Evangelical Church of India
Introduction
No movement in the Indian church history can be compared to the uniqueness of Evangelical Church of India, especially in its area of being a model of hope and in the area of transformation. This also adds to its credit as both the Christian leaders and also the secular leaders like Billy Graham, Sri. Rajiv Gandhi, Dr. McGavran (Father of the world church growth) and Dr. Ben Wati has applauded the works of ECI, especially the work through the hands of Bishop Dr. Ezra Sargunam, in his efforts towards a holistic mission which is very much needed in the today’s world.[1] It is not only them but also there are many who say that the model of ECI can be followed to multiply the church growth in our nation. The factors that add very much to this glory is just because they emphasized on the great commission (which adds both the preaching and the follow up ministry), in the steps of faith by the founders who were prayer warriors and visionaries with high principles. These basic principles have led to the tremendous growth and the impact of ECI towards the evangelicals and the liberals as well.
2. Origin of Evangelical Church of India
It was the Oriental Missionary Society that gave birth to this Evangelical Church of India. We notice the tremendous work of Oriental Missionary Society first in Japan in 1901 with its founders as Mr. Charles E.Cowman and Mr. E. Kilbourne[2]and from the beginning OMS international was an under denominational society with the three-fold emphasis upon, (1) the establishing the Bible seminaries and training institutions (2) intensive and extensive evangelism (3) the planting of indigenous national churches in the various countries in which it operates. The society conducted the first nation wide house-to-house scripture distribution campaign between 1912 and 1917 in Japan, and since that time similar systematic campaigns have been conducted in a number of countries. By the time the Japanese government forced amalgamation of all Protestant Churches in Japan in World War II, the church established the OMS international in Japan was the fourth largest Protestant body[3] with some 400 churches,[4] later the ministry spread to Korea in 1907 which made zealous evangelizing churches with a tremendous revival[5] and now there are nearly 2,000 congregations with about 500,000 membership[6] and more than 600 organizations[7]. The church there is known as Korea Evangelical Holiness church, the third largest protestant denomination in South Korea. China was next entered where three seminaries were opened and indigenous churches established. Contact with those seminaries and the church had been lost owing to change of policy of the government there. [8] Later it was with the green signal from the Lord that when the door of China was closed for the Gospel, the door of India opened in the early 1941 and the first was the seminary opened in 1942, July at Allahabad. This Oriental Missionary Society (newly called as OMS international) gave birth to the now so-called “Evangelical church of India.”[9]
In 1941 OMS began its work in India it thought of starting a Bible College and their first step is a revival magazine known as “Uyir Muuchi” means, “to give new life or to redeem life” introduced in 1950.[10] which enlightened the minds of the people and it was Dr. Samuel from YMCA helped with the burden to started a Bible study on Wednesdays, and it was appreciated all over India, later this was conducted in the night school and later it was started with 50 registering themselves for the regular Bible school in July 9, 1953, which is now the Madras Theological Seminary.[11]and it presently operates three Bible seminaries in Allahabad, Calcutta and in Chennai and it also runs Bible schools in places like Mumbai, Vijayawada, Lalitpur, Orissa, Solan, Gangavathy, and Gujarat with a training centers in Kozhivilai and among these two are Serampore affiliated colleges and in total there are eleven other Bible Schools[12] and it also has one Bible School in Myanmar.[13]
The OMS was called as Evangelical Christian Church and then Evangelical Church of India. [14]The first church was planted somewhere in 1952 and till 1967-68 the OMS field Executive committee was in charge of the administration of the church through their appointed national and missionary leaders, but after 1969-70 amendments, ECI became fully autonomous and elected its own leaders and OMS withdrew their administrative control.[15] The Church now had Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Kanarese, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Manipur, English and Konkani[16] linguistic congregations numbering about 1610 in all most all the states and union territories and the administration divided into various ecclesiastical dioceses, areas and districts under the All India Conference of ECI. ECI had a goal to have 1000 churches by the year 2000, but it reached that objective by 1998 and since then they target towards 2000 churches by 2005. To say after several years of deliberation ECI has adopted Episcopalian form of church where Rev. Dr. Ezra Sargunam was elected as the first bishop of the Evangelical Church of India, and was concentrated on Feb 13th 1993. Further it has vision to formulate five dioceses with their head quarters at Madras, Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta and Hyderabad with five bishops with the All India Administrative Office in Madras with the registered office in Allahabad under one All India Conference and One board of Governors and there is hope that the Christian groups will integrate within the framework of the ECI. OMS international is now actively working in the following countries: Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan, India, Indonesia, Greece, Spain, Columbia, Ecuador, Brazil, Haiti, Philippines, France, China and Russia.[17]
Early Growth and Development of ECI
To begin the early stage of growth, one needs to remember this person named Dr. David Rigby, one of the early missionaries who contributed a lot for the growth of the church. In 1954, the Oriental Missionary Society assigned Dr. Rigby to Madras and in a short while he started an outreach of the Bible Seminary and sent students out in evangelistic work during the weekends. Then he came across Rev. John Piet of the Arcot Mission who had used a series of ten leaflets in evangelism all over Tamil Nadu, which very much delighted the Dr. Rigby’s soul. So he drew up a plan t use ten tracts a series in a given area for ten weeks and then evangelize that area and press for decisions and baptisms. Therefore to implement this plan, they choose Saidapet as the first area. After ten weeks of tract distribution, a public meeting was arranged. Three Hindus accepted Christ in a remarkable way. A small house was rented in that area and the seminary students looked after this house-church. In this way by 1955, three house churches were established. At that time they were not called churches, but rather “Preaching Points.” The graduates of this seminary became the pastors of these small congregations. In this way urban church growth became the key to the village people movements.[18]The churches did not become an end in itself, but rather it is only a means to an end.[19] “Our ultimate aim must be to plant churches which in turn would plant churches, and on and on without end” says Dr. Ezra Sargunam.[20]Therefore the ECI, each tries to establish a daughter church e.g. Kilpauk ECI church known as “Seminary Church” is the mother church of ECI church in Villivakkam and Ayyapakkam.[21]
Dr. Ezra Sargunam, the President of the Evangelical Church of India, took this to a new level. This is because when the president came into leadership in 1972 he began to take the great commission even more serious. His heart towards planting churches in the nook and corner of India made the gospel reach the masses. His aim was to plant 1000 churches before A.D 2000. Till 1972 there were only 30 churches in the ECI, but after 1972 churches began to grow rapidly under his dynamic, persuasive, caring, loving and shepherding leadership.[22] Though the subsidy for these churches and seminaries were by the Oriental Missionary Society, it was then announced that ECI needs to raise 70% of the fund and only 30% would be from the OMS. Therefore in the 1988 All India Conference Dr. Ezra Sargunam expressed his concern for self- supporting.[23]
Activities of Evangelical Church of India
Educational Activities
ECI stresses more the educational systems and so establishes many schools with the view to educate the poor and the needy children as one its objectives includes founding, conducting and maintaining schools.
