Missionary Roots
The story of our diocese begins with the 19th-century missionary movement in Kerala. CMS missionaries planted congregations across the region — among them All Saints' Church, Thrissur, built in 1842 by the Rev. Henry Harley.
The Inauguration of the Church of South India
On 27 September 1947, the Church of South India was inaugurated at St. George's Cathedral, Chennai, uniting the Anglican, Methodist and South India United Church traditions into one united church — the first union of its kind anywhere in the world.
The Cochin Diocese is Formed
The Cochin region long belonged to the North Kerala Diocese. On 9 April 2015, following a special conference of the CSI Synod in Chennai, the Cochin Diocese was formed, carved out of the North Kerala Diocese (the remaining portion becoming the CSI Malabar Diocese). The new diocese was promulgated by the CSI Moderator, the Most Rev. Thomas K. Oommen, with CSI Immanuel Cathedral, Broadway, Ernakulam as its cathedral.
Our Bishops
Our bishops: the Rt. Rev. Baker Ninan Fenn (2013–2024), and the Rt. Rev. Kurian Peter (2025–present), consecrated at the Immanuel Cathedral on 15 August 2025 by the CSI Moderator, the Most Rev. Dr. K. Reuben Mark. Born on 5 December 1971, Bishop Kurian Peter holds a BA in Economics from Mahatma Gandhi University, a Bachelor of Divinity from Leonard Theological College, Jabalpur, and a Master of Theology in Pastoral Care from Trinity College, Melbourne. Ordained deacon in 1999 and presbyter in 2000, he previously served as senior presbyter of St. Francis CSI Church, Fort Kochi.
Landmarks of Our Heritage
Landmarks of our heritage: the Immanuel Cathedral itself — its site of 56 cents purchased in 1905 by the Rev. J. H. Bishop and built in memory of the missionaries Rev. E. B. Russell and Rev. A. B. Sealy (the Russell Sealy Memorial Church); the beautiful Gothic Christ Church, Munnar, built in 1910 with its steeple and stained-glass windows; and the historic St. Francis Church, Fort Kochi, among the oldest churches in India, home to a vibrant CSI congregation.