Church of India

The Church of India is a Christian denomination (PRN is approved and incorporated under (Section 21 of the Act, 1860), (Section 29 of the Act, 1950) of) Maharashtra State, Government of India. Church of India located in Maharashtra State of India and is the only Eastern Orthodox Church there. Their parishes are dispersed throughout the eastern state of Maharashtra. Their ministry is specially focusing on the eastern region of Maharashtra State. This region is a Adivasi/Tribal region. So they have missionaries from the region and tribes they know better. All of their missionaries work as full time evangelists. Each of them evangelizing more than 4 counties which are very countryside. Many of the places have no transportation facility. Their missionaries and church members are living in very poor condition and in constant fear of either religious fundamentalists or Maoist Terrorists (Naxalites) which is mentioned on the U.S.A govt's website. Many people many times persecute Christians there. Despite all the threats, geographical, and financial challenges the Church of India has maintained her continues presence in that region.
The church is in full communion with the canonical Eastern Orthodox Churches.
History
History of the Eastern Orthodoxy in India is mostly related to a person, a former Anglican Bishop Dr. Rohan Nehamaiyah. Dr. Rohan Nehamaiyah was born and brought up in the Church of North India (C.N.I.) which is basically a blend of Anglican, Congregationalist, Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist, Disciples of Christ and the Church of the Brethren denominations. When Dr. Rohan discovered the roots of his local church in High Anglicanism and felt to be called by God for His ministry he left C.N.I. and entered into a Theology College and after completing his M.Div. he was ordained into the Anglican Church as Deacon and after that as a Presbyter. In 2011 churches in Maharashtra requested Metropolitan of Anglican Church to appoint a Bishop for their region and Metropolitan agreeing to this with the consent of the Synod members elected Dr. Rohan for the office of Bishop of Maharashtra region. Dr. Rohan even though being a Bishop was not satisfied with where he and his folk were and reason of this unrest was his theological studies especially Dogmatics, Church History and Ecclesiology from which he came to know about the Holy Orthodox Church. Dr. Rohan being in the Anglican Church held Orthodox faith wholeheartedly and taught his people the same but could not enter into the Orthodox Church since there was no “Eastern” Orthodox Church in the whole of Indian continent. Finally he decided to request Orthodox Church to take him along with his people into the Holy Orthodoxy and sent letters requesting Eastern Orthodox Patriarchates for the same reason but none of them replied ever, after passing few years by God’s grace they gave him positive response and the journey of Indians began towards the Orthodox Church. The then Bishop of the Anglican Church Dr. Rohan Nehamaiyah resigned from his office of Bishop and humbly became a layman in the Orthodox Church. All the local churches that followed Dr. Rohan on the way of Orthodoxy were touched very much because of the humility of their Bishop who voluntarily became a layman. Dr. Rohan took the name of St. Polycarp of Smyrna for himself according to the Orthodox Tradition.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu