St. Thomas CSI Church of Greater HoustonThat they all may be one
St. Thomas CSI Church of Greater HoustonWe are a Pastorate of the Church of South India (CSI), established in 1988 in the Greater Houston area, whose identity is defined by the teachings of the Holy Scriptures and by the traditions of the Church of South India. In our life together as a church, we strive prayerfully to serve our Lord Jesus Christ through worship and service to the community.
Nothing is impossible for God, no one is outside the realm of Jesus’s love and care—that Jesus heals. The “works of God” may include physical healing now—but they assuredly include healing from sin and, eventually, healing from a broken body forever. We need healing for a sin-sick soul. Jesus’s miraculous healings are physical realities portraying a spiritual one: the forgiveness of sins for those who would otherwise perish. He assured: By his wounds you’ve been healed (1 Pet. 2:24). We need healing through the perfect restoration of body, mind, and soul, Jesus returns and renews all things. What God has done through miracles past, he will do in our heavenly future.
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore” (Rev. 21:4). Neither shall there be sickness, nor any need for healing. We are free to come to him with fearful expectancy, believing he can, knowing he ultimately will, and peacefully trusting him.
The Church of South India is the result of the union of churches of varying traditions Anglican, Methodist, Congregational, Presbyterian, and Reformed. It was inaugurated in September 1947, after protracted negotiation among the churches concerned. Organized into 24 dioceses, each under the spiritual supervision of a bishop, the church as a whole is governed by a synod, which elects a moderator (presiding bishop) every 2 years. Episcopacy is thus combined with Synodical government, and the church explicitly recognizes that Episcopal, Presbyterian, and congregational elements are all necessary for the church’s life. The Scriptures are the ultimate standard of faith and practice. The historic creeds are accepted as interpreting the biblical faith, and the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper are recognized as of binding obligation.
The Church of South India (CSI) affirms that the purpose of the union is to fulfill the priestly prayer of Jesus Christ, the Lord of the Church “That they all may be one, and that the world may believe that you have sent me”. And the Church of South India would become an effective instrument of God’s mission so there will be greater peace, closer fellowship and fuller life in the Church and a renewed commitment for the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through word and deed.
The Church of South India affirms that the Church is the Servant of God to carry on the mission rooted in Jesus Christ based on the Scriptures. The Church through her mission expresses solidarity with the broken communities for a new hope to face the challenges of life. The Cross continuous to be the sign of hope for the witnessing Church, which strives towards Unity, Peace and Reconciliation as a vibrant Channel of God.