More Regulator Trouble for the CSI

CHRIST Centered Campaign (CCC) Newsletter No 72.  June 19, 2012

In This Issue

More Regulator Trouble for the CSI

Leslie Nathaniel Makes a Second Bid for Bishop

Priceless Wisdom on Church Governance

More Regulator Trouble for the CSI

Even as the recent investigation by the Registrar of Companies (RoC) into the affairs of the Church of South India Trust Association (CSITA) has opened a can of worms (see CCC Newsletter No 69), a second RoC investigation threatens more trouble for the church. This time the problem concerns the Tirunelveli Diocesan Trust Association (TDTA) which was registered in 1919 under the Companies Act of 1913 to hold all the moveable and immovable assets of the undivided Tirunelveli diocese. Even after the CSITA came into existence in 1947 and the assets of all other  CSI dioceses (except Jaffna) came under its control, the schools, colleges, hospitals, etc in  Tirunelveli diocese remained under the control of the TDTA.

In 2003 when the Tirunelveli diocese was bifurcated and the  new Thoothukudi-Nazareth diocese created, the executive committee of the parent diocese and the CSI Synod passed resolutions to split up the assets held by the TDTA between the two dioceses. But the laid down procedure for this involving a scheme of arrangement/demerger to be carried out under the supervision of the High Court was not followed. Instead  cash of Rs 4.48 crore and properties lying within the boundaries of the  Thoothukudi – Nazareth diocese were simply transferred to the  new diocese and these assets brought under the control of the CSITA.

Contending that such transfers were illegal and a fraud perpetrated on the TDTA and that there had been illegal sale of properties, the Secretary of its Employees Welfare Association A. Earnest Balasingh  filed a  complaint with the Registrar of Companies. Following a court battle, he forced the RoC to investigate (see RoC letter to Balasingh in Annexure 1) the matter and also followed up with a detailed complaint to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (see Annexure 2). In his complaint, Mr Balasingh has provided documentary proof of how the officials of the two dioceses filed misleading affidavits and effectively defrauded the TDTA and the government. He has requested for a thorough probe and criminal action to be initiated against the bishops and other office bearers of the two dioceses.

This case again illustrates the utterly cavalier and unprofessional approach of the CSI leadership to an issue which, if handled as per law, should have left no room for controversy at all. The CSITA Management Committee Minutes of 18^thJuly 2011 (quoted in the complaint letter) virtually acknowledges this fact by stating that a refund could have been sought from the Tamilnadu Government even for the nominal registration fee that may have had to be paid to operationalise the legal bifurcation of assets between the TDTA and the CSITA. That this was never done illustrates the sheer incompetence and stupidity of successive Synod administrations.

While the report of the RoC investigation into the TDTA carried out from April 10, 2012 onwards is awaited, Mr Balasingh has further raised the stakes by taking  the matter to the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. The Joint Director  in the SFIO in New Delhi has forwarded his complaint, along with a bunch of others,  to the Secretary of the Ministry  to“kindly take necessary action as deemed appropriate” (see Annexure 3 & 3.1) Should the ministry find there is a case to activate a Serious Fraud probe, the implications for the two bishops and other officials can be a lot more serious as it could even lead to arrests and imprisonment.

Leslie Nathaniel Makes a Second Bid for Bishop

The Diocese of Nandyal last month elected a panel of four candidates for the office of bishop with one of them to be selected by the Synod to succeed the incumbent P.J. Lawrence when he retires in August. The two front runners for the post are Rev Theodore Jacob, a former  Deanery Chairman, who has the backing of Deputy Moderator of the CSI. G. Dyvasirvadam, and Rev Dr. Leslie Nathaniel who is currently European Secretary of the  Church of England. Both of them made it to the panel on the second ballot. Nathaniel, a Tamil by birth,  served as the Financial Administrator of the Nandyal Diocese in the late 1980s and early 1990s before being ordained a deacon in the same diocese in 2001 and a presbyter the following year. Though he was a front runner for the bishop’s post in  the 2006 elections, Nathaniel lost out to Lawrence -- who was fourth on the panel of candidates in terms of the number of votes secured -- due to money changing hands.

