Bishop D J Ambalavanar

Bishop in Jaffna [30Th June 1971 – 28Th Feb. 1993]
Jaffna Diocese of the Church of South India
95TH Birthday Remembrance: 28TH February, 2023

Church of South India (CSI) was the first United Church in the world, organised between the episcopal (Anglican) and non-episcopal (Congregational, Presbyterian, Methodist) churches, inaugurated on the 27th September, 1947 at St George’s Cathedral Church in Chennai. The South India United Church (SIUC: Congregational and Presbyterian) came into being in 1908, and the Congregational Church of Ceylon (of the American Ceylon Mission) joined this Church Union in the year 1909. The year 1947, an year of transition for the Church in Jaffna in terms of Church Governance was from Congregationalism to Episcopal system, in which Rev Sabapathy Kulandran BA, BD was consecrated as the first Bishop of the Jaffna Diocese of the CSI. He retired on his 70th birthday in September, 1970. A few months after, Rev David Jeyaratnam Ambalavanar BD, MTh, was consecrated as Bishop at the Cathedral Church, Vaddukoddai on the 30Th June, 1971 in a solemn service, and installed as the second Bishop of the JDCSI. He served in that capacity until his 65Th birthday on the 28Th February 1993.

The ministry of his episcopate and leadership for twenty-two years marked him as an outstanding leader of his Church and Tamil Community in Sri Lanka. He was also an ecumenist with a fresh understanding of ecumenism deviating from the missionary era practice, ie: each denomination was confined to certain geographical region where its congregations existed and its ministry exercised. Churches of the ACM since 1816 were confined among the Tamils of the Jaffna peninsula. It was in the year 1979, he decided to take his diocese beyond Elephant Pass, as he was moved by the influx of Tamil refugees from the South and the Central Hill country into the Vanni region due to ethnic riots in 1977.

The displaced Tamil families sought refuge in the new region as a community of homeless and landless labourers trying to find a living under such conditions. The displacement of Tamils continued from the rest of the country, and escalated due to 1983 ethnic riots. It was in this context and subsequent armed conflict, the Jaffna Diocese under his leadership extended its services and pastoral care with pioneer church

workers both ordained and lay. The church established Day Care Centres (DCC) to feed, educate and protect children of preschool age, and over time Kinder Not Hilfer (KNH), Christian Children Fund of Canada (CCFC), with local and church resources supported this program both in the Vanni and in the Jaffna peninsula, and later it was extended to the Eastern Province since 1989 and to the Central Hills. Many other programs were added to support the families, women and men, as the affected and traumatised people in numbers increased due to war in the whole of North and East. Hence the Church’s mission spread far and wide with new congregations and communities established for the wellbeing of families with programs of new Housing and land for home garden, self-employment opportunities with new Vocational Training Centres (VTC).

The extension of the Church’s mission required more workers to serve in the new communities. The training for pastoral ministry and theological education in India for the candidates from Ceylon faced the challenge of obtaining Indian Visa for the 4-5 year courses of study. This led to a vision to establish the Christian Theological Seminary (CTS) at Maruthanarmadam, Chunnakam in October, 1983, and 95% of the clergy ministering now have been trained, along with a parallel program of Lay training. This year in October, the CTS marks 40 years of theological education and training for pastoral ministry during the war and post-war years.

The Newly Consecrated Bishop-

As the Church recalls the contribution of the late bishop, Rt Rev Dr D J Ambalavanar at his 95th birthday remembrance this week, the Protestant Christian Community both in Sri Lanka and in the Diaspora are relieved to know that the Rev Velupillai Pathmathayalan MA. BD, MTh was elected out of the two nominated candidates, later appointed, consecrated and installed on the 10Th of December 2022 at the Platinum Jubilee Chapel at the CSI Synod Secretariat in Chennai to lead the ‘bruised JDCSI’ to resurrect the 200 year heritage Church from the ashes. The welcome accorded to him at a special Service of Thanksgiving at the Vaddukoddai Cathedral Church in January 2023 was a testament to the high expectation of the Church and community at large for a new beginning. He and his episcopal ministry is held in high esteem with earnest prayers of the people of the Church and its institutions.

Uduvil Girls’ College-

The appointment and installation of Miss Rosana Mathuramathy Kulandran BSc (Hons.), MA, MSc., as the tenth Principal of UGC on the 4th January this year has been warmly welcomed by the alumni across the globe and the local community. She is the grand-daughter of the late Bishop Sabapathy Kulandran, and a precious daughter to his son and daughter-in-law, Thayanithy Kulandran. The College comes under the purview of the JDCSI, and has been receiving financial support from the Jaffna College Trust Fund (JCTF) in Boston.

Jaffna College, Vaddukoddai-

The appointment and installation of Mrs Rushira Kulasingham BA (Jaffna), MA (Kelaniya), CTHE (Colombo), SEDA (UK), was held on the 6th of November, 2022 as the 9Th National Principal of Jaffna College. She is the grand-daughter of the late Mr I P and Mrs Rose Thurairatnam of Tellippalai, and a precious daughter of Mr Charlie and Mrs Saku Kunanayagam of Colombo. The independent Christian Private School is celebrating 200 years of the founding of the famous Batticotta Seminary, and 150th anniversary of Jaffna College this year. The College is managed by a Board of Directors, and has been receiving financial support from the JCTF in Boston and from the Alumni as well.

The Expectation-

The expectation of the Protestant Christian Community in Sri Lanka and in the diaspora is to see a close cooperation between the JDCSI and CACM in the work of the Church’s mission though the JDCSI suffered enormous problems as stated above in the letter to the CSI Moderator in 2021. Among the many issues at hand, the Clergy Stipend of both churches, the upgrading of the JDCSI Clergy in both theological education and ministerial formation, the recovery of Church lands for the mission of the Churches, avoiding duplication in certain outreach programs, and the urgent need for fresh understanding and cordial relationship between the two Churches are of paramount importance for the elected officers, clergy men and women and believing community. We commend this vision for all involved, including the mission partners local and overseas.