Effective Cooperation Between Modality and Sodality Structure In North India: A Case Study Of Bharat Susamachar Samiti, New Theological College And Christian Evangelistic Assemblies In Historical Perspective

2011·115.9 MB·English

by  GEORGE KURUVILA CHAVANIKAMANNIL

EFFECTIVE COOPERATION BETWEEN MODALITY AND
SODALITY STRUCTURE IN NORTH INDIA:
A CASE STUDY OF BHARAT SUSAMACHAR SAMITI, NEW
THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE AND CHRISTIAN EVANGELISTIC
ASSEMBLIES IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
A THESIS
SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF
GORDON-CONWELL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE
DOCTOR OF MINISTRY
BY
GEORGE KURUVILA CHAVANIKAMANNIL
MAY 2011
Copyright © 2011 by George Chavanikamannil. Ail Rights Reserved.
To the best gift that I have received from my Lord Jesus, other than my salvation and
the call to serve Him, my life-partner, Leelamma, with my love and appreciation.
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS - -- -- ----iX

ABSTRACT ---- mannan nnn nnn nn nnn nnn nn nnennrn nn n nae xii

Chapter
1. THESIS AND METHODOLOGY ----------2--20--02- n-n n-nn- en- ne -nn -ne -nn n9n e-ne 1
Introduction: Why This Study? ------------------------ oe ceeeeceeeneeenne 1
“Modality” and “Sodality” ---- won nn nn nn nnn nnn nn nnn nanan enn -3

Issues in Theological Education ----------------------- --- 5

Attempts Within India to Reform Theological Education -------------------------- g
Results of the Reformation Attempts ---- --- 11

Summary of Problems Identified by the Consultations --------------------------- 15
Methodology of the Study-- - -- --- --- 16

2. CHURCH PLANTING IN INDIA: A BRIEF SURVEY ---------------------------- 18
Introduction ------------------ ---- wes nen enn ne nnn nen nn nnn= 18

Historic Christianity in India------------ -- --- 19

Eastern Orthodox, Syrian Christian Tradition -------------------------------------- 24
Not a Missionary Church------ -- ---- 28

A Church That Was and Did Not Become the “Yeast” Influenced
by the Hindu Culture and Caste System ------------------------------------ 29

Arrival of Roman Catholicism woe en none ne nnnnnee --- 30

Vasco de Gama and the Portuguese ---------------------------------------------- 30
Cochin (Kochi) As the Center of Portuguese Mission ------------------------- 31
“Nova Roma”- Goa Becomes Portuguese Base -------------------------------~ 32
iv
First Roman Catholic Seminaries 33

Francis Xavier and the Mission to the Fisher-Folks --------------------------- 38
Robert Nobili and Mission of Mathurai--------------------------------- -39

Decline and Regeneration of Roman Catholic Mission/Church-------------- 43
Protestant Christianity in India ------------------------------------------------7------ 46
British East India Company and Missions -------------------------------------- 46
Progress in Spite of Opposition-LMS in the South ----------------------------- 47
Revival Among Syrian Christians--- wenn en nnn nnn nnn nnn n nnn nn= 49

Christianity in Northeast India-------------------------------------------------- 52

Beginnings of Mission Work in Northeast --------------------------------------- 53
Twentieth Century ----------2--2-2-2-2 -nnn- n- nn-n n-nn -nnn- n a-ne n-nn- nn- cen-enn s 59
Conclusion--------------------------------------n- nono enn nn nnn nena nennnnnne nen 62

3. THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION/CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP TRAINING IN
INDIA: A BRIEF HISTORY ---------------------------- --- 65

Introduction -- werent nnn nanan nnn nn nnn nn nnn nnn nena en nne - 65

Theological Education Among the Indigenous St. Thomas Christians --------- 65
Protestant Theological Education in India ------------------------------------------ 67
First Protestant Theological Training Center in India ------------------------ 67
Serampore-A Giant Step Forward------------------------------------------------ 72
Hostility of the East India Company and the Key Role
of the Danish Government wanna nnn nnnne n--- 72

Carey Forced to Choose Serampore ------------------------------------- 76

Prime Purpose of Serampore College-------------------------------------------- 77
Enquiry-Carey’s (and Serampore’s) Manifesto -------------------------------- 78
Birth of the First Protestant Sodality ---- ---- 80

Training “Christian Natives” ---- a 33

Vernacularists vs. Anglicists: Why One of Carey’s Key Visions Failed----- 88
After the Serampore Trio ---- ---- - ---- 92

The Second “Founding” of Serampore ------------------------------------------ 93
Bishop’s College wane non nn nana nH == - --- - 95

Later Developments -— --- --- 97

Asia Theological Association (ATA) ---- - --- 98

ACTS--- wonnnna=-- wonctenneee --- -- 102

Conclusion-- wane --- wow een ee nnennee 103

4. HISTORY OF BSS, NTC, and CEA: MODALITY AND SODALITY
WORKING TOGETHER ---- 105

Introduction: A Humble Beginning ---- - ---- woe nnenaeea=--- 105

Call and Vision -------------- n--- ---- --- 106

Birth of Christian Evangelistic Assemblies (CEA) ------------------------------- 109
Growth and Expansion of New Theological College----------------------------- 111
Strategic Decisions That Shaped BSS/NTC/CEA -------------------------------- 114
Training Closely Linked with Church-Planting ------------------------------- 114
Christendom Model or Missionary Model? ------------------------------------ 115
“Double-Degree”’ Program and Affiliation to the Senate of Serampore---117
Ecumenical Training ----------------------------------------------- -- --120

