Rev. Paul Francis Ravichandran is the Bishop-designate of the Church of South India, Diocese of Madras. He is a senior presbyter from the Madras Diocese and has been selected to serve as its next Bishop. He currently serves as the Presbyter at CSI Church of the Victorious Cross, Ashok Nagar, Chennai.
Born on 18 March 1965, Rev. Paul was ordained as a Deacon in 1993 and as a Presbyter in 1994 by the Rt. Rev. Dr. M. Azariah at CSI St. George’s Cathedral, Chennai. He pursued his early education at St. Joseph's Hr. Sec. School, Chengalpattu, and later obtained his B.A. and M.A. degrees in English Language and Literature from Madras Christian College, Tambaram (1982–1987). He completed his Bachelor of Divinity at the United Theological College, Bangalore (1988 -1992).
Rev. Paul brings with him 33 years of dedicated pastoral and ministerial experience. Over the decades, he has served in various congregations across the Diocese, including CSI Christian Union Church (Annamalai Nagar), CSI Christ Church (Walajabad), CSI St. Matthew’s Church (East Tambaram), CSI St. Paul’s Church (Choolai), CSI St. Mark’s Church (Selaiyur), CSI Church of the Risen Redeemer (Kodambakkam), CSI Holy Cross Church (Avadi), and CSI St. Peter’s Church (Kattumannarkoil, Cuddalore District).
He has held several key leadership positions within the Diocese and CSI Synod. He was the Coordinator at the New Jerusalem Garden Retreat Centre (1993–1999), served as Director of the Synod Youth Department (1999–2004), and was the Bishop’s Chaplain from 2014 to 2017. He has been a member of several Diocesan executive and administrative committees and has actively participated in the Synod Council and the Regional Synod Council.
Rev. Paul has international exposure as a speaker and delegate at events and consultations held in the USA, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and the UAE. He was a speaker at the Youth Conference in Tennessee (2000), South Asian Christian Youth Conference in Sri Lanka (2002), and the Haggai Institute Leadership Seminar in Maui, USA (2003). He was invited to speak at CSI Church conventions in Dubai (2019) and Sharjah (2023). In 2016, he portrayed Dr. Ambedkar during the 125th anniversary celebration held at Columbia University, New York.
His contributions to Christian literature include editorial work on several publications such as 'Peace at Hand' (2002), 'Vibrations' (2003), and 'Perception For An Alternate World' (2004), which are resources for Bible study and theological reflection.
Rev. Paul comes from a devout Christian family. He is married to Rev. Indira Paul, also a Presbyter in the Madras Diocese. They are blessed with two children, Mr. Arun Immanuel, who works as Deputy Manager at Mahindra & Mahindra and is married to Mrs. Elizabeth Diana, an IT professional at Capgemini; and Dr. Divya Prasanna, a medical doctor in Chennai, who is married to Dr. Loisen Nathan Daniel, also a medical doctor. He is a proud grandfather to Baby Raelyn Kristen Daniel. His parents, Late Mr. Augustine Ponraj and Late Mrs. Leela Augustine, served in the postal department and as a headmistress, respectively.
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