Current Bishop of Madras CSI Diocese, President of National Missionary Society and Executive Committee Member of the World Commission of Reformed Churches [WCRC] Rt. Rev. A. Paul Francis Ravichandran, M.A, B.D, Part Final

                                                

                                    BISHOP Rt.Rev. A. PAUL FRANCIS RAVICHANDRAN       

 Rt. Rev. Paul Francis is a Compassionate Social Thinker and Humanitarian:  Rt Rev Paul Francis is a born humanitarian and consuming and benevolent social thinker and egalitarian. All his humanitarian services and egalitarian initiatives cannot be accommodated here and so I will cite two or three examples only and the following are some of his Humanitarian activities: 

                                                

          Governor  Sri.Surjit Singh Barnala honours Bishop Paul Francis and Mrs Rev, Indra Paul 

[1] Rt. Rev. Paul Francis Ravichandran conducted free Blood Donation Camps: Since his childhood days Rt Rev Paul Francis Ravichandran has been having a compassionate heart for the cause of the poor people. He follows his Lord's compassionate medical ministry and in 2022 he regularly conducted medical camps in rural areas of Madras C.S.I. Diocese. Blood Donation Camps were conducted by him in collaboration with Cross Blood Foundation, Villivakkam, Chennai. The humanitarian Blood donation Camps conducted by his initiative in rural areas, reached the kind attention of the then Governor of Tamil Nadu, His Excellency Sri Sujit Singh Barnala  and Rev Paul Francis and Mrs Rev Indra Paul were honoured by the then Governor of Tamil Nadu His Excellency Surjit Singh Barnala.

[2] He Arranged Free Tuition Classes for the Poor Students:  He has a natural concern for the removal of ignorance from the poor and neglected people by providing educational facilities to such people. While he was serving as the Presbyter of the Victoria Cross Church at Ashok Nagar, the  Rev Paul Francis took steps and conducted "Free Tuition Classes' to the poor students who resided at Ambedkar Nagar in Chennai.  He motivated 10 educated members of his Congregation to teach these poor students who resided at Ambedkar Nagar in Chennai. The Tuition classes were regularly and daily conducted to the poor students. These humanitarian activities were carried out by Rt Rev Paul Francis very silently in an unassuming way.

[3] He cared for the Uncared Lost and Last:  Bishop Rt. Rev. Paul Francis is a companion of the companionless and voice for the last and lost. While he was serving at the Kattumannaarkovil CSI Pastorate as a Pastorate Presbyter, he took keen and sincere interest and initiatives for the spiritual, physical and intellectual development of the uncared poor Irular community people who lived in that area. and he became a model Presbyter for other Christian pastors. 

           Rt. Rev. Paul Francis Ravichandran, in Bernard College Columbia University [ April 2016]

Rt Rev. Paul Francis Ravichandran had the privilege to address some important International Conferences:  As an eloquent English Speaker he had the privilege to address some important international conferences. In the year 2000 he was an invited speaker at the Youth Conference held in Tennesse in USA.  In the year 2002 Rt Rev Paul Francis was invited to speak at the South Asian Conference held in Sri Lanka. He was invited in 2003 to speak at the Haggai Institute Leadership Seminar in Maui, USA. The 125th Birth Anniversary of Dr Ambedkar was celebrated at the Bernard College, Columbia University, in New York on 23rd and 24th of April 2016 and Rev Rt Paul Francis was invited by the great Human Right Advocate, Ambedkarite and Social Activist Rev. Gideon Jebamani of ICDR, USA, to participate at the Dr Ambedkar 125th Anniversary Celebrations in USA Rev Paul Francis Ravichandran accepted the invitation and participated at the 125th Birth Anniversary celebrations of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar at the Columbia University in USA. This visit helped him to meet many intellectual Ambedkarites and scholars and share his views on Ambedkar with them and to understand the visionary thoughts of Dr. Ambedkar in correct perspective. The CSI Church at Sharjah invited him at speak at its Church Convention in 2023. I am delighted to say that Bishop Rt Rev Paul Francis Ravichandran is blessed to have global exposure and yet he is very down to earth and unassuming.

Consecration of Bishop Designate Rev Paul Francis as the 8th Bishop of the Madras CSI Diocese:

                   

On 3rd August 2025, Rev. Paul Francis Ravichandran was consecrated as the 14th Bishop of the Madras Diocese and the 8th since the formation of the Church of South India (CSI). The solemn and grand Consecration Service was held at StGeorges Cathedral Chennai, and was witnessed by thousands of members from across the Diocese and Christian communities from throughout Tamil Nadu and neighbouring States The consecration service was led by The Most Rev. Dr. K. Reuben Mark, Moderator of the Church of South India, who installed the Bishop Designate Rev. Paul Francis Ravichandran, as the new Bishop of Madras CSI Diocese, in the presence of fellow Bishops, CSI Synod General Secretary Advocate C. Rathina Raja, Treasurer Dr. Vimal Sukumar, Madras Diocesan Vice-President Rev. Jayaseelan Gnandickam, Secretary Rev. S. Augustin Prem Raj, Treasurer Dr. Samuel Cornelius, and the Bishop’s Chaplain Rev. B. Charles Prabhakaran. With gratitude to God and with new enthusiasm and dedication Rt. Rev. Paul Francis Ravichandran has started to function as the new Bishop of CSI Madras Diocese. for the glory of God

Rt. Rev Paul Francis Ravichandran has been Elected an Executive Member of the WCRC:

World Communion of Reformed Churches [ WCRC] is the largest association of Reformed [ Calvinist] Churches in the World. It has 230 [ 227 Full members and 3 Associated members] in 108 counties. The full member denominations claim about 100 million Members. The WCRC is the largest or second largest Protestant communion in the World, and it is the 3rd or 4th largest Christian Communion in the World. The 27th General Council meeting of the WCRC was held in Chiang in Thailand from the 14th of October 2025 to 23rd of October 2025 and in this 27th General Council meeting of the WCRC our Bishop Rt. Rev. Paul Francis Ravichandran was elected as a Member of the Executive Committee of the WCRC for the next 7 years as the Representative of the Asian Churches. CSI can really be proud of Bishop Rt. Rev Paul Francis Ravichandran

Conclusion: Rt. Rev. Paul Francis Ravichandran has been elected recently as the President of the National Missionary Society. He is a remarkable and blessed man of God. God has kindly blessed him with many gifts and talents. He is an eloquent Speaker both in English and Tamil. He is a convincing and soul winning Preacher, Writer, Administrator, Social and positive Thinker, a powerful and fearless voice for the cause of justice for all. He is a devoted Evangelist, Good Theologian, Convention Speaker, and good organiser. His contribution to Literature includes editorial work on several publications such as "Peace at hand'[ 2002], Vibrations [2003] and "Perception for an Alternate World"[2014]. Recently he has been elected as the President of the Christian literature Society, Chennai, and we can hope under his leadership and guidance, the CLS will encourage Christian writers and bring out many useful Christian literary, theological and Church history related books. He loves Youth Ministry and believes in gender equality, and he rubs his shoulders with all without discrimination. Rt. Rev. Paul Francis is a hard worker, and he loves God and his fellow human- beings. God has kindly blessed him with all the blessings promised in Psalm 128. It is not possible to accommodate all the important chapters of his life travel within the space of this Blogpost and so I will end this Blogpost with the following sentence. ' Dear and respected Bishop Rt. Rev. Paul Francis Ravichandran, we thank God for you, and we love you and proud of you".

END

By. P. Babu Manoharan, M.A, [ All rights are reserved. This Blogpost will be enlarged, modified or corrected later if needed].