest among us, most have psychological problems, and generally their average life expectancy is less than others," Glady told ucanews.com.

"Everything is difficult for us ... obtaining food, clothing and shelter," Angel said.

Luckily, there has been more political acceptance for transgender people in Tamil Nadu over the last six years. The state has introduced several welfare measures for transgender people like free sex change surgery, housing, separate welfare boards and accepting transgender people as a “third sex.”

In 2007, Bharathi underwent sex change surgery to complete her transformation into a woman. All the while she kept her faith in Christ and love for working among transgender people, she said.

Bharathi’s break came when a Protestant helped her through a theology course to become a pastor. In 2011 she graduated in theology and became the first transgender graduate of India's Serampore University in West Bengal.

“She is a dedicated and committed person and a unique personality," said Bishop Ezra Sargunam of the Evangelical Church of India.

“We had no issues with a transgender person doing ministry work,“ the prelate said.

Glady, a Catholic, said Bharathi being accepted into a ministry "is definitely a sign of our acceptance" in Christian society.

Rural parishioners with whom she works accepted her for who she is.

“She is good in teaching scriptures, and does good work in our community,” said Dayalan, one of her parishioners.

Bharathi’s estranged family finally accepted her after she became a pastor.

“One can live a holy life despite being a transgender,” said Pastor Bharathi, who now plans to set up an orphanage for HIV positive transgender people and a counseling center.

“I am not angry with God for creating me like this, I only see myself as an instrument to glorify his name,” she said.

“One day I hope to get married and lead a beautiful family life,” she said with a smile.
Source; ucanews.com