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Church of North India (CNI)

The Church of North India (CNI) was formed in 1970 when six denominations came together with the threefold aim of Unity, Witness and Service.

The concern for unity of the Church grew out of a zeal for the mission of the Church, because a divided Church could not bear witness to the one Gospel and the one Lord in a country like India with diverse religions, languages, races and cultures.

Through the process of negotiations and prayerful seeking of the guidance of Holy Spirit unity was achieved in the understanding and practice of the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, the three-fold ministry of Bishops, Presbyters and Deacons and in the organisational structures of Pastorates, Dioceses and the Synod, Episcopacy was received and accepted as both constitutional and historic.

Today, CNI has some 1.3 million members in 3,000 congregations spread over 26 Dioceses that cover two-thirds of India's (Northern) land area.

CNI's Synod headquarters is in Delhi from where Most Rev Purely Lyngdoh(Moderator), Rev Dr Enos das Pradhan (General Secretary) and others, speak for and represent the CNI to the wider Indian and world communities; they also help to give leadership and guidance to CNI’s Synodical Boards, as well as the Bishops and CNI members in the Dioceses.

Sudipta Singh heads up the Synod Programme Office (SPO), which seeks to equip pastors, as well as those involved in all areas of church life (including women, youth and children) to be effective leaders and role-models in living out and communicating the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

CNI's Mission Priorities for the first decade of the 21st century include:

Rejuvinating pastoral ministry
Evangelism within and without for costly discipleship
Restructuring the structure
Ministry of service
Solidarity with subaltern
Healing communities
Equipping God's people for participatory learning process

Our links with CNI are mainly through the Gujarat Diocese, where Rt Rev Vinod Malaviya is Bishop. The Diocese seeks to reach out in mission and evangelism wherever possible, while also working to establish new worship centres; train men and women for evangelism and the pastoral ministry; and bringing Christians together from different traditions.

Various agencies work with the Diocese, including the Gujarat United School of Theology (GUST); the Gujarat Auxilary of the Bible Society of India (GABSI); the Gujarat Book and Tract Society (GABSI); and the Gujarat Christian Service Society (GCSS), which manages schools and hopsitals.

At Synod level, we normally send a someone to represent PCI at CNI's biennial 'Partners-in-Mission' meetings, which are held in a different location each time, allowing participants to meet and share fellowship with 'local members' of CNI as well as leaders from the hosting Diocese. Venues in recent years have been Pathankot, Punjab (2008); Gulmarg, Kashmir (2006); Port Blair, Andaman Islands (2004).

Two delegates from PCI attended the most recent, 13th Ordinary Session of the Synod of the Church of North India, the equivalent of PCI's General Assembly, held in Pathankot (Punjab) in October 2008, at which the theme was "Not to conform, but reformed to transform."

This page was last updated: 06/09/09