Coimbatore Bishopric Election Held But Hit By Court Stay

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

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

source-youth4csi

India's first transgender pastor finds fulfilment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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