Kerala official’s call for evangelization runs into trouble

Kottayam (Matters India Reporter : A Hindu outfit has called for the ouster of a top Kerala government official, who urged Churches to bring people to Christ and spread Christianity.

“There are three ways to spread Christianity, Church evangelization, personal evangelization and mass evangelization,” Kerala Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson told a function on November 27 in Kottayam, a Christian-dominated town in the southern Indian state.

The chief secretary made the statement in the presence of Kerala Governor P Sathasivam, who opened the valedictory session of the Bicentenary celebrations of Kottayam Orthodox Theological Seminary.

Thomson started his keynote address saying, “I am standing before you not as the chief secretary of Kerala, but as a proud son of Malankara Orthodox Church.’’

In his speech which had evangelization as the main thread, Thomson said, “you and I should take up the duty to preach gospel across the world. The biggest mission of the Church is spread the gospel. The Bible clearly says about that mission. This is an occasion for self introspection with regard to the mission of the Church.”

He asserted that bringing others to Christ is a Biblical imperative. “Today, the biggest mission of the Church is to spread the Gospel,” he added.

He said the mute question is how spreading Gospel is possible. “There are three ways for it; personal evangelism, church evangelism and mass evangelism. In the next two months, you would witness in Kerala a series of incidents of mass evangelism during Bible conventions.’’

Among these three ways, Thomson said, “You and I can do personal evangelism which does not require the help of clergy.’’

Narrating the story how a paralyzed boy spread Gospel from his apartment, the Chief Secretary said, “why we, who don’t have any disability, can’t go for personal evangelization like that boy.’’

Referring to church evangelism, Thomson said nowadays no one speaks to others in church. No one looks into the problems faced by others. This is not church evangelism. It should be corrected.’’

He said the Church’s mandate is to spread gospel across the world. When that mission is accomplished, we would become another Christ. Only at that moment, I can say I am a Christian,’’ said Thomson.

Thomson belongs to the Malankara Orthodox Church, a prominent Eastern Church based in Kerala.

Kummanam Rajasekharan, general secretary of the Hindu Aikya Vedi (forum for Hindu unity), has take serious exception to the controversial speech and called for his ouster.

In a press note, Rajasekharan said it was unconstitutional for a person holding such august position in the state administration to campaign for one particular religion and to exhort for the conversion of people from other religions to Christianity.

It was unpardonable when a chief secretary expresses religious intolerance and makes speeches that generate hatred, he Hindu leader said and called upon the governor to take action against Thomson.

Later, Thomson said his speech was misunderstood by some. “I was not advocating for proselytization. What I told the meeting was that the Church’s mission is to preach gospel. What I wanted to communicate is that a Christian has to take care of his fellow beings as part of personal evangelization.’’

He also said he was speaking as a member of the Church. “I am constitutionally entitled to speak in that manner,” he added.

Thomson is a 1980 batch IAS (Indian Administrative Service) officer of Kerala cadre. He took over as the chief secretary on January 31.

Earlier, he served as the director general of the Sports Authority of India from March 2014.

During his tenure, Thomson had locked horns with the Indian Olympic Association over 2014 Asian Games contingent and initiated a mass shuffling of its coaches.

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