J.C. Winslow

Jack Copley Winslow (18 August 1882 – 1974), also known by names John Copley Winslow or J.C. Winslow or John C. Winslow or Jack C. Winslow, was an English Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (SPG) missionary to Konkan and Pune, then-Poona—both part of then-Bombay Presidency. He was an evangelist, hymnist, and the founder of Christa Seva Sangh—interpreted as Community of the Servants of Christ or The Fellowship of the Servants of Christ and/or The Christian Fellowship of Service.

He authored several books, notably, The Eucharist in India a Plea for a Distinctive Liturgy for the Indian Church with a Suggested Form, The Christian approach to the Hindu, Jagadguru, Or the World Significance of Jesus Christ, and alike. As a hymn-writer, he wrote hymns that were published in his Garland of Verse in 1961 and various other hymns for school and church published in various other hymnals like Psalter Hymnal, Hymns Ancient and Modern.

Biography

Early life He was born on 18 August 1882 in a religious and evangelists family in the village of Hanworth in Middlesex, England; his father was an Anglican clergyman and Mary Winslow, one of his great-grandmothers, was a renowned evangelist of the nineteenth century. In his own words of Verrie Elwin after joining the ashram: I joined the Christa Seva Sangh because I understood that its main interests were scholarship, mysticism [and] reparation.

Christa Prema Seva Sangha ashram After Winslow departed to England in 1934 for good, Christa Seva Sangha had split into two ashrams; one, Christa Seva Sangha, based at Oudh with community members supporting Winslow and his ideals; two, Christa Prema Seva Sangha, the Community of the Service of the Love of Christ, based at Poona with community members supporting Franciscan spirituality and Bill Lash as its acharya. Some point out that, when the ashram was established initially, only Winslow was a Westerner and rest were Indian converts. As the ashram grew bigger with more Westerners entering ashram who were influenced by Franciscan movement in the Anglican church, they wanted to form a Franciscan monastic community, very much in line with the European model. In addition, Franciscan spirituality influenced members of the ashram were reluctant to admit the married members of the ashram into its inner circle, while Celibacy was not an issue for Winslow, who was more interested in encouraging British and Indian members of the ashram live together, irrespective of men and women, married and single – and Winslow didn't enforce Celibacy restriction as he felt that it might create a barrier within the ashram. It is believed that Celibacy played a major role in split of the ashram, with Franciscans living in Pune calling themselves as separate Christa Prema Seva Sangha community.