Church of North India

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Ecumenical discussions with a view to a unified church were initiated by the Australian Churches of Christ Mission, the Methodist Church of Australia, the Wesleyan Methodist Church, the Methodist Episcopal Church and the United Church of Northern India during a religious convention in Lucknow in 1929.

A negotiation committee was set up in 1951 using the plan of Church Union that resulted from the earlier consultations as its basis. The committee was composed of representatives from the Baptist Churches in Northern India; the Church of India, Pakistan, Burma and Ceylon; the Methodist Church (British and Australian conferences); the Methodist Church in Southern Asia; and the United Church of Northern India (UCNI).{{citation|publisher=Empire Club Foundation |url=http://empireclubfoundation.com/details.asp?SpeechID=1796&FT=yes |title=Lambeth and Church Unity|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061116211017/http://www.empireclubfoundation.com/details.asp?SpeechID=1796&FT=yes |archive-date=2006-11-16 |author= Rt Rev Frederick Hugh Wilkinson, Bishop of Toronto|date=9 October 1958|work=The Empire Club of Canada Speeches 1958-1959 |location=Toronto|pages= 23–37}}{{Cite web |url=http://indianchristianity.org/cni.html |title=The Church of North India (CNI) |access-date=2 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060618130156/http://indianchristianity.org/cni.html |archive-date=18 June 2006 |url-status=bot: unknown }} The Methodist Episcopal Church, however, did not join the discussions and, in 1981, it became the Methodist Church in India (MCI).{{cite book|last1=Abraham|first1=William J.|last2=Kirby|first2=James E.|title=The Oxford Handbook of Methodist Studies|date=2009|publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780191607431|pages=93|quote=While the Methodist Churches of British and Australian origin joined the two great unions of 1947 (Church of South India) and 1970 (Church of North India), the Methodist (Episcopal) Church refrained and, in 1981, was inaugurated as Methodist Church in India (MCI), autonomous, yet affiliated with the UMC.}} In 1957, the Church of the Brethren in India and the Disciples of Christ denominations joined in the negotiations as well.

A new negotiation committee was set up in 1961 with representatives from all the above-mentioned denominations. In 1965, a finalized plan of Church Union, known as the 4th Plan of Union 1965, was made. The union was formalized on 29 November 1970 when all the negotiating churches were united as the Church of North India with the exception of the Methodist Church in Southern Asia, which decided not to join the union.

The CNI is a trinitarian church that draws from the traditions and heritage of its constituent denominations. The basic creeds of the CNI are the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed of 381 AD.

The liturgy of the CNI is of particular interest, as it combines many traditions, including that of the Methodists and such smaller churches as the Church of the Brethren and the Disciples of Christ. Provision is given for diverse liturgical practices and understandings of the divine revelation.

{{anchor|Moderator|Moderator of the Synod}}

The polity of the CNI brings together the episcopal, the presbyterial and the congregational elements in an effort to reflect the polity of the churches which entered into union.

The episcopacy of the CNI is both historical as well as constitutional. There are 26 dioceses, each under the supervision of a bishop. The main administrative and legislative body is the synod, which meets once every three years to elect a presiding bishop, called a moderator, and an executive committee. The moderator acts as the head of the church for a fixed term; another bishop is elected Deputy Moderator.

Social involvement is a major emphasis in the CNI. There are synodal boards in charge of various ministries: Secondary, Higher, Technical and Theological Education, Health Services, Social Services, Rural Development, Literature and Media. There is also a synodal Programme Office which seeks to protect and promote peace, justice, harmony and dignity of life.

The CNI currently operates 65 hospitals, nine nursing schools, 250 educational institutions and three technical schools. Some of the oldest and well-respected educational institutions in India like Scottish Church College in Calcutta, La Martiniere Calcutta, Wilson College in Mumbai, St. James' School, Calcutta, Hislop College in Nagpur, St. John's Diocesan Girls' School, Calcutta, St. Paul's School in Darjeeling, St. John's College, Agra, Bishop Cotton School in Shimla, Christ Church College, Kanpur, Sherwood College in Nainital, Ewing Christian College, Boys' High School & College in Prayagraj are under the administration of the CNI.

The CNI participates in many ecumenical bodies as a reflection of its commitment towards church unity. Domestically it participates in a joint council with the Church of South India and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church known as the Communion of Churches in India. It is also a member of the National Council of Churches in India. Regionally, the CNI participates in the Christian Conference of Asia and on an international level it is a member of the World Council of Churches, the Council for World Mission, World Alliance of Reformed Churches, World Methodist Council and in full communion with the Anglican Communion. The CNI is also in partnership with many other domestic, regional and international Christian agencies.

File:St Paul's Cathedral.jpg|St. Paul's Cathedral, Kolkata

File:Allsaintcathedral ald.jpg|All Saints Cathedral, Prayagraj

File:Cathedral Church of the Redemption - New Delhi.jpg|Cathedral Church of the Redemption, New Delhi

File:Christ Church Shimla India.jpg|Christ Church, Shimla

File:StJohnsChurchMeerut.jpg|St. John's Church, Meerut

File:St.james b.jpg|St. James' Church, New Delhi

File:St. Thomas Cathedral, Mumbai.jpg|St. Thomas' Cathedral, Mumbai

File:The Wilson College, Mumbai.jpg|The Wilson College, Mumbai

File:La Martiniere College, Lucknow - by Ahmad Faiz Mustafa.jpg|La Martiniere College, Lucknow

File:La Martiniere, Calcutta by Francis Frith.jpg|La Martiniere College, Calcutta