2. Social Activities
It has not only created an impact in the stage of education, but has extended its hand towards social concern programmes for the needy in different part of the nation. These works are credited to Dr. Ezra Sargunam who had the ability and the potential to the various projects, which others were not able to do. His ability to enlist the co-operation and funds of others has helped him secure resources for the implementation of his vision for the ECI.[24]
2.1 Relief and Community Development Programme
ECI cares for the poor and the needy. Hundreds of villagers have been benefited as they have constructed hand pumps in the drought areas of South India. It also helps the poor people who are keeping small shops, houses, purchasing tailoring machines, cows and buffaloes, rickshaws, etc for their livelihood. During Rev. Dr. Ezra Sargunam’s Golden Jubilee Year, 50 cycles, 50 rickshaws, 50 tailoring machines etc were granted to the people. ECI also under takes cyclone relief operations. 50, 000 coconut seedlings were granted under “A coconut tree for every home” scheme. There were rope-making industries established in Kerala and free school uniforms for the poor are given. It has ten centers all over India, they are: i) Arumbakkam Community Development Project, (Chennai) ii) Uttamnagar Slum Development Project (Delhi), iii) Govindpuri Family Development Project (Delhi) iv) Dakshinapuri Family Development Project (Dakshinapuri), v) Dum Dum Family Development Project (Calcutta), vi) Shimla Community Development Project (Shimla) vii) Gandhi Nagar Sewing School (Vijayawada), ix) Prakash Nagar Sewing School (Vijayawada), x) Karumanoor Rope Making Unit (Kerala).[25]
2.2 Day Care Centers
Since most of the women today go out for jobs, there is no one to look after the family. So they can send their children to crèche. In this crèche, children are provided nutritious food like milk and biscuits at 11 and also lunch at 1. It work from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Everything is free for them to encourage them and keep the children happy. The have both indoor and outdoor games, songs and Bible stories are also taught to them.
2.3 Health
The community has developed in medical services too. A doctor visits three days in a week and about 15- 20 patients come for treatment every day. The community development services of the ECI have been more pronounced in the areas of health viz. family planning, pre-natal, and post-natal care, immunization and nutrition through films. House visits and street vise meetings are also conducted. Ten houses are visited by their health staff every day. They also create an environmental cleanliness, care during pregnancy, family welfare, nutrition, causes of leprosy and its prevention. They also visit the houses in Arumbakkam. It has also started puppet shows regarding health, sanitation etc. These programmes have had a greater impact in the society.[26]
Objectives of ECI
The objectives of ECI is to manage, control, maintain, endow, and advance the work of this organization on a non-profit basis as a religious and charitable organization for the promotion of Christian evangelism, church planting, education, and Christian relief.
To provide from the funds towards expenses of the church buildings, parsonages, parish halls, school buildings, libraries, guest houses, living accommodation for workers, employees, servants, pastors, teachers, doctors, nurses, hostels for students, seminaries, playgrounds, hospitals, clinics, book shops, destitute homes, orphanages etc.
To provide funds for publishing, Christian books, tracts, pamphlets, films, cassettes and for mass communication.
To provide medical care for all those are in need regardless of caste, creed, race, sex or any social status.
To provide for the training in cottage industries, handicrafts and handlooms for those deprived of jobs.
To employ ministers for the work of the Gospel by holding meetings, lectures, seminars, retreats, and camps and to use radio or television in order to organize churches, educate people in the knowledge of the truth. To also invite Christians from abroad to aid and assist in carrying out the objects of the society.
To engage in educational works by building and maintaining schools, colleges, theological seminaries, training courses and to employ lectures and teachers for the same.
The one main objective of the Evangelical Church of India is to see that these above objectives does not remain in paper only, but rather to be implemented at all cost.
3. The Church
3.1 Introduction
As the early apostles went forth preaching everywhere and people were born of the spirit and cleansed from their sin, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit were formed into small congregations called churches. The converts who became members of these churches were urged to come together regularly for spiritual fellowship. Worship and breaking of the bread prayer and reading of the scripture (Acts 2: 42; Heb. 10: 25). As congregation were formed into different places similarly the ECI church helps it members to become the people establish firmly in their faith as its purpose is to form these groups into small congregations.[27]
3.2 Formation of the Local Churches
The aim of the ECI is to form a church where there is atleast 20 adults who profess to be born again and who will also collectively and individually pledge themselves to take the word of God as the only sufficient rule for both faith and practice and to follow the system of doctrine and government laid down in their manual, and whose average monthly offering is not less than Rs500/- and assessment Rs200/- can take application to form a local church. So such a group must apply in writing to the nearby Area Council or District Administration Committee. But is the application is from an unorganized district or Area/ Dioceses Council will deal with it directly of through the nearest council and if the request is from a group within an organized district, the district administrative Committee/ Area Council will make necessary arrangements for the church formation. In situations where the ECC/IMM has pioneered the work at their requests the Area Council or District Administration Committee will arrange for the organizing of the church.[28]
3.2.1 Procedures
The Area Council or District Administration Committee will appoint one or two of its members or instruct a chairman to call a meeting of the group for the purpose of investigating whether the group is ready to become a local church or not, and on the basis of the recommendation the Area Council or District Administration Committee will take necessary action.[29]
3.2.2 Government of the local Church
The government of the local church shall be vested in a committee of elders of the church and the pastors. These elders shall be nominated by the nomination committee. Only full members shall be given the privilege to hold office in a local church. The pastors shall be the Chairman of the committee. All persons holding office should be known for the sanctified character and ability for the work the church calls them. They should also be persons who faithfully support the church. They should also be persons who faithfully support the church. They should give satisfactory evidence of having a love for souls and desire to be useful to their fellow men. The elders Committee shall consist of pastors and elders not exceeding seven. In addition to this each church can have deacons and deaconesses according to its need. All elders shall be of equal rank so also deacons and deaconesses.[30]
3.3 Office bearers of the local church and their functions
3.3.1 Pastor
The pastor shall be the Chairman of local Church Committee. The duties of the pastor in the local church is to preach faithfully the full Gospel as found in the word of God, to exercise spiritual oversight and have the general guidance under the Holy Spirit of the religious services, and to care for the interests of the congregation calling their attention from time to time to the church Covenant and Advice to Members. If ordained or specially permitted he shall administer the sacraments. To preach over, all Elders Committee meetings of the church. Should he be convinced that any action of the Committee is contrary to the general policy of the church, he shall report the same to the district Administrative Committee\ Area council. In the same ,manner the majority of the committee members have the right of appeal to the District Administrative Committee \ Area council should they consider any action of the pastor is not in the best interests of the ministry. To preside over all other Committee meetings such as Youth Fellowship, women’s Fellowship and where not possible, he shall depute some one on his behalf. To appoint some one to record in the absence of the Secretary all the proceedings and decisions of the Elders Committee Meetings making true entries of the same in a journal kept for that purpose. All Registers, Account Books, Pass Books, Cheque Books past and present and record books of all departments of the church, after such are full or in disuse shall be under the custody of the pastor. He shall be responsible for all church correspondence. He shall make a monthly report to the District Chairman\ Area Chairman. To outline in conjunction with Area Chairman the normal weekly schedule and programme of evangelism.[31]
