Church Tour Chennai, India
Feb 25 - We spent the morning on a wild sprint through the city of Chennai, visiting at least seven services in six churches. We visited a bewildering assortment of denominations and traditions that will take some time to sort through, even with the lectures we received on the history of the church in India
We were able to visit the Apostolic Christian Assembly in Chennai that had over fifteen thousand attendees. It was a fascinating building consisting of mostly a roof, but no walls. The men and women were generally segregated. Television sets and fans were sprinkled liberally throughout seating area. There was no parking lot, which indicates a congregation that is generally more urban, and less economically advantaged.
What was interesting was the amount of control that the pastor and staff seemed to employ in the leadership of the church. The pastor is so respected that when he stands, those who are seated on the floor shift into a kneeling position. I was assured that this is not a sign of worship but deep respect. Midweek services gather at the church, but are divided up in the sanctuary by district with each seating area manned by a pastor.
In conversations during the day, we learned that this pastor would not allow his parishioners to see movies, watch TV or to wear jewelry. If they had done so, they were not allowed to participate in communion.
At the St. Thomas Orthodox Church, it was a different kind of rigidity that was displayed. We were able to listen to the mass being sung by the priest, and a song that was surprisingly accompanied by an organ. The mass has not changed since the 4th century and has been celebrated exactly the same way for all this time. One accommodation was to change it into the native tongue here in Hyderabad.
The Orthodox church is located at Parry’s Corner. This area is not a slum, but is the place where tens of thousands of homeless spend the night. Many work, but can’t afford enough to move into the slums. Some have organized in order to campaign for identification cards. People simply sleep on the streets. Despite the hardship these people are incredibly friendly and have a joy that can teach you much.
Contrast those two services with the church that met in the movie theater. Powerhouse Church was loud and contemporary, everything you would expect from a younger church in North America. It was very different from the two churches above. It met in a movie theater, taboo for those from the Apostolic Christian Assembly. It allowed women in leadership. Powerhouse also had a great ministry to the needy and those from lower castes.
Finally, we visted Jehovah Shammah, a church started by a converted Sikh who was interested in developing an indigenous church expression. It was striking to hear virtually nothing as we came upon the sanctuary. Barefooted people were seated on the matted floor, separated by gender in an extended period of silent prayer. Eventually, I heard an “Amen†and people began to take turns praying out loud. Services go for hours, punctuated by a “love feast†or church wide meal.
It was interesting to see the many different expressions of church that exist on a Sunday morning in Chennai. From ancient Orthodox traditions to a historic Scottish Kirk meeting in an Anglican building to a movie theater and eventually a service that felt Hindu though it would not be confused with a temple due to all the scripture on the walls. We learned that churches could grow without parking lots, and some didn’t need walls, and some had very ancient traditions.