The suspense over whether January 2026 will see the 38th ordinary session of the CSI General Synod (with elections) being held is over. With the circulation in advance, for once, of the agenda (see attached) of the Synod Executive to be held on Dec 11, 2025, it is clear there will be no special Synod called to extend the life of the current one — and thereby the term of the current Synod Officers. Agenda item No 12 seeks to fix the date, time and venue of the 38th regular Synod.
None of the three Synod officers – Moderator Reuben Mark, General Secretary Fernandas Rathinaraja and Treasurer Vimal Sukumar –are eligible to stand for re-election. This is the most positive outcome of the legal struggle waged in the Madras High Court and the Supreme Court over three years by ordinary church members.
On December 27, 2022 a Synod Executive hastily convened on Zoom by Rathinaraja had adopted the highly controversial constitutional amendments as the law of the church. This triggered a massive legal battle resulting in both the Madras High Court and then the Supreme Court annulling these amendments due to gross procedural irregularities in their adoption.
One of the13 amendments annulled had removed the existing two consecutive term only cap for Synod officers. Thus the Officers’ perfidious plan to continue in office indefinitely fell through as they each will be completing two consecutive terms (2020-23 & 2023-26) by January.
The date of the Synod will be during the Pongal/Sankranti holidays in mid January as happens every triennium. As regards the venue it is understood Karnataka Northern Diocese has pitched for the meeting to be held again at Hubli. This as its longtime power broker Vijaykumar Dandin is eyeing a shot at becoming the next General Secretary or Treasurer of the Synod. But Synod officers are unlikely to agree for Hubli — it will be an unwelcome first in Synod history if the same city is chosen to host two consecutive Synods.
It is understood that two-term Synod Executive member Vinod Dasan from Karnataka Central Diocese has pitched for Bengaluru being the venue. Dasan, who was made treasurer of the cash-rich Bishop Cotton Girls’ School in Bengaluru by his mentor former bishop P.K. Samuel, has become a favourite of the Synod officers in recent months. It is likely they see him as the person most suited to keep their many skeletons firmly locked in the cupboard when they leave office.
In a departure from protocol Dasan was allowed inside the Synod conference room on August 2. He witnessed Moderator Reuben Mark announcing to members of the bishop selection board (of which Dasan was not a part since those from the same diocese cannot be a member) that Rev Vincent Vinod Kumar will be the Synod’s choice for KCD bishop.
It is no secret Bishop Kumar was Dasan’s candidate to become bishop even though he got only the second highest votes among KCD bishopric candidates. Back in my Feb 10, 2024 post on this page titled “CSI Synod Executive Undertakes Another Rubber Stamp Exercise” I had noted: “The close equation between Dasan and Rathinaraja raises serious doubts about how objectively the next Karnataka Central Diocese bishop will be chosen by the Synod in a few months time.”
On August 19 the Synod Executive notified that Dasan will be a member of the Administrative Committee for Vellore Diocese. Three weeks earlier he sat on the Synod Selection panel that chose the new Bishop of Madras. Then on September 7 the Synod made him a member of the Election Appellate Tribunal for South Kerala Diocese. All this profile raising of Dasan seems timed to enable his candidature for General Secretary at the upcoming General Synod. And, don’t forget, Synod Officers exercise great influence in deciding that outcome too.
Agenda item No 13 of the December 11 meeting relates to constituting the nomination committee for shortlisting candidates for General Secretary and Treasurer. Though nominally constituted by the Synod Executive, the nomination committee is actually chosen by Synod Officers and merely rubber stamped by the Executive. Thus by picking their cronies to be on the committee, the officers virtually decide whose names will come up first for voting for both key positions. It is only if the name proposed first fails to get the 50% plus one affirmative vote of the General Synod members that other names are brought forward. A third contender for General Secretary, in addition to Dasan and Dandin, is said to be Byju Nizeth Paaul, the longtime power player in Kanyakumari diocese.
It is important to remember that the election of the General Secretary happens third on the opening day of the Synod, after that of the Moderator and Deputy Moderator. This means that voting for the General Secretary will happen late evening, probably after 6 pm, when most Synod delegates will be keen to retire after a long day that began for them around 8 am. This gives a natural advantage to the person whose name is put up first to get the 50% plus one affirmative vote from those attending. Ditto the case with the Synod Treasurer election.
There is an automatic assumption, sadly incorrect, that the person who is proposed first has been duly vetted and found the most suitable. Moreover, most delegates will be keen to avoid a second round of voting and counting for either General Secretary or Treasurer which could take a minimum of three additional hours each and stretch into the wee hours of the following day.
In such a scenario if Vinod Dasan’s name is proposed first (there are no guidelines on whose name the committee proposes first) for General Secretary, his being from Bengaluru, the host city of the Synod, will provide him additional advantage. Particularly if good gifts, apart from more discreet goodies, have been handed out to delegates during registration as is the tradition.
As regards the theme of the next Synod it is likely to be the same as that of the recent Medak Diocesan Council that concluded November 28: “Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation and Unity.” This since both the Moderator (who is also Bishop-in-Charge of Medak) and the Synod Treasurer (recently re-elected as Treasurer of Medak) have already bought into it. Not that such themes are anything more than mere empty words that mean little in reality.
It is now clear the vacant post of Deputy Moderator will not be filled this triennium. This is actually a violation of the CSI Constitution which mandates (Rule 8 of Chapter IX) that the “if any vacancy occurs [during a triennium] the executive committee shall fill up such vacancy…” and get it approved by majority of Synod members through circular vote. The use of the word “shall” and not ‘may” mandates the officers to bring this up before the executive which they have failed to execute at the Oct 31 executive and now at the Dec 11 one (if the lack of mention in the agenda is any indication).
What the Synod Officers will do before they relinquish office in mid January is appoint new bishops for Kanyakumari and Trichy Tanjore dioceses where the panel is in place and the process of making announcements in the churches are over. What is left is for the selection boards to meet, the Synod Officers to effectively make the appointments and for the Moderator to consecrate the new bishops. This may happen even before the executive on Dec 11 thus paving the way for them to attend the same.