3.3.2 Local Church Committee
The Local Church Committee shall also be called Elders Committee. The Elders nominated by the Nomination Committee of the local Church after their installation shall function as the Local Church Committee. The Committee shall meet at least once a month at the call of the pastor more often if necessary. Vacancies in the Elder Committee will be filled by co-option. The Area Council or the District Administrative Committee shall be informed of theirs change. Their function shall be, to plan advances programmes for the local church, to Prepare Annual Plan budget, to set up short and long range goals; in evangelism and outreach, to assign one of the leader as the recording secretary of The Elders Committee, Receiving of new members as per the manual, to implement the decisions of the Area Council and periodical instructions from the Bishop, Examining of baptismal candidates, Approving of monthly statement of accounts, Cooperating with the pastor in the total ministry of the church.[32]
3.3.3 Deacons and Deaconesses
The deacons and Deaconesses shall assign the following duties to them according to their talents and needs in the local church. No deacon or Deaconess will serve in the same capacity for more than two terms of four years.[33]
Their Function is to Coordinate in Sunday school, vacation Bible school, Youth and women Fellowship Ministries, to coordinate in regular Cottage Prayer Meetings and church planting ministries, to Coordinate in taking care of the poor, widows and the sick, to coordinate in missionary agencies like IMM, ECI, Prayer Calendar, Church Planter, and Nirubam, and finally to serve as ushers and assist the cahier in receiving and counting of offerings.[34]
3.3.4 Cashier
He shall under no circumstances be an Elder, and he is responsible for receiving the tithes offerings and subscriptions etc., from the Deacons concerned after they have been duly counted and entries made in the register, to maintain the books of accounts, cheque books monthly statement of accounts and deposit the money in the bank or in the District Treasury, to make disbursements without the consent of the Elders Committee\Pastor, to get the pastor’s endorsement on all payments, vouchers and bills, to attend the Elders Committee meting without voting right and to perform his duties under the direction of the pastor in the church office.[35]
3.3.5 Recording Secretary
The duties of the recording secretary is to prepare the notice and agenda of the Elders committee meetings in consultation with the pastor\ Chairman and send circulars to this effect, to record all proceedings and decision of the Elders Committee meetings in the minute book and read the same in the subsequent meeting.
3.4 Sacrament
Regarding the Lord’s Supper, the notice of the sacrament should be given on the preceding Sunday. Those who have experienced the regenerating grace of the Lord Jesus Christ should be invited to participate. The pastor should give the spiritual warning with regard to participating unworthily (I Cor. 11: 30), the responsibility for participating being placed upon the individuals concerned. Persons desiring to take Communion should be invite to come forward to the front portion of the church, if such is convenient. The use of individual cups is approved and as usual they believe in the immersion mode of baptism which is in the name of the triune God.[36]
3.5 Dress Codes
Ordained Members of the Evangelical Church of India are permitted top wear as appropriate clerical gown while conducting services and ceremonies in areas where the public expect them to appear in clerical attire.[37]
4. Special Features of Evangelical Church of India
4.1 The Training Structure
They are not like traditional seminaries that train, “Parish Priests” for their denominations, but rather they look beyond from producing pastors for established churches. They actually train their own leaders by having a knit program between the church and the seminary students, so that they may be molded in the way that ECI is structured, but then again this is also not a compulsory one for the students to work there.[38] With these many Bible schools and colleges, nearly twelve of them in different places which serve as excellent places for recruiting, training and mobilizing the young people for the church planting ministry. The whole ECI movement started with Allahabad Bible Seminary (Dr. Ezra Sargunam graduated from there), then the MTSC came into existence and then all other Bible colleges and schools. Thus the Bible Schools played a major role to plant thousands of ECI churches.[39] The other ministries are, Every Creature Crusade team exists to wake up the churches that are sleeping in their area of evangelism and this team consists of six members.[40] Missionary Training Center it was started in chitlapakkam near Tambaram , which gives six months training, which sends missionaries to different states. [41]Evangelical Explosion III Clinic it was started in 1985 by Rev. Dr. Ezra Sargunam to help the people in the physical problems.[42]
4.2 The Sending Structure
Every Creature Crusade (ECC) and Indian Missionary Movement are the sending structures for ECI. ECC teams have made a great contribution in planting churches for ECI. ECC is primarily a mission agency and it is a sending agency. ECC has the uniqueness of being a mission agency and that is important in the over all ECI church planting ministry. Most of the present ECI pastors have had the background of working of several years in ECC teams and this helps them to keep the evangelical fervor.[43]
4.3 The Church Structure
ECI has set a trend for the emerging churches in India. To say over 1300 (present statistics 2006, Jan.) has been planted by the ECC teams all over India has been consolidated and conserved by the structure created by ECI denomination. These churches are planted and governed by the graduates of their colleges itself, which is a tremendous, plus point in the growth and the safety of the mission. To say ECI has chosen itself to be evangelical in faith, Episcopal in its governing structure which serves as a backbone in this ECI movement.[44]
Evaluation
To admit on a whole there a lot of things that has impacted me as I came across this movement, though the question of its continuity today of all these facilities and factors are questioned at random, by any observer or reader, but still what people trace for is the achievement that ECI has made and what are the strategies that it has adopted in these last six decades which had much to impact the whole nation. As we know that ECI has its birth from the OMS, one of the most primary things that is quiet noticeable is the continuity of the transferring of the vision of the founders to the young leaders who took up the leadership in the same spirit. ECI though it has its own set of principle and formalities, it is seen to be having the adoption and the accommodation theory not basically in the statement of faith but in the area of indigenization, as they do not disturb the cultural values and the systems of the people. They focus on church planting which is basically from the students who are brought up in the set up of the ECI faith statements, focus on transformation of the ministers of God who minister with the same attitude of transformation, which will for sure help in the ministries of ECI. Their focus is also towards the responsive member of the Gospel, i.e. to say they very much emphasis on the follow up ministry, which many many churches utterly fail to do. As their name goes as evangelicals, their church growth is through the power encounter ministry, which is very necessary in traditional villages bound under the clutches of sin and satan and the greatest and the strangest thing that we find in ECI is that though they have the name evangelical the preachers are given license on the basis of their theological status and the belief system so that they do not create chaos in the churches by injecting their own doctrines, which I feel will enrich and nurture the church very much, since qualified preachers can have a larger impact on the congregation as preaching is not something playful and does not come directly from the Holy Sprit, but through prayerful preparation. The other beautiful thing is that the ministers are ordained according to their testimony and according to their qualification in various levels. The strategy of Paul, i.e. by establishing the church in two or three important centers Paul claimed that he preached the Gospel from Jerusalem to round about Illycrium, and the same had worked well with ECI as they plant churches in the important centers in the villages, cities, towns, districts and states. This is to say that these important centers will be responsible for the surrounding places, which is the best method to be adopted, which the other movements do not practice. The method of building churches through the day care centers, Social Development projects has also worked well for the people to respond to the gospel.
