Jashwant Rao Chitambar

Jashwant Rao Chitambar (5 September 1879-4 September 1940) was the first Indian Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church of North and South India, elected in 1931.

Early life

Chitambar was born in Allahabad, United Provinces, India. He was the son of a native preacher Rajaram Chitambar, who was a converted Mahratta Brahmin, one of the "first fruits" of missionary work in western India from Punne. Both of Chitambar's parents were of the high caste Indians, who forsook wealth to become Christians.

Ordained ministry

Chitambar was received into the membership of the North India Annual Conference in 1907. He became a Hindustani pastor, district superintendent and educator. He was the first Indian delegate to General Conference. One of the founders of the National Missionary Society of India, Chitambar was a delegate to the World's Missionary Conference in Edinburgh in 1910.

Episcopal ministry

He was elected to the episcopacy of the M.E. Church by the Central Conference of Southern Asia in 1931. His election made him only the second native Protestant bishop. He was taken ill on his return from the General Conference of 1940. He died 4 September 1940 in Jubbulpore, India, peacefully, surrounded by his family gathered for a birthday celebration the next day. He was buried in Jubbulpore.

elected works

*"John Wesley, the Man Who Did Exploits," in God's Heroes Our Examples, 1914.
*Mahatma Gandhi: His Life, Work and Influence, 1933.
*Translation of Christian Hymns.
*Member of committee that revised "The Standard Hindustani Dictionary."

Biography

*Badley, Brenton T., The Making of a Bishop, 1942.

References

*Leete, Frederick DeLand, Methodist Bishops. Nashville, The Methodist Publishing House, 1948.

ee also

*List of Bishops of the United Methodist Church