The formation of the Church of South India was one of the remarkable events in the History of Christianity. Bishop Jacob was the Presiding Bishop at the great service of Inauguration and Consecration of the new Bishops, which took place in St. George's Cathedral, Madras. Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Methodists and Anglicans, with a section of the Basel Mission, became one of the first union of Episcopal and non - Episcopal Churches. It was Bishop Jacob who delivered the momentous words: "Dearly beloved brethren, in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church, who on the night of His Passion prayed that His disciples might be one, and by authority of the governing bodies of the uniting churches. I do hereby declare these churches have become one" 1. Services of inauguration and commissioning were next held at diocesan level. The northern section of the Diocese - Trichur, Cochin, Alwaye and Munnar, became part of the new North Kerala Diocese with Bishop Stuart Smith, formerly an Archdeacon
he Anglican Diocese of Travancore & Cochin which had been in existence since 1879 came to be known as the Diocese of Central Travancore on the formation of the CSI on 27th September, 1947. Subsequently, it was renamed the Diocese of Madhya Kerala.
The Church of South India is the result of the union of churches of varying traditions Anglican, Methodist, Congregational, Presbyterian, and Reformed--in that area. It was inaugurated in September 1947, after protracted negotiation among the churches concerned