Though the negative part on their side it is depend on the foreign currencies, but still “Bishop Dr. Ezra Sargunam is trying to make it self-supporting…” says J. Esther. Still we see the heart of giving which many mission organizations fail utterly and this is thoroughly one by the motivation provided by the leaders of all levels towards all the ECI believers to involve in one way or the other in the evangelization according to one’s capacity. Their influence at both the physical and the spiritual had made it more popular among people of all faiths, which the present churches and movements should take well notice in order to implement in their ministries so that the church in itself is well organized, but at the same time among the people has its theory of accommodation. My evaluation will be utter futile without mentioning the works of Bishop Dr. Ezra Sargunam who made his influence in the extensive level, noteworthy of all the improvements and transformation of all that is through ECI, as his leadership is seen at the decision making level which has made a large church growth i.e. to say the ECI has grown from 100 in 1970’s to 2500 in 2005, which is because of his passion and commitment. Today’s churches need people like him with the same amount of passion and commitment to take the church to a higher level which not only impacts the Christian community but which also has its penetration to all arenas, both the political level and the religious level. People cannot sit in hungry stomach and hear the gospel; therefore we need to feed them to make the gospel and the love of God true in their lives. Building them socially i.e. to say not to support them, but rather “to help them to help themselves” should be our motive and aim and not isolate ourselves as spiritual giants (which the evangelicals do) nor to focus only on their social up building, minimizing the great commission (as the liberals do), but rather to be a mixture of both so that social and spiritual becomes the nucleus and also the indivisible table agents for today’s ministry to be driven with real purpose with the savior like heart. According to Esther, ‘The Reason for their success is their ministry among the low caste, out caste, urban evangelism, their strategy of mother churches producing daughter churches and every church should be a church planter’ (43)[45] and which I think the present churches should fully focus on to see a bright future for the present churches and to see the progress of our present humanity as a whole.
Conclusion
As any other evangelical would have, even Evangelical Church of India has a vision to see the nation discipled for Christ. To say in the level of statistics they have made a tremendous growth in the last 65 years of their ministry in our nation. Their slogan, “Preach, Persuade, Plant” has encouraged a lot of the church planters and the other ministers of God to willingly pay the price in sowing, watering, nurturing, weeding, harvesting and gathering the grains in the barns. J. Esther comments “These achievements all because of the hard working and the untiring clergy man,” of Dr. Ezra Sargunam.[46] Which cannot be one man toil but a community that was willing to pay the price with burden and with the vision of the founders. Thus they were able to do just not the healing in the spiritual sides of the people but healing and transformation in a wholistic level which both the liberals and the evangelicals fail in one way or the other.
Bibliography
Sargunam, Ezra Multiplying Churches in Modern India. Kilpauk, Chennai: Federation of Evangelical Churches of India, 1974.
Sargunam, Ezra (Ed), Mission Mandate II. Ayanavaram. Chennai: Mission Educational Books, 2006
[n.a], Manual of the Evangelical Church of India (Chennai: Evangelical Church of India, 2004.
Internet Sources
Retrieved from http://www.indianchristianity.org/evangelical1.html on 26/11/2006 at 5:00p.m.
Unpublished Thesis
Esther, J. “History of Evangelical Church of India”. Chennai: University of Madras, 1990.
[1] Dr. Ezra Sargunam (Ed), Mission Mandate II (Ayanavaram, Chennai: Mission Educational Books, 2006), 423-24.
[2] M. Ezra Sargunam, Multiplying Churches in Modern India (Kilpauk, Chennai: Federation of Evangelical Churches of India, 1974), 55
[3] Retrieved from http://www.indianchristianity.org/evangelical1.html on 26/11/2006 at 5:00p.m.
[4] Ibid, 2.
[5] M. Ezra Sargunam, Multiplying Churches in Modern India , 56.
[6] Ibid, 3.
[7] Opcit.
[8] Ibid, 3.
[9] M. Ezra Sargunam, Multiplying Churches in Modern India, 60.
[10] J. Esther, “History of Evangelical Church of India” (Chennai: University of Madras, 1990), 19-20.
[11] J. Esther, 19, 21.
[12] Retrieved from http://www.indianchristianity.org/evangelical1.html on 26/11/2006 at 5:00p.m.
[13] Ibid.
[14] J. Esther, 23
[15] Ibid, 4.
[16] Retrieved from http://www.indianchristianity.org/evangelical1.html on 26/11/2006 at 5:00p.m.
[17] [n.a], Manual of the Evangelical Church of India, 4-5.
[18] J.Esther, 29- 32.
[19] J. Esther, 39.
[20] Rev. Dr. Ezra Sargunam, Multiplying Churches in Modern India (Madras: n.p, 1974), 177.
[21] J.Esther, 44.
[22] J.Esther,
[23] Ibid, 54.
[24] J. Esther, 86-87.
[25] J. Esther, 87-88.
[26] J. Esther, 91.
[27] Ibid, 11- 12.
[28] Ibid, 13.
[29] Ibid.
[30] Ibid, 14.
[31] [n.a], Manual of the Evangelical Church of India, 14- 16.
[32] Ibid, 16.
[33] Ibid.
[34] Ibid, 17.
[35] [n.a], Manual of the Evangelical Church of India, 17- 18.
[36] Ibid, 57.
[37] Ibid.
[38] Dr. Ezra Sargunam (Ed), Mission Mandate II, 425-26.
[39] Ibid, 433.
[40] J. Esther, 96-97.
[41] J. Esther, 100.
[42] J. Esther,
[43] Dr. Ezra Sargunam (Ed), Mission Mandate II , 433.
[44] Ibid.
[45] J. Esther, 36, 43.
[46] J. Esther, 28.