Unlike Rev Theodore Jacob and third contender Rev Z. Yesurathnam who both have several  well founded corruption allegations against their names, Nathaniel has a clean and successful track record for the period he served as Financial Administrator. That he does not speak Telugu (though he understands it) may hurt his candidature. On the other hand his election as bishop in a diocese where he is genuinely liked may just be what the  CSI requires to refurbish its badly tarnished image among churches in Europe. This is important at a time when corruption scandals galore have reduced the flow of European church aid to the CSI to a trickle.  And taking over a bishop of one of the poorest dioceses of the CSI will also be a test of Nathaniel's commitment as it will entail some sacrifice for him and his family (his wife is a foreigner) in terms of relocating from European environs to what is essentially a rural diocese. 

Priceless Wisdom on Church Governance

(Book Review)

To be God’s People – Challenges and Responses. Dr. R. Jayakaran Isaac. Abundant Life Publications. February 2012. Price Rs 150

The tragedy of the CSI over the last two decades has not only been the corruption of its top leaders but their rank incompetence as well (refer first story above for proof). This was not  for want of good men and women in the CSI as  is brought home to anyone who reads  the collection of articles/papers on church policy and practice presented by Dr. Jayakaran Isaac.  Dr Isaac, a PhD in Applied Mathematics from the prestigious Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore and former principal of Voorhees College, Vellore, brings precision and academic rigour to his analysis of developments in the CSI spanning four decades.

As Secretary of Vellore  Diocese off-and-on for a total of 12 years and as a former member of the Executive Committee of the Synod, Dr Isaac is eminently qualified to hold forth on the numerous  topics he discusses. These range from mission of the church in the Indian context to role of the laity in the church, tips to renew worship and liturgy, the problems of theological education and the Constitution of the CSI. Many of these topics formed the subject matter of seminars he helped organise as founder president of the Abundant Life Movement that has the laudable objective of equipping the laity in effective witness and service. The chapters on rediscovering the importance of the local congregation and how to bring about transparency and accountability in church administration at all levels are particularly relevant in the context of the current crisis of credibility the CSI faces. Those interested to obtain a copy of the book may email Dr Isaac at  jayakaran_isaac@hotmail.com

CCC Prayer: Dear Lord every day brings with it a new crisis for your church. And each crisis only further exposes the depth of incompetence and corruption of those who hold the reins of power.  We pray that these crises will pave the way for a radical overhaul of how your church is governed, particularly  the establishment of mechanisms that ensure transparency and accountability. We pray that you will open the hearts and minds of those in power to seek the help of qualified and highly reputed professionals among the laity who will be able to put in place the systems necessary to run the church with discipline and efficiency. In your most precious name we ask. Amen.

CSITA FAILS Govt.AUDIT:The Church Of England Newspaper.

Church of South India Trust Association fails government audit: The Church of England Newspaper, June 10, 2012 p 6. June 12, 2012

Posted by geoconger in Church of England Newspaper, Church of South India,Corruption. 
Tags: Church of South India Trust Association

An environment conducive to fraud and corruption surrounds the business practices of the Church of South India (CSI), a government investigation has found. A report prepared by auditors from the Indian government’s Registrar of Companies (RoC) listed 27 violations in the management and practices of the Church of South India Trust Association (CSITA).  Unless reforms are immediately implements, the trust that holds title to the church’s property may be liquidated or lose its not-for-profit status.

Charted as a not-for-profit corporation under Section 25 of the Indian Companies Act of 1956, the CSITA is not required to register a minimum share capital, need only maintain business records for the previous four years, and may increase the number of company directors without prior government approval.  In return, the CSITA is required to use its income for the furtherance of the mission and ministry of the CSI and not distribute dividends to its members.

