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Presbyterian Church of India

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Presbyterian Church in India
File:Presbyterian Church in India logo.jpg
ClassificationProtestant
TheologyReformed Evangelical
PolityPresbyterian
ModeratorRev. Dr. L.S.Khawbung
AssociationsWorld Reformed Fellowship, World Communion of Reformed Churches, Council for World Mission, National Council of Churches in India
RegionIndia
FounderRev. Thomas Jones and D. E. Jones
Origin1841
India
Congregations2,931
Members1,206,737

The Presbyterian Church of India (PCI) is one of the mainline Protestant Churches in India, with over one million adherents, mostly in Northeast India.[2] It is one of the largest Christian denomination in that region.[3]

Origin and History

The Foreign Missions enterprise of the Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Church (later known as the Presbyterian Church of Wales) began at Liverpool in 1840. Earlier this church had supported the work of the London City Missionary Society both in terms of home support and also in overseas agency -- four Calvinistic Methodists were sent out by the LMS in the years up to 1840. However there arose a feeling among Welsh Calvinists, especially those in North Wales, that the Welsh Calvinists were not being sufficiently represented in the LMS and that, moreover, the the Methodist Churches had not done what they ought to have done in evangelising the Heathen world. A former London City Missionary by the name of Jacob Tomlin had toured the Khasia Hills before 1840 and recommended that the Welsh Calvinists adopt this area as its first mission. Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page).Ieuan Sant (talk) 13:59, 30 April 2013 (UTC) The Presbyterian Church in India was founded in 1841.[3] by missionaries from the Presbyterian Church of Wales (formerly the Calvinistic Methodist Church).[4] Rev Thomas Jones and his wife arrived in Sohra and from the town, this work spread to Sylhet today known as Bangladesh and Cachar Plains, Assam, Mizoram, Manipur and Tripura. But before this around 1813 the Serampore Mission stated working in at the foot of the Khasi Hills. This mission closed in 1838, the Welsh missionaries revived this effort. Rev. William Pyerse arrived to strengthen this work. The first Presbytery was formed in 1867 in Khasi Hills, and 5 presbyteries were established in 1895, resulting in 1896 in what was then called the Assembly. Work was started in 1896 in Sylhet and Cachar, and later another Assembly was formed in there. In 1947 India and Pakistan were divided, the greater part of the area came under Pakistan, the Pakistan Assembly discontinued. In India the Welsh reached Mizoram, and was strenghteen by another missionaries, and the work developed since 1897.[5] By the end of the 1890s the church grew in membership and character, this was the Welsh religious revival, and includes today the whole population. Various tribes in nort Cachar Hills who had been evangelizedby missionaries and local workers were organised as an Assembly, but this assemblies were just regional, not the whole Presbyterian denomination was included. The Synod of the Presbyterian Church of Assam was created in 1926.[6]The highest church court, the Synod was renamed to Assembly in 1956. In 1968 the name Presbyterian Church in Assam was changed to the Presbyterian Church in North-East India. [7]Geographical spread and the merger of several (though not all) Presbyterian groups made the original denominational names obsolete,[8] and the name 'Presbyterian Church of India' (PCI) was adopted as an official name in 1992, the Assembly was renamed to General Assembly by the highest court of the church in 2002.[9]

Structure

PCI is an apex body comprising eight Synods such as Mizoram Presbyterian Church Synod, Cachar Hill Tribes Synod, Manipur Presbyterian Church Synod, Biateram Presbyterian Church Synod, Ri Bhoi Presbyterian Church Synod, Khasi Jaintia Presbyterian Synod Sepngi (KJP Synod Sepngi), KJP Synod Mihngi, and Zou Presbyterian Church Synod. The PCI has its headquarters in Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya state in Northeast India.

Doctrine and theology

The PCI subscribes to the Westminster Confession of Faith and maintains relationships with related denominations such as the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, the Presbyterian Church of Korea, and the Uniting Church in Australia.[4] It is also supported by its Welsh parent church.[10] Locally, it has ties with the Council of Baptist Churches in North-East India (CBCNEI) and the Church of North India.[10]

Founders

Rev. & Mrs. Thomas Jones from the Welsh Presbyterian Church arrived in the Khasi Hills on 22 June 1841. By 1901 there were over 15,000 Christians in this area.[11] The Rev. D.E Jones began working among Mizo people in 1897,[11] and a century later, over 85% of people in Mizoram were Christian.[11]

Many other Presbyterian missionaries also served in India, for example Samuel H. Kellogg, translator of the Bible into Hindi.

Membership and statistics

According to 2008 statistics the Presbyterian Church of India had a total strength of 1,206,737 members(675,251 communicant) and 2,931 local churches, 8 synods and 105 presbyteries and 827 ministers and more than 2,000 mission field workers.[12] The Mizoram Presbyterian Church Synod is the bigest with 562, 867 members in 43 presbyteries, which has it's headquarters in Shillong, India. This Synod has 14 departments and 465 active ministers.[13][14] The Khasi Jaintia Presbyterian Synod Sepngi has 310, 000 members in 655 churches annd 25 presbyteries.[15]

Affiliations

References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ Council for World Mission web site.
  3. ^ a b Erwin Fahlbusch and Geoffrey William Bromiley, The Encyclopedia of Christianity, Volume 4, Eerdmans, 2005, ISBN 0-8028-2416-1, p. 538.
  4. ^ a b Reformed Ecumenical Council web site: Presbyterian Church of India.
  5. ^ www.reformiert-omline.net
  6. ^ www.pciga.org/sub.php?sub=aboutus.php
  7. ^ http://www.pciga.org/sub.php?sub=aboutus.php
  8. ^ Shaji Joseph Puykunnel, Christianity and Change in Northeast India, Concept Publishing Company, 2009, ISBN 81-8069-447-X, p. 150.
  9. ^ www.pciga.org
  10. ^ a b D. Ben Rees, Vehicles of Grace and Hope: Welsh Missionaries in India, 1800-1970, William Carey Library, 2002, ISBN 0-87808-505-X, p. 173.
  11. ^ a b c Noel Davies and Martin Conway, World Christianity in the Twentieth Century, Hymns Ancient & Modern Ltd, 2008, ISBN 0-334-04043-4, p. 131.
  12. ^ www.pciga.org/sub.php?sub=pci-statistics.php
  13. ^ http://www.mizoramsynod.org/index.php?phek=bawm&bid=45
  14. ^ www.pciga.org/sub.php?sub=mizoram.php
  15. ^ http://www.kjpss.org/sub.php?sub=aboutus.html
  16. ^ http://www.wcrc.ch/node/164
  17. ^ http://wrfnet.org/web/guest/aboutwrf/membershiplist
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