Introduction
No movement in the Indian church history can be compared to the uniqueness of Evangelical Church of India, especially in its area of being a model of hope and in the area of transformation. This also adds to its credit as both the Christian leaders and also the secular leaders like Billy Graham, Sri. Rajiv Gandhi, Dr. McGavran (Father of the world church growth) and Dr. Ben Wati has applauded the works of ECI, especially the work through the hands of Bishop Dr. Ezra Sargunam, in his efforts towards a holistic mission which is very much needed in the today’s world.[1] It is not only them but also there are many who say that the model of ECI can be followed to multiply the church growth in our nation. The factors that add very much to this glory is just because they emphasized on the great commission (which adds both the preaching and the follow up ministry), in the steps of faith by the founders who were prayer warriors and visionaries with high principles. These basic principles have led to the tremendous growth and the impact of ECI towards the evangelicals and the liberals as well.
2. Origin of Evangelical Church of India
It was the Oriental Missionary Society that gave birth to this Evangelical Church of India. We notice the tremendous work of Oriental Missionary Society first in Japan in 1901 with its founders as Mr. Charles E.Cowman and Mr. E. Kilbourne[2]and from the beginning OMS international was an under denominational society with the three-fold emphasis upon, (1) the establishing the Bible seminaries and training institutions (2) intensive and extensive evangelism (3) the planting of indigenous national churches in the various countries in which it operates. The society conducted the first nation wide house-to-house scripture distribution campaign between 1912 and 1917 in Japan, and since that time similar systematic campaigns have been conducted in a number of countries. By the time the Japanese government forced amalgamation of all Protestant Churches in Japan in World War II, the church established the OMS international in Japan was the fourth largest Protestant body[3] with some 400 churches,[4] later the ministry spread to Korea in 1907 which made zealous evangelizing churches with a tremendous revival[5] and now there are nearly 2,000 congregations with about 500,000 membership[6] and more than 600 organizations[7]. The church there is known as Korea Evangelical Holiness church, the third largest protestant denomination in South Korea. China was next entered where three seminaries were opened and indigenous churches established. Contact with those seminaries and the church had been lost owing to change of policy of the government there. [8] Later it was with the green signal from the Lord that when the door of China was closed for the Gospel, the door of India opened in the early 1941 and the first was the seminary opened in 1942, July at Allahabad. This Oriental Missionary Society (newly called as OMS international) gave birth to the now so-called “Evangelical church of India.”[9]
In 1941 OMS began its work in India it thought of starting a Bible College and their first step is a revival magazine known as “Uyir Muuchi” means, “to give new life or to redeem life” introduced in 1950.[10] which enlightened the minds of the people and it was Dr. Samuel from YMCA helped with the burden to started a Bible study on Wednesdays, and it was appreciated all over India, later this was conducted in the night school and later it was started with 50 registering themselves for the regular Bible school in July 9, 1953, which is now the Madras Theological Seminary.[11]and it presently operates three Bible seminaries in Allahabad, Calcutta and in Chennai and it also runs Bible schools in places like Mumbai, Vijayawada, Lalitpur, Orissa, Solan, Gangavathy, and Gujarat with a training centers in Kozhivilai and among these two are Serampore affiliated colleges and in total there are eleven other Bible Schools[12] and it also has one Bible School in Myanmar.[13]
The OMS was called as Evangelical Christian Church and then Evangelical Church of India. [14]The first church was planted somewhere in 1952 and till 1967-68 the OMS field Executive committee was in charge of the administration of the church through their appointed national and missionary leaders, but after 1969-70 amendments, ECI became fully autonomous and elected its own leaders and OMS withdrew their administrative control.[15] The Church now had Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Kanarese, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Manipur, English and Konkani[16] linguistic congregations numbering about 1610 in all most all the states and union territories and the administration divided into various ecclesiastical dioceses, areas and districts under the All India Conference of ECI. ECI had a goal to have 1000 churches by the year 2000, but it reached that objective by 1998 and since then they target towards 2000 churches by 2005. To say after several years of deliberation ECI has adopted Episcopalian form of church where Rev. Dr. Ezra Sargunam was elected as the first bishop of the Evangelical Church of India, and was concentrated on Feb 13th 1993. Further it has vision to formulate five dioceses with their head quarters at Madras, Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta and Hyderabad with five bishops with the All India Administrative Office in Madras with the registered office in Allahabad under one All India Conference and One board of Governors and there is hope that the Christian groups will integrate within the framework of the ECI. OMS international is now actively working in the following countries: Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan, India, Indonesia, Greece, Spain, Columbia, Ecuador, Brazil, Haiti, Philippines, France, China and Russia.[17]
Early Growth and Development of ECI
To begin the early stage of growth, one needs to remember this person named Dr. David Rigby, one of the early missionaries who contributed a lot for the growth of the church. In 1954, the Oriental Missionary Society assigned Dr. Rigby to Madras and in a short while he started an outreach of the Bible Seminary and sent students out in evangelistic work during the weekends. Then he came across Rev. John Piet of the Arcot Mission who had used a series of ten leaflets in evangelism all over Tamil Nadu, which very much delighted the Dr. Rigby’s soul. So he drew up a plan t use ten tracts a series in a given area for ten weeks and then evangelize that area and press for decisions and baptisms. Therefore to implement this plan, they choose Saidapet as the first area. After ten weeks of tract distribution, a public meeting was arranged. Three Hindus accepted Christ in a remarkable way. A small house was rented in that area and the seminary students looked after this house-church. In this way by 1955, three house churches were established. At that time they were not called churches, but rather “Preaching Points.” The graduates of this seminary became the pastors of these small congregations. In this way urban church growth became the key to the village people movements.[18]The churches did not become an end in itself, but rather it is only a means to an end.[19] “Our ultimate aim must be to plant churches which in turn would plant churches, and on and on without end” says Dr. Ezra Sargunam.[20]Therefore the ECI, each tries to establish a daughter church e.g. Kilpauk ECI church known as “Seminary Church” is the mother church of ECI church in Villivakkam and Ayyapakkam.[21]
Dr. Ezra Sargunam, the President of the Evangelical Church of India, took this to a new level. This is because when the president came into leadership in 1972 he began to take the great commission even more serious. His heart towards planting churches in the nook and corner of India made the gospel reach the masses. His aim was to plant 1000 churches before A.D 2000. Till 1972 there were only 30 churches in the ECI, but after 1972 churches began to grow rapidly under his dynamic, persuasive, caring, loving and shepherding leadership.[22] Though the subsidy for these churches and seminaries were by the Oriental Missionary Society, it was then announced that ECI needs to raise 70% of the fund and only 30% would be from the OMS. Therefore in the 1988 All India Conference Dr. Ezra Sargunam expressed his concern for self- supporting.[23]
Activities of Evangelical Church of India
Educational Activities
ECI stresses more the educational systems and so establishes many schools with the view to educate the poor and the needy children as one its objectives includes founding, conducting and maintaining schools.