In a report dated 22 May 2012, the RoC notified the members of the CSITA’s management committee that it had concluded the CSITA’s income was not being used for furthering the objects and purposes of the trust.  The Balance Sheet and Income Expenditure statement of the CSITA for the last four years “do not give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company,” the RoC report said.

Nor were transactions properly recorded, the report said as “no details of fixed assets/immovable properties, secured loans, sale of property, sale consideration, purchase of property, receipt of foreign contribution, income and expenditure of other dioceses, units or sub-units reflect in the Balance Sheet and books of accounts of the company.”

The CSI has been plagued by financial scandals in recent years with only “8 or 9” of its 21 current bishops untainted by corruption charges, the lay-led anti-corruption group, the CCC has reported.  Lay leaders have pushed for greater transparency from the bishops and executive committee of the general synod, but have so far been unable to receive an accounting.

On 1 Feb 2010, Dr. John Dorai, the general secretary of the CSITA Beneficiaries Association – a lay advocacy group in the church – filed a complaint requesting the RoC examine the accounts of the CSITA.  The CSITA, through the its secretary, M.M. Philip – who also serves as General Secretary of the CSI – fought the request through the courts.  However in a ruling released on 22 March 2012, Justice S. Rajeswaran of the Madras High Court ordered the CSITA to turn over its records to the RoC.

“Now we know why the CSITA tried so hard to prevent the RoC from doing its statutory duty,” the CCC said after the report was released, stating it was a “scathing indictment of how the church leadership (mis)manages the CSITA.”

“Given the seriousness of the violations unearthed by the RoC, the CSI leadership has no choice now but to put in place mechanisms to adhere strictly to the provisions of the Companies Act,” the CCC said, noting that “any continued violations could attract more stringent penalties including imprisonment.”

The CSITA did not respond to our requests for comments.  But it has been given 10 days to review the findings of the RoC and to offer comments or corrections.  If none are forthcoming the report will be finalized by the RoC.

First published in The Church of England Newspaper.

CSI SYNOD SUSPENDS MEDAK BISHOP

FLASH NEWS: Bishop TKP personally filed a case before the Hon'ble I Junior Civil Judge, City Civil Courts, Secunderabad on 11-06-2012 after his suspension i.e. 09-06-2012 through O.S. No. 299/2012 in which he filed I.A.s 1) Suspend the suspension orders dated 09-06-2012 and 2) not to allow Administrative Committee to take over charge of Diocesan Office and Institutions within the Medak Diocese. These two I.A.s were DISMISSED by the Hon'ble Court on 28-09-2012.
COMMENT: which means Bishop TKP's suspension upheld by the Court and allowed Administrative Committee to take over Diocesan Office and other Institutions within the Medak Diocese.
OPINION: The God Almighty saved Medak Diocese from the clutches of family ruling, goons, illiterates and corruption. Thank you God Almighty.

The CSI Synod has suspended Bishop of Medak Diocese  T.S. Kanaka Prasad (61). In a letter dated 9^th June 2012 (See Annexures 1 and 1.1) to the bishop, the CSI Moderator G. Devakadasham records that the  decision to suspend the bishop was taken at the Synod Executive Committee meeting held on 24^th April 2012  but could not be put into effect due to a court injunction. The court did not extend the injunction when it  expired last week  paving the way for the Moderator to act. The action led to some tensions as reported in thisDeccan Chronicle report http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/hyderabad/two-csi-groups-fight-control-134 and at the time of writing several dozen pastors of the diocese were reportedly sitting in dharna in support of the suspended bishop.

In his letter, the Moderator charges the Medak bishop with “not functioning and discharging the responsibilities of Bishop of CSI Medak Diocese in accordance with the provisions of the constitution of the CSI, the directions of the Synod or its Executive Committee and the Council of Bishops.” He adds that  “In particular it was brought to the notice of the Executive Committee that you [Bishop Kanaka Prasad] are misusing your position as Bishop, acting as attorney of the CSITA even after the lapse of the power of attorney and committing various illegalities in the administration, supervision and preservation of the properties of the Church. The members [of the Synod Executive Committee] expressed shock and anxiety over the same and demanded immediate action against you by the Synod.”

