A number of CSI dioceses have been holding their diocesan councils in recent weeks. This comprising representatives of pastorates, area/district councils and bishops’ nominees who elect the diocesan leadership (minus the bishop) for the next triennium. Also elected are the diocese’s representatives who will go to the next ordinary meeting of the General Synod due in January 2026.

South Kerala, East Kerala, Karimnagar, Kollam-Kottarakara and Kanyakumari are among dioceses that recently completed the exercise. Vellore is due to hold its apex council meet next month. In Rayalaseema the Andhra Pradesh High Court has stayed giving “any effect” to the election result.

Malabar holds a diocesan council every year –a good practice which should become the rule through a CSI Constitutional amendment to ensure greater accountability of officers and other diocesan leaders. At its recent annual council meeting Malabar diocese elected only its Synod representatives.

Medak is due to hold its triennial ordinary diocesan council on Nov 27-28, 2025. There are two “Official” Panels (see pics) that are campaigning hard to be elected. There is one name that is common in both panels. That of incumbent diocesan treasurer Vimal Sukumar who also is the Treasurer of the CSI Synod and the Treasurer and Director of the CSITA. It is a measure of the enormous power he wields in the diocese that both panels have proposed only his name for treasurer.

As per the amendment made to the CSI Constitution in 2015 a bishop-appointed nomination committee is to propose a name for diocesan treasurer and this has to be confirmed by an affirmative vote (50% plus one of those attending). With both panels proposing Sukumar for treasurer it is a forgone conclusion he will be re-elected to the post with a thumping majority. Sukumar not surprisingly has the backing of his Synod Officer colleague Moderator Reuben Mark who is also the Bishop-in-Charge of Medak.

Sukumar is (along with Vijaykumar Dandin of Karnataka Northern Diocese) one of the longest serving leaders of any diocese having been elected several times. A court filing (see attached) shows he was Treasurer of Medak Diocese as far back as 2009 riding on the influence of his father late B.P. Sugandhar who was both bishop (1993-2009) and moderator (2004-08). Incidentally Dandin too is son of a former bishop and moderator, Vasant P. Dandin.

Unlike presbyters whose retirement age somewhat constrains the number of times they can serve as diocesan officers, there is no such limitation on lay persons leading to them becoming power brokers ruling for decades. This particularly if they have had fathers as bishops who did a number of self-serving cash-generating property deals. Another CSI constitutional amendment required is that no lay person can serve as an officer of a diocese or as convenor of any of its committees for say more than three terms in all.

The few occasions he had to step down as a Medak diocesan officer (due to the only two consecutive term rule for officers in the CSI Constitution) Sukumar ensured an acolyte held the seat warm for his return at the next election. One of the constitutional amendments Sukumar and fellow Synod officers pushed through — and which was recently struck down along with others by the Supreme Court on grounds of procedural irregularities in approving the amendments — was to remove the two-term rule. The intention was to open the door for unlimited consecutive terms – a move that greatly benefits the corrupt and professional power brokers.

Rev U. Daniel who is standing for ministerial secretary has been one of Sukumar’s close aides He stood in for him as treasurer in the past when the two consecutive term rule prevented his mentor contesting.

Other controversial figures in the same panel include Dr K. Dayanand who is seeking re-election as Medical Board Convenor, Ravula Samson as Socio-Economic Board Convenor and Mantri Solomon Raj as Property Board Convenor. The names of all these three figure in the controversial long term lease deal struck on the 42-acre Christian Medical College Hospital in Dichpally with a little known organization that was registered only weeks before the deal and headed by a non-Christian. A whatsapp message being widely circulated (see attached) questions the ambiguity concerning the lease deal and the silence of those who executed it and are now standing for re-election.

Although the CSI Constitution (Chapter VIII Rule 2d ) mandates that lay representatives shall be “at least twice in number” in diocesan councils to presbyters, the value of this provision has been considerably eroded by two developments across dioceses. Unlike until about the 1990s, today most lay persons who contest for positions in the diocese are unemployed or unemployable. “This situation is both unfortunate and troubling as the stewardship of important ecclesiastical responsibilities ideally requires individuals with demonstrable stability, accountability and integrity in their personal and professional lives,” says a retired presbyter who served as his diocesan treasurer and was a multi-term Synod member.

The second reason why quality of laity participation has diminished is because many of them are wives, children or other relatives of the clergy and do not truly represent laity interests. “In Medak itself dozens of those participating as lay persons in the upcoming diocesan council are either wives or relatives of members of the clergy,” says insider. These relatives of the clergy rarely open their mouth and only rubber stamp what the powers that be want. Also, it is being alleged, the reservation meant for youth delegates to the Medak Council is not being adhered to.

Unless future CSI constitutional amendments bar immediate family and relatives of presbyters and bishops from invading the space meant for the laity on important church bodies there is little hope for restoring integrity in the functioning of the church. This current scenario to a large extent explains the stranglehold that lay power brokers are able to exercise on diocesan administrations election after election.

Meanwhile, with a little over a month and half to go for the triennial ordinary CSI General Synod, there is still no news whether the event will happen or where. The Synod Executive which was tentatively scheduled for December 11-12, and which would have, in the normal course, finalized the venue, dates and theme of the the General Synod, has not yet been confirmed.

At the time of writing, Executive members have not been asked to submit details regarding their passport etc . This suggests the meeting is unlikely to happen in Dubai or any other foreign locale as was mentioned by the Moderator at the end of the Oct 31 Synod Executive. But dioceses have been asked by the Synod office to submit their 2023-26 triennium reports and the list of their representatives to the next regular General Synod meeting.