2. Social Activities
It has not only created an impact in the stage of education, but has extended its hand towards social concern programmes for the needy in different part of the nation. These works are credited to Dr. Ezra Sargunam who had the ability and the potential to the various projects, which others were not able to do. His ability to enlist the co-operation and funds of others has helped him secure resources for the implementation of his vision for the ECI.[24]
2.1 Relief and Community Development Programme
ECI cares for the poor and the needy. Hundreds of villagers have been benefited as they have constructed hand pumps in the drought areas of South India. It also helps the poor people who are keeping small shops, houses, purchasing tailoring machines, cows and buffaloes, rickshaws, etc for their livelihood. During Rev. Dr. Ezra Sargunam’s Golden Jubilee Year, 50 cycles, 50 rickshaws, 50 tailoring machines etc were granted to the people. ECI also under takes cyclone relief operations. 50, 000 coconut seedlings were granted under “A coconut tree for every home” scheme. There were rope-making industries established in Kerala and free school uniforms for the poor are given. It has ten centers all over India, they are: i) Arumbakkam Community Development Project, (Chennai) ii) Uttamnagar Slum Development Project (Delhi), iii) Govindpuri Family Development Project (Delhi) iv) Dakshinapuri Family Development Project (Dakshinapuri), v) Dum Dum Family Development Project (Calcutta), vi) Shimla Community Development Project (Shimla) vii) Gandhi Nagar Sewing School (Vijayawada), ix) Prakash Nagar Sewing School (Vijayawada), x) Karumanoor Rope Making Unit (Kerala).[25]
2.2 Day Care Centers
Since most of the women today go out for jobs, there is no one to look after the family. So they can send their children to crèche. In this crèche, children are provided nutritious food like milk and biscuits at 11 and also lunch at 1. It work from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Everything is free for them to encourage them and keep the children happy. The have both indoor and outdoor games, songs and Bible stories are also taught to them.
2.3 Health
The community has developed in medical services too. A doctor visits three days in a week and about 15- 20 patients come for treatment every day. The community development services of the ECI have been more pronounced in the areas of health viz. family planning, pre-natal, and post-natal care, immunization and nutrition through films. House visits and street vise meetings are also conducted. Ten houses are visited by their health staff every day. They also create an environmental cleanliness, care during pregnancy, family welfare, nutrition, causes of leprosy and its prevention. They also visit the houses in Arumbakkam. It has also started puppet shows regarding health, sanitation etc. These programmes have had a greater impact in the society.[26]
Objectives of ECI
The objectives of ECI is to manage, control, maintain, endow, and advance the work of this organization on a non-profit basis as a religious and charitable organization for the promotion of Christian evangelism, church planting, education, and Christian relief.
To provide from the funds towards expenses of the church buildings, parsonages, parish halls, school buildings, libraries, guest houses, living accommodation for workers, employees, servants, pastors, teachers, doctors, nurses, hostels for students, seminaries, playgrounds, hospitals, clinics, book shops, destitute homes, orphanages etc.
To provide funds for publishing, Christian books, tracts, pamphlets, films, cassettes and for mass communication.
To provide medical care for all those are in need regardless of caste, creed, race, sex or any social status.
To provide for the training in cottage industries, handicrafts and handlooms for those deprived of jobs.
To employ ministers for the work of the Gospel by holding meetings, lectures, seminars, retreats, and camps and to use radio or television in order to organize churches, educate people in the knowledge of the truth. To also invite Christians from abroad to aid and assist in carrying out the objects of the society.
To engage in educational works by building and maintaining schools, colleges, theological seminaries, training courses and to employ lectures and teachers for the same.
The one main objective of the Evangelical Church of India is to see that these above objectives does not remain in paper only, but rather to be implemented at all cost.
3. The Church
3.1 Introduction
As the early apostles went forth preaching everywhere and people were born of the spirit and cleansed from their sin, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit were formed into small congregations called churches. The converts who became members of these churches were urged to come together regularly for spiritual fellowship. Worship and breaking of the bread prayer and reading of the scripture (Acts 2: 42; Heb. 10: 25). As congregation were formed into different places similarly the ECI church helps it members to become the people establish firmly in their faith as its purpose is to form these groups into small congregations.[27]
3.2 Formation of the Local Churches
The aim of the ECI is to form a church where there is atleast 20 adults who profess to be born again and who will also collectively and individually pledge themselves to take the word of God as the only sufficient rule for both faith and practice and to follow the system of doctrine and government laid down in their manual, and whose average monthly offering is not less than Rs500/- and assessment Rs200/- can take application to form a local church. So such a group must apply in writing to the nearby Area Council or District Administration Committee. But is the application is from an unorganized district or Area/ Dioceses Council will deal with it directly of through the nearest council and if the request is from a group within an organized district, the district administrative Committee/ Area Council will make necessary arrangements for the church formation. In situations where the ECC/IMM has pioneered the work at their requests the Area Council or District Administration Committee will arrange for the organizing of the church.[28]
3.2.1 Procedures
The Area Council or District Administration Committee will appoint one or two of its members or instruct a chairman to call a meeting of the group for the purpose of investigating whether the group is ready to become a local church or not, and on the basis of the recommendation the Area Council or District Administration Committee will take necessary action.[29]
3.2.2 Government of the local Church
The government of the local church shall be vested in a committee of elders of the church and the pastors. These elders shall be nominated by the nomination committee. Only full members shall be given the privilege to hold office in a local church. The pastors shall be the Chairman of the committee. All persons holding office should be known for the sanctified character and ability for the work the church calls them. They should also be persons who faithfully support the church. They should also be persons who faithfully support the church. They should give satisfactory evidence of having a love for souls and desire to be useful to their fellow men. The elders Committee shall consist of pastors and elders not exceeding seven. In addition to this each church can have deacons and deaconesses according to its need. All elders shall be of equal rank so also deacons and deaconesses.[30]
3.3 Office bearers of the local church and their functions
3.3.1 Pastor
The pastor shall be the Chairman of local Church Committee. The duties of the pastor in the local church is to preach faithfully the full Gospel as found in the word of God, to exercise spiritual oversight and have the general guidance under the Holy Spirit of the religious services, and to care for the interests of the congregation calling their attention from time to time to the church Covenant and Advice to Members. If ordained or specially permitted he shall administer the sacraments. To preach over, all Elders Committee meetings of the church. Should he be convinced that any action of the Committee is contrary to the general policy of the church, he shall report the same to the district Administrative Committee\ Area council. In the same ,manner the majority of the committee members have the right of appeal to the District Administrative Committee \ Area council should they consider any action of the pastor is not in the best interests of the ministry. To preside over all other Committee meetings such as Youth Fellowship, women’s Fellowship and where not possible, he shall depute some one on his behalf. To appoint some one to record in the absence of the Secretary all the proceedings and decisions of the Elders Committee Meetings making true entries of the same in a journal kept for that purpose. All Registers, Account Books, Pass Books, Cheque Books past and present and record books of all departments of the church, after such are full or in disuse shall be under the custody of the pastor. He shall be responsible for all church correspondence. He shall make a monthly report to the District Chairman\ Area Chairman. To outline in conjunction with Area Chairman the normal weekly schedule and programme of evangelism.[31]