The Moderator’s letter states that the Synod Executive Committee Meeting of 24^th April was suspended for an hour to facilitate a meeting of the Bishop’s Council to discuss the issue and that based on the recommendations of the  Council the Synod Executive decided to suspend the Medak bishop “pending further action in accordance with the Constitution.” Deputy Moderator G. Dyvasirvadam, who is bishop of Krishna Godavari diocese and is also serving as Moderator’s Commissary for Rayalseema Diocese, has been appointed the Moderator’s Commissary for Medak. A nine-member Administrative Committee has been put in place with former Andhra Pradesh Director General  of Police Swaranjit Sen , IPS (Retd), being named Administrative Adviser. Mr Sen, who was close to late Chief Minister Y.S. Rajashekar Reddy, has for some years now been heading a Joint Christian Action Council which has been trying to promote Christian unity even while addressing issues of church-related corruption and mismanagement. Seehttp://indiagateway.net/jcac/who_are_we.php

Medak, one of the biggest dioceses in the CSI which incorporates within it the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad,  is the second richest diocese in the CSI (after Madras) in terms of the value of its property holdings . Bishop Kanaka Prasad has been accused of  widespread corruption and nepotism including giving prime church property on long lease at throwaway prices in return for kickbacks. For instance, the CCC has with it a copy of a lease deed signed by Bishop Kanaka Prasad  on 22^nd November 2010 with one M/S Redeemers Foundation where the 50-bed CSI Hospital in Medak with laboratory, mini-operation theatre, x-ray unit, etc was given on a 30 year lease at a nominal monthly rental of just Rs 500 per month.

Similarly the Bishop has become the signatory of a number of church bank accounts including that of the prestigious nearly 200-year-old St. John’s Church in Secunderabad where he removed the pastor Suresh Kumar who had differences with him, installed his own acolyte as pastor but then decided to induct  himself as the signatory to the church’s bank account (see last line of Bank account opening form inAnnexure 2) . This is against the CSI Constitution which provides that “The bishop of the diocese shall have a general oversight of the financial administration of the diocese but shall not exercise any direct control over the finances.” (Chapter V, Rule 10). To be fair to Kanaka Prasad though, most bishops including the current Moderator and Deputy Moderator of the CSI flagrantly violate this rule while performing their duties as bishops of their respective dioceses. Even Kanaka Prasad’s predecessor as Bishop of Medak, former Moderator B.P Sugandhar, was notorious for treating the diocese and the rest of the CSI as his personal fiefdom and committing acts of corruption on a scale that has few parallels in Indian church history.

The current crisis in Medak first erupted late last year when Bishop Prasad violated the Constitution while holding Diocesan Council elections by excluding a substantial number of pastors and lay persons. He even ignored the Constitutional provision that office bearers could not serve more than two consecutive terms. The Synod refused to recognize the election and Bishop Prasad had to get a court order to get his diocesan representatives  into the 33^rd Synod session at Kanyakumari last January where they voted against the current Moderator Devakadasham and his deputy Dyvasirvadam and in favour of their opponents. In fact the opponents of Kanaka Prasad had put up posters at the venue of the Synod (see picture below) urging that an administrative committee be appointed to run the Medak diocese. The Synod Executive held in Chennai on 14^th & 15^th February 2012 authorised the new Moderator and his team to appoint an Administrative Committee to run the diocese but Bishop Prasad took the matter to court and had it stayed.