Focus on Church-Planting with Specialized Courses------------------------- 121
Taking Missions Training to Mission Pields-Satellite Training Centers ---122
Training in Vernacular 124

vi
Training Women ---- wenn eee 125

Ongoing Training for Workers who Are Already in the Field --------------- 126
Translation and Publication of Hindi Books ----------------------------------- 127
School of Worship and Music ---- wanna nana nena nana nena nnn 128

School of Languages and Linguistics ---- none noeecnnn anne 128

Combining the New and the Old -------------------------------------------- 129

Spiritual and Character Formation (“Heart”) -------------------------------- 130
Ministry Formation (“Hands ”) -------------------------------------------------- 131
Disciplines of the Community Life ----------------------------------------------- 132
Conclusion--------------------------------- - 133

5. LESSONS FROM TWO DECADES -- ---- --135

Introduction aoe wenn nee nen n enn ene nen en eene ne 135

A Crucial Early Lesson -—- ---- 136

Relationship of Modality to Sodality in BSS/NTC/CEA Ministries ----------- 141
Reflections on Theological Education/Christian Leadership
Training: Towards Solutions to the Problems 144

Principle #1; Theological Education/Christian Leadership Training Must
Instill in the Ones We Train Complete Dependence on the Holy Spirit
and His Gifts for Them to Be Transformed and to Be Effective in Their
Ministries. -- -- a --145

Total Dependence on the Grace and Power of the Holy Spirit -------------- 148
Identification with the People He Is Trying to Reach ------------------------- 148
Principle #2: Theological Education/Christian Leadership Training
Must Be Done in Intimate Relationship with the Church, Bible
Colleges and Seminaries Must Serve the Church. ------------------------- 149
Principle #3: Spiritual Formation (Character Development/ Moral
Formation) and Ministry Formation Must Not Be Sacrificed at the
vil
Altar of Theological Formation (or Intellectual Formation).
All Three Are Equally Important. - won nn enna enna nanan --152

Principle # 4: The Church in India Needs Multi-Dimensional Approach to
Theological Education/Christian Leadership Training. ------------------ 154
Principle #5: Seminaries and Bible Colleges Must Develop Training
Programs That Are Inclusive. ---- --158

Principle #6: Theological Training and Theological Literature in the Heart
Languages Must Become a Top Priority, However Difficult the Task Might
Be. -------------------------- a+ ---- --162

Conclusion -- — --- --164

APPENDIX: OUR STORY: HOW IT ALL HAPPENED ---------------------------------- 165
BIBILOGRAPHY --------------- open ee ee eeeeeeeeee penne 200

VITA - -- - meee nnn nena 207

viii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all, I want to praise the Lord and give Him all the glory for enabling me to
complete this long-cherished goal at this late stage of my life. Apart from the grace and
mercy of God I could never have completed this. I pray that the Lord would bless this
small study and make it useful for the strengthening of His Church in India.
Secondly, I am so very grateful to my loving wife and best-friend, Leelamma, for her
patient prodding, without which I would never have completed this writing. I was
tempted to give it up so many times due to the hectic schedule that I have to keep in
leading the ministries about which this thesis talks about. Yet her constant
encouragement kept me going. Even when I gave up on myself, she did not give up on
me. She has been my ideal partner in life for the last thirty-seven years and I thank the
Lord for her every day.
Equally patient and encouraging were my two mentors: Dr. Timothy Tennent and Dr.
Peter Kuzmié. Even after he took up the extremely demanding assignment of being the
President of Asbury Theological Seminary, Dr. Tennent continued the responsibility of
guiding me. I truly do not have words to thank him enough for showing such concern for
me. He and his beloved wife Julie have been partners in the gospel in India with
BSS/NTC/CEA since the inception of these ministries. They have done and are still doing
so much to encourage us to pursue the call of God on our lives in training laborers for the
Kingdom and planting churches in the remaining hundreds of unreached ethnic groups in
the Indian subcontinent. Dr. Kuzmié has also shown such patience and grace to me. His
words of encouragement and enthusiastic support have played a significant role in my
finally finishing this writing.
ix
I also would like to acknowledge the encouraging words, prayers, and help of all of
my colleagues in India in seeing this work completed. I am grateful to the Lord for
providing so many committed, dedicated and superbly qualified coworkers who are doing
their best to train quality leaders for the Church in India and to reach the remaining
people groups with the gospel. God has blessed BSS/NTC/CEA with many such leaders
and without them my wife and I could not have done the little we have been able to do
for the Kingdom in India. May the Lord continue to bless all of our colleagues in India!
Though I ought to name all our colleagues in India who have stood with us in seeing
our vision fulfilled that would make this too long. Pardon me for naming only two: The
Rev. George C. Kuruvilla, who was the first to join us and who has done all the hard the
work in developing the infra-structure and played the most critical role in the growth and
development of BSS and CEA needs to be named first. He is currently serving as the
Managing Director of BSS. My wife and I truly do not have words to thank Babu (as he
is affectionately known) and his beloved wife Laly for standing with us faithfully and
executing the vision.
Second person I must name is The Rev. Dr. Simon Samuel who is serving as the
Principal of NTC and Vice-President of CEA. A very humble man who is a world-class
New Testament scholar and at the same time deeply committed to the authority of
Scripture and the mission of the Church, Simon has worked hard to develop NTC as a
respected theological seminary in India. His abilities and gifts are recognized by the
wider Serampore family as evidenced by the fact that he is now serving as a member on
the Board of Theological Education, Senate of Serampore and on the Working
Committee of the Academic Council of the Senate. It is to be noted that Dr. Simon is the