3.3.2 Local Church Committee
The Local Church Committee shall also be called Elders Committee. The Elders nominated by the Nomination Committee of the local Church after their installation shall function as the Local Church Committee. The Committee shall meet at least once a month at the call of the pastor more often if necessary. Vacancies in the Elder Committee will be filled by co-option. The Area Council or the District Administrative Committee shall be informed of theirs change. Their function shall be, to plan advances programmes for the local church, to Prepare Annual Plan budget, to set up short and long range goals; in evangelism and outreach, to assign one of the leader as the recording secretary of The Elders Committee, Receiving of new members as per the manual, to implement the decisions of the Area Council and periodical instructions from the Bishop, Examining of baptismal candidates, Approving of monthly statement of accounts, Cooperating with the pastor in the total ministry of the church.[32]
3.3.3 Deacons and Deaconesses
The deacons and Deaconesses shall assign the following duties to them according to their talents and needs in the local church. No deacon or Deaconess will serve in the same capacity for more than two terms of four years.[33]
Their Function is to Coordinate in Sunday school, vacation Bible school, Youth and women Fellowship Ministries, to coordinate in regular Cottage Prayer Meetings and church planting ministries, to Coordinate in taking care of the poor, widows and the sick, to coordinate in missionary agencies like IMM, ECI, Prayer Calendar, Church Planter, and Nirubam, and finally to serve as ushers and assist the cahier in receiving and counting of offerings.[34]
3.3.4 Cashier
He shall under no circumstances be an Elder, and he is responsible for receiving the tithes offerings and subscriptions etc., from the Deacons concerned after they have been duly counted and entries made in the register, to maintain the books of accounts, cheque books monthly statement of accounts and deposit the money in the bank or in the District Treasury, to make disbursements without the consent of the Elders Committee\Pastor, to get the pastor’s endorsement on all payments, vouchers and bills, to attend the Elders Committee meting without voting right and to perform his duties under the direction of the pastor in the church office.[35]
3.3.5 Recording Secretary
The duties of the recording secretary is to prepare the notice and agenda of the Elders committee meetings in consultation with the pastor\ Chairman and send circulars to this effect, to record all proceedings and decision of the Elders Committee meetings in the minute book and read the same in the subsequent meeting.
3.4 Sacrament
Regarding the Lord’s Supper, the notice of the sacrament should be given on the preceding Sunday. Those who have experienced the regenerating grace of the Lord Jesus Christ should be invited to participate. The pastor should give the spiritual warning with regard to participating unworthily (I Cor. 11: 30), the responsibility for participating being placed upon the individuals concerned. Persons desiring to take Communion should be invite to come forward to the front portion of the church, if such is convenient. The use of individual cups is approved and as usual they believe in the immersion mode of baptism which is in the name of the triune God.[36]
3.5 Dress Codes
Ordained Members of the Evangelical Church of India are permitted top wear as appropriate clerical gown while conducting services and ceremonies in areas where the public expect them to appear in clerical attire.[37]
4. Special Features of Evangelical Church of India
4.1 The Training Structure
They are not like traditional seminaries that train, “Parish Priests” for their denominations, but rather they look beyond from producing pastors for established churches. They actually train their own leaders by having a knit program between the church and the seminary students, so that they may be molded in the way that ECI is structured, but then again this is also not a compulsory one for the students to work there.[38] With these many Bible schools and colleges, nearly twelve of them in different places which serve as excellent places for recruiting, training and mobilizing the young people for the church planting ministry. The whole ECI movement started with Allahabad Bible Seminary (Dr. Ezra Sargunam graduated from there), then the MTSC came into existence and then all other Bible colleges and schools. Thus the Bible Schools played a major role to plant thousands of ECI churches.[39] The other ministries are, Every Creature Crusade team exists to wake up the churches that are sleeping in their area of evangelism and this team consists of six members.[40] Missionary Training Center it was started in chitlapakkam near Tambaram , which gives six months training, which sends missionaries to different states. [41]Evangelical Explosion III Clinic it was started in 1985 by Rev. Dr. Ezra Sargunam to help the people in the physical problems.[42]
4.2 The Sending Structure
Every Creature Crusade (ECC) and Indian Missionary Movement are the sending structures for ECI. ECC teams have made a great contribution in planting churches for ECI. ECC is primarily a mission agency and it is a sending agency. ECC has the uniqueness of being a mission agency and that is important in the over all ECI church planting ministry. Most of the present ECI pastors have had the background of working of several years in ECC teams and this helps them to keep the evangelical fervor.[43]
4.3 The Church Structure
ECI has set a trend for the emerging churches in India. To say over 1300 (present statistics 2006, Jan.) has been planted by the ECC teams all over India has been consolidated and conserved by the structure created by ECI denomination. These churches are planted and governed by the graduates of their colleges itself, which is a tremendous, plus point in the growth and the safety of the mission. To say ECI has chosen itself to be evangelical in faith, Episcopal in its governing structure which serves as a backbone in this ECI movement.[44]
Evaluation
To admit on a whole there a lot of things that has impacted me as I came across this movement, though the question of its continuity today of all these facilities and factors are questioned at random, by any observer or reader, but still what people trace for is the achievement that ECI has made and what are the strategies that it has adopted in these last six decades which had much to impact the whole nation. As we know that ECI has its birth from the OMS, one of the most primary things that is quiet noticeable is the continuity of the transferring of the vision of the founders to the young leaders who took up the leadership in the same spirit. ECI though it has its own set of principle and formalities, it is seen to be having the adoption and the accommodation theory not basically in the statement of faith but in the area of indigenization, as they do not disturb the cultural values and the systems of the people. They focus on church planting which is basically from the students who are brought up in the set up of the ECI faith statements, focus on transformation of the ministers of God who minister with the same attitude of transformation, which will for sure help in the ministries of ECI. Their focus is also towards the responsive member of the Gospel, i.e. to say they very much emphasis on the follow up ministry, which many many churches utterly fail to do. As their name goes as evangelicals, their church growth is through the power encounter ministry, which is very necessary in traditional villages bound under the clutches of sin and satan and the greatest and the strangest thing that we find in ECI is that though they have the name evangelical the preachers are given license on the basis of their theological status and the belief system so that they do not create chaos in the churches by injecting their own doctrines, which I feel will enrich and nurture the church very much, since qualified preachers can have a larger impact on the congregation as preaching is not something playful and does not come directly from the Holy Sprit, but through prayerful preparation. The other beautiful thing is that the ministers are ordained according to their testimony and according to their qualification in various levels. The strategy of Paul, i.e. by establishing the church in two or three important centers Paul claimed that he preached the Gospel from Jerusalem to round about Illycrium, and the same had worked well with ECI as they plant churches in the important centers in the villages, cities, towns, districts and states. This is to say that these important centers will be responsible for the surrounding places, which is the best method to be adopted, which the other movements do not practice. The method of building churches through the day care centers, Social Development projects has also worked well for the people to respond to the gospel.