While the case against Bishop Prasad may rest on a solid foundation, what is disconcerting is the double standards being applied by the current synod adminstration in handling cases of Episcopal corruption. The Moderator informed the Synod Executive Committee meeting mentioned above that he had given the Rayalaseema Bishop, against whom an official investigation had revealed serious cases of corruption ( see CCC Newsletter No 46: Bishop Yesu Varaprasad -- Satan's Gift to the CSI. December 22, 2011), a choice to either“answer the documents regarding administrative, ministerial and financial lapses,” on his part or “to take voluntary leave allowing the Synod to take over the administration.” The bishop opted for the latter just a month before he was to retire and went away secure in the knowledge he would get the bishop’s pension for the rest of his life and get to keep his huge ill-gotten wealth without having to answer for his serious crimes against the church. It can only be in the CSI that the Synod Executive does not pull up the Moderator for making such an unholy deal and allowing a criminal bishop to go scot free.

In January Bishop Manickam Dorai of Coimbatore was sacked by former Moderator S. Vasanthakumar  in a historic first for the CSI. This after Bishop Dorai accused his fellow judges in the Synod Court that was trying him of also being corrupt themselves and hence having no moral authority to sit in judgement over him.  Had Bishop Dorai meekly sought forgiveness, instead of speaking the truth about many of his fellow bishops,  it is likely he too would have been allowed to get away with his heinous crimes against the church.

The double standard being practiced by the current Synod dispensation is also glaring in the case of Bishop B.S. Devamani of Dornakal -- a small town in Warangal district of Andhra Pradesh that was the seat of the first-ever  Indian protestant bishop V.S. Azaraiah back in the 1920s -- who was allowed to retire quietly despite serious charges of corruption and sexual harassment against him. Apart from news reports like this one http://telugufirst.com/ap-news/editors-choice/3403-dornakal-bishops-visit-to-mahbubnagar-opposed.html the CSITA itself recorded at its Committee of Management meeting on 18^th July 2011 that Bishop Devamani had, among other offences, sold 7.24 acres of a Mango garden without an enabling resolution from the Diocesan Council, and some more land without CSITA permission (see Annexures3 & 3.1 showing relevant pages from CSITA meeting minutes). It took a legal notice on diocesan office bearers from some vigilant laity to prevent Bishop Devamani from walking away with a parting retirement gift of Rs 40 lakhs from the diocese including a top end luxury car. Is it only a coincidence that both the Rayalseema and Dornakal bishops who  supported Moderator Devakadasham and his deputy Dyvasirvadam at the Synod polls in January have got away with their crimes while Bishop Kanaka Prasad who supported their opponents (the Bishops of Madras and Karimnagar) has had punitive action taken against him?

Three days after suspending Bishop Prasad both the Moderator and Deputy Moderator will be attending the consecration of the new Bishop of Dornakal Vadapalli Prasada Rao that is scheduled for 12^th June 2012. Mercifully the tainted Devamani’s choice to be his successor did not make it in the final selection and it is to be hoped  the new bishop, who informed sources say is a reasonably good man,  will not follow the corrupt path of his predecessor.  

CCC Prayer: Lord Jesus, we thank you that in the last six months unprecedented punitive action has been taken against some corrupt bishops. Even so, many other corrupt ones have been allowed to get away scot free.  We pray Lord thou will ensure justice is done in the case of all those who have committed serious crimes against your church and that those among the current leadership who may be guilty are also brought to book in due course. In thy precious name we pray. Amen. 

courtesy-CCC(Christ centered campaign)

Arrival of basel missionaries in south canara---- brief history of basel...

Churches to accompany communities displaced by climate change

25.05.12

Flooding in the Carteret Islands in Papua New Guinea, one of the first locations where resettlement due to climate change has become necessary. © Julia Edwards

To address the impact of displacements induced by climate change, participants from ecumenical, non-governmental and international organizations, as well as churches, gathered in Bossey, Switzerland, from 22 to 23 May in a World Council of Churches (WCC) conference.

The conference, focusing on the theme “Climate change-induced displacement: What is at stake?” was organized by the WCC programme on Climate Change, in partnership with the Pacific Council of Churches and the German development agency Bread for the World.

Participants in the conference analyzed the progress made by the international community since 2010, following the conference on Protection and Reparations for "Climate Refugees".