File:St Pauls School.jpg|St. Paul's School, Darjeeling

File:Scottish Church College.jpg|Scottish Church College, Calcutta

File:Delhi, Holy Trinity Church (Turkman gate).jpg|Holy Trinity Church, New Delhi

File:KITLV 100117 - Unknown - St. Paul's Church at Poona in India - Around 1875.tif|alt=St Paul's Church, Pune|St. Pauls Church, Pune - photographed during British era

• Moderator: The Most. Revd. Bijay K. Nayak, Bishop, Diocese of Agra
• Deputy Moderator: The Rt. Revd. Paul B.P. Dupare, Bishop, Diocese of Nagpur
• Treasurer: Mr.Subrata Gorai
• General Secretary: The Revd. Dr. D.J. Ajith Kumar

Since its formation in 1970, the Synod of the CNI has elected a Moderator and one Deputy every three years.[https://new.cnisynod.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/List-of-Moderators.pdf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181222154718/http://new.cnisynod.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/List-of-Moderators.pdf|date=22 December 2018}} and [https://new.cnisynod.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/lLIST-OF-DEPUTY-MODERATORS.pdf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001163353/https://new.cnisynod.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/lLIST-OF-DEPUTY-MODERATORS.pdf|date=1 October 2020}}

{{Further|Diocese of Calcutta (Church of North India)}}

When originally founded in 1813, the fourth overseas diocese of the Church of England covered all the subcontinent, all Australasia and some of Africa. With its 1835 split to create Madras diocese, Calcutta was made metropolitan over all its original area, and has been split many times since. The Bishop of Calcutta remained Metropolitan of India until the CNI's 1970 creation; the current diocese covers parts of Bengal and the bishop is Paritosh Canning.[https://new.cnisynod.org/installation-of-the-rt-revd-dr-probal-kanto-dutta-as-the-bishop-of-the-diocese-of-calcutta-cni/]{{Dead link|date=November 2019|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}

{{Further|Diocese of Mumbai (Church of North India)}}

Split from Calcutta diocese in 1837,{{cite book|title=The Indian Year Book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UScWAQAAMAAJ|year=1940|publisher=Bennett, Coleman & Company|language=en |page=455|quote=The three dioceses thus formed have been repeatedly subdivided, until in 1930 there were fourteen dioceses, the dates of their creation being as follows : Calcutta 1814; Madras 1835; Bombay 1837; Colombo 1845; Lahore 1877; Rangoon 1877; Travancore 1879; Chota Nagpur 1890; Lucknow 1893; Tinnevelly 1896; Nagpur 1903; Dornakal 1912; Assam 1915; Nasik 1929.}} the Diocese of Bombay was the last new Indian diocese of the Church of England before all colonial dioceses became independent in 1863. Like Calcutta, Mumbai diocese has been a very large Church of England diocese, a diocese of the independent Indian Anglican church, and now a United Church diocese. The CNI diocese today covers Maharashtra, and the bishop is Prakash D. Patole.

{{Further|Diocese of Chotanagpur}}

Founded from Calcutta diocese in 1890, the current diocese is based in Ranchi, its territory is Jharkhand and the bishop is B. B. Baskey.

Erected in 1893 from the Diocese of Calcutta. The diocese is headquartered at Allahabad and serves Uttar Pradesh.

{{Further|Diocese of Nagpur (Church of North India)}}

The diocese was originally created in 1902/03, from Chotanagpur diocese.{{Church Times | title = A New Indian Bishopric | archive = 1902_12_05_678 | issue = 2080 | date = 5 December 1902 | page = 678 | accessed = 21 February 2019 }}{{Church Times | title = Church News | archive = 1903_01_23_106 | issue = 2087 | date = 23 January 1903 | page = 106 | accessed = 21 February 2019 }}

{{Further|Diocese of North East India}}

The CNI Northeast diocese, based in Shillong, North East India is headed by bishop Michael Herenz.[https://new.cnisynod.org/visit-to-the-diocese-of-north-east-india/]{{Dead link|date=November 2019|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}} It originated as the Diocese of Assam, in the Anglican Church of India, erected from Calcutta in 1915;{{Cite web |title=North East Diocese to observe centenary celebration |work=The Shillong Times |date=11 January 2014 |access-date=8 June 2019 |url=http://www.theshillongtimes.com/2014/01/11/north-east-diocese-to-observe-centenary-celebration/ |archive-date=22 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190222043544/http://www.theshillongtimes.com/2014/01/11/north-east-diocese-to-observe-centenary-celebration/ |url-status=dead }} and became known by the present name before 1986.{{cite book|title=Introduction To The History Of The Anglican church In North-East India 1841-1970 |date= 2010|first=E.W.|last= Talibuddin|publisher=ISPCK|isbn=978-8184650105}}

{{Further|Diocese of Nasik (Church of North India)}}

In 1929, Nasik diocese was founded from Bombay;{{Church Times | title = The New Diocese of Nasik | archive = 1929_02_22_217 | issue = 3448 | date = 22 February 1929 | page = 217 | accessed = 21 February 2019 }} her present bishop is Sharad Gaikwad.{{Cite web |title=Anglican Communion Cycle of Prayer – interim listings for January to July 2019 |work=anglicancommunion.org |date=2019 |access-date=8 June 2019 |url= https://www.anglicancommunion.org/media/337862/ACP-Jan-July-2019.pdf }}

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• [http://www.cnisynod.org/ Church of North India]
• [http://www.indianchristianity.com/html/Churches.htm Indian Christianity : The Church of North India]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20140702173240/http://indianchristianity.org/CNI.php Indian Christianity : CNI]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20140827135025/http://cnisynod.org/theological.aspx CNI Seminaries and Theological Colleges]
• [http://www.indianchristianity.com/html/Churches.htm The Church of North India CNI]

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