Though the negative part on their side it is depend on the foreign currencies, but still “Bishop Dr. Ezra Sargunam is trying to make it self-supporting…” says J. Esther. Still we see the heart of giving which many mission organizations fail utterly and this is thoroughly one by the motivation provided by the leaders of all levels towards all the ECI believers to involve in one way or the other in the evangelization according to one’s capacity. Their influence at both the physical and the spiritual had made it more popular among people of all faiths, which the present churches and movements should take well notice in order to implement in their ministries so that the church in itself is well organized, but at the same time among the people has its theory of accommodation. My evaluation will be utter futile without mentioning the works of Bishop Dr. Ezra Sargunam who made his influence in the extensive level, noteworthy of all the improvements and transformation of all that is through ECI, as his leadership is seen at the decision making level which has made a large church growth i.e. to say the ECI has grown from 100 in 1970’s to 2500 in 2005, which is because of his passion and commitment. Today’s churches need people like him with the same amount of passion and commitment to take the church to a higher level which not only impacts the Christian community but which also has its penetration to all arenas, both the political level and the religious level. People cannot sit in hungry stomach and hear the gospel; therefore we need to feed them to make the gospel and the love of God true in their lives. Building them socially i.e. to say not to support them, but rather “to help them to help themselves” should be our motive and aim and not isolate ourselves as spiritual giants (which the evangelicals do) nor to focus only on their social up building, minimizing the great commission (as the liberals do), but rather to be a mixture of both so that social and spiritual becomes the nucleus and also the indivisible table agents for today’s ministry to be driven with real purpose with the savior like heart. According to Esther, ‘The Reason for their success is their ministry among the low caste, out caste, urban evangelism, their strategy of mother churches producing daughter churches and every church should be a church planter’ (43)[45] and which I think the present churches should fully focus on to see a bright future for the present churches and to see the progress of our present humanity as a whole.
Conclusion
As any other evangelical would have, even Evangelical Church of India has a vision to see the nation discipled for Christ. To say in the level of statistics they have made a tremendous growth in the last 65 years of their ministry in our nation. Their slogan, “Preach, Persuade, Plant” has encouraged a lot of the church planters and the other ministers of God to willingly pay the price in sowing, watering, nurturing, weeding, harvesting and gathering the grains in the barns. J. Esther comments “These achievements all because of the hard working and the untiring clergy man,” of Dr. Ezra Sargunam.[46] Which cannot be one man toil but a community that was willing to pay the price with burden and with the vision of the founders. Thus they were able to do just not the healing in the spiritual sides of the people but healing and transformation in a wholistic level which both the liberals and the evangelicals fail in one way or the other.
Bibliography
Sargunam, Ezra Multiplying Churches in Modern India. Kilpauk, Chennai: Federation of Evangelical Churches of India, 1974.
Sargunam, Ezra (Ed), Mission Mandate II. Ayanavaram. Chennai: Mission Educational Books, 2006
[n.a], Manual of the Evangelical Church of India (Chennai: Evangelical Church of India, 2004.
Internet Sources
Retrieved from http://www.indianchristianity.org/evangelical1.html on 26/11/2006 at 5:00p.m.
Unpublished Thesis
Esther, J. “History of Evangelical Church of India”. Chennai: University of Madras, 1990.
[1] Dr. Ezra Sargunam (Ed), Mission Mandate II (Ayanavaram, Chennai: Mission Educational Books, 2006), 423-24.
[2] M. Ezra Sargunam, Multiplying Churches in Modern India (Kilpauk, Chennai: Federation of Evangelical Churches of India, 1974), 55
[3] Retrieved from http://www.indianchristianity.org/evangelical1.html on 26/11/2006 at 5:00p.m.
[4] Ibid, 2.
[5] M. Ezra Sargunam, Multiplying Churches in Modern India , 56.
[6] Ibid, 3.
[7] Opcit.
[8] Ibid, 3.
[9] M. Ezra Sargunam, Multiplying Churches in Modern India, 60.
[10] J. Esther, “History of Evangelical Church of India” (Chennai: University of Madras, 1990), 19-20.
[11] J. Esther, 19, 21.
[12] Retrieved from http://www.indianchristianity.org/evangelical1.html on 26/11/2006 at 5:00p.m.
[13] Ibid.
[14] J. Esther, 23
[15] Ibid, 4.
[16] Retrieved from http://www.indianchristianity.org/evangelical1.html on 26/11/2006 at 5:00p.m.
[17] [n.a], Manual of the Evangelical Church of India, 4-5.
[18] J.Esther, 29- 32.
[19] J. Esther, 39.
[20] Rev. Dr. Ezra Sargunam, Multiplying Churches in Modern India (Madras: n.p, 1974), 177.
[21] J.Esther, 44.
[22] J.Esther,
[23] Ibid, 54.
[24] J. Esther, 86-87.
[25] J. Esther, 87-88.
[26] J. Esther, 91.
[27] Ibid, 11- 12.
[28] Ibid, 13.
[29] Ibid.
[30] Ibid, 14.
[31] [n.a], Manual of the Evangelical Church of India, 14- 16.
[32] Ibid, 16.
[33] Ibid.
[34] Ibid, 17.
[35] [n.a], Manual of the Evangelical Church of India, 17- 18.
[36] Ibid, 57.
[37] Ibid.
[38] Dr. Ezra Sargunam (Ed), Mission Mandate II, 425-26.
[39] Ibid, 433.
[40] J. Esther, 96-97.
[41] J. Esther, 100.
[42] J. Esther,
[43] Dr. Ezra Sargunam (Ed), Mission Mandate II , 433.
[44] Ibid.
[45] J. Esther, 36, 43.
[46] J. Esther, 28.
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