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Welcome to the Christian Mission of South India (CMSI)
Established in 1991 by Dr. Benni Vedanayagam, CMSI is committed to fulfilling the Great Commission by advancing the Gospel and serving communities across South India. Guided by faith and a dedication to holistic ministry, CMSI engages in Bible training, church planting, rural development, medical outreach, education initiatives, women’s empowerment, and disaster relief. For more than three decades, Dr. Benni and the CMSI team have faithfully served over 35 villages, providing spiritual leadership, essential services, and sustainable support to transform lives and uplift communities.
CURRENT and ONGOING PROJECTS
- Bible Training
- CMSI has set up training centers to raise leader and plant churches.
- Church Planting
- In accordance to the Command given by Jesus in Matthew 28:19-20; “Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” The Lord has been Leading CMSI in these projects.
- Medical Services
- The Lord has used CMSI to team up with Many Medical missionaries from around the world to Bring Good News to hold medical camps in rural villages where the people have no nearby medical facilities. Free medical, dental and
eye check-up camps along with providing free eyeglasses have been held to
provide basic medical services.
- The Lord has used CMSI to team up with Many Medical missionaries from around the world to Bring Good News to hold medical camps in rural villages where the people have no nearby medical facilities. Free medical, dental and
- Literature Ministry
- To learn more about the ministries of LATM, visit their website at www.latm.info
- Rural Development Projects
- CMSI has projects providing drinking water storage tanks for villages with difficulty in drinking water access. Public drinking water tanks and taps where the entire village can come together to store and use drinking water. Through the project, fishing nets and fishing boats have been provided to the fishermen families affected by the tsunami
- Rural Children Education Project
- CMSI wants to ensure that all the children, both boys and girls will be motivated to have an education especially those who have dropped out of school. After school Tuitions centres, education counselling, extra-curricular (sports, arts and cultural) counselling and summer vacation retreats are also organized.
- Women Empowerment Projects
- CMSI aims to provide Women and widows with constant and sustainable support. One of the schemes we provide is the provision of tailoring machines along with training for women to become entrepreneurs and for some families the sole source of income
- Disaster Relief Projects
- CMSI provides relief across regions affected by natural calamities like cyclones, floods, Tsunami and Covid -19.
About Us
Our Founder and Director Dr. Benni Vedanayagam, born on 25th May 1959, the youngest of 9 siblings.His family belongs to an agricultural and farming background. Dr.Benni wanted to pursue medicine and become a doctor to serve in the village he was born in and help his people because there were no medical facilities and access to basic health service were in towns miles with no regular transport. But due to his family’s financial constraints, he could not afford to study medicine and chose to do his Bachelors in Botany at the Government College and continued his education further with a Masters from Madras Christian College.
Although his education was related to the field of botany, Dr.Benni’s heart yearned to serve his people through ministry. So immediately after his masters, he volunteered in village ministry by means of Bible literature service and Indian gospel service, thus realising his calling for Village Ministry and devoting his life to serving people. By the Grace of God, Dr.Benni had gotten an opportunity to study Theology in the University of Cincinnati, Ohio where he pursued his MA in Theology and Greek. He flew back to his village ministry at once with more zeal and knowledge, started the Christian Mission of South India (CMSI) – mission with just him and two other men in 1991 and has been on the field and reaching many communities for over 30 years. The urge to serve the community, provide education, empower women and provide free medical aid to name a few, in villages and tribes has driven Dr.Benni to cover more than 35 villages.