Within this international framework, presenters shared case studies from Bangladesh, India and Africa to illustrate the “vulnerabilities and capabilities” of communities affected by climate change.

Presentations and working groups assessed the challenges of resettlement in the Pacific, as well as adaptation and disaster-risk reduction in Central America. The discussions elaborated on the developments in understanding the rights of victims of climate change at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Conferences, the Human Rights Council and the process toward United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development Rio+20.

A session at the event focused on how churches are accompanying communities uprooted by the impact of climate change. In light of the rights of refugees and migrants, and building on the WCC’s engagement in this area, the event showed how churches are engaged in and calling for renewed commitment in pastoral care, capacity building and advocacy efforts. 

“For Bangladesh, addressing migration and the plight of individuals displaced from their communities due to climate change is an imperative,” said Saber Hossain Chowdhury, member of the parliament and chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Climate Change and Environment of Bangladesh, as he explained the situation in his country.

At the event, ethical and moral grounds for effective responses to displacement caused by environmental disasters were also discussed.

“The cry for climate justice from victims in different regions shows that climate change is already a threat to vulnerable communities,” said Dr Guillermo Kerber, WCC programme executive on climate change.

“Together with their ethical insights, churches and faith-based communities highlight the theological and spiritual dimensions of the climate crisis, accompanying resilient communities in their adaptation strategies,” Kerber added.

Discussion of appropriate terminology should not prevent urgent actions responding to the plight of “climate refugees”, a report of a working group affirmed.

Participants expressed their commitment to share the reflections from the conference with their communities and to adapt the conclusions in their advocacy work. 

Read also:

It is time to talk about the rights of "climate refugees" (WCC press release of 10 May 2010)

Global Campaign for Climate Action - tcktcktck 

WCC programme for climate justice

Joint Statement by the Working Committee and the Diocesan Officers

Joint Statement by the Working Committee and the Diocesan Officers......CLICK HERE

Students given answer key instead of question paper

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EMBLEM

Friday, May 11, 2012

Malady exposes Maladministration

Here I have given a news item that appeared in The Hindu (dated 11-05-2012) on page 3 that talks about a great blunder that should NOT have happened in a reputed AUTONOMOUS college. The daily news paper is decent in NOT mentioning the name of the college. But I want to expose the current maladministration of the college at all levels, be it students' discipline or academics.

Read the news given and know about the 'responsible' individuals that I have added at the end!

God save the college from EVIL DOERS!

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Students given answer key instead of question paper

The examination was rescheduled for May 15

The Hindu | 11-05-2012 | page 3 | by Shastry V. Mallady

MADURAI: Students of a reputed autonomous college in the city had a strange experience on Thursday when they sat for their semester examination.

Instead of the question paper, the second year B.Sc. (physics) students were given answer key which is meant for answer paper evaluation.

The answer key has hints for evaluators and that is the guideline for answer paper correction.

College sources told The Hindu that the UG students were to write the 'Life Skills and PC Maintenance' paper. But, by mistake, the college authorities took photocopies of the answer key of that paper and distributed them to students in the examination hall at 8 a.m.

The students too had initially started writing and after a few minutes they realised that something was wrong and conveyed it to the invigilator. After nearly an hour, the college's Controller of Examinations took up the issue with the higher authorities and the examination was rescheduled for May 15.

A senior professor, when contacted, said that usually a couple of photocopies of answer key for question paper is taken by a college for giving them to the internal and external evaluators who are called for paper valuation. In this particular case, the college would have taken photocopies of the answer key instead of the question paper and distributed them to students.

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I am very sorry to say that the reputed college is none other than The American College.

The college’s Controller of Examination is none other than Prof. Robson, Head of the Physics Department (whose son is currently studying in the college, how come he was appointed for this post when his son is studying,  floating autonomy rules! ethically he should not have accepted the post leave alone the rules!).

The higher authorities mentioned were none other than the illegal occupant Dr. M. Davamani Christober (the late  CSI  Bishop Asir’s son-in-law)