{ "book_metadata": { "book_name": "History of Christianity in India: Source Materials", "book_author": "M. K. Kuriakose", "publisher": "Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge", "published_on": "2011" }, "chunks": [ { "chunk_index": 1, "chapter_name": "1931. Proceedings of the All-India Conference on Church Union, Nagpur", "page_numbers": [ 349 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00373-7e17d1c56e8b1fc5b0b5.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Conference Convened at Nagpur", "chunk_data": "The All-India Conference on Church Union was convened at Nagpur in accordance with a resolution of the Round Table Conference (North India negotiations) held at New Delhi in 1930.", "time": { "start_year": 1931, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1931, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1931 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [], "places": [ "Nagpur", "New Delhi" ], "event": "The All-India Conference on Church Union was convened at Nagpur following a resolution of the 1930 Round Table Conference.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Church Union", "Politics" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 2, "chapter_name": "1931. Proceedings of the All-India Conference on Church Union, Nagpur", "page_numbers": [ 349 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00373-7e17d1c56e8b1fc5b0b5.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Purpose of the Conference", "chunk_data": "It met to consider the principles that should be accepted in the formation of a United Church for India', and thus brought together those involved in church union discussions in both the south and north. Cited in A. J. Arangadan, Church Union in South India, its Progress and Consummation, pp. 100-102.", "time": { "start_year": 1931, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1931, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1931 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "A. J. Arangadan" ], "places": [ "India", "South India" ], "event": "The conference considered principles for forming a United Church for India and brought together church union advocates from northern and southern India.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Church Union" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 3, "chapter_name": "1931. Proceedings of the All-India Conference on Church Union, Nagpur", "page_numbers": [ 349 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00373-7e17d1c56e8b1fc5b0b5.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Christians Already United", "chunk_data": "This Conference of members of Churches in North and South India, appointed to consider the principles that should be accepted in the formation of a united Church for India', records the following resolutions :-\n\n1. That in Christ individual Christians in the various Churches in this land are already joined together in faith and experience.", "time": { "start_year": 1931, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1931, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1931 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [], "places": [ "India", "North India", "South India" ], "event": "The conference affirmed that Christians in India's various Churches were already united in faith and experience through Christ.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Church Union" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 4, "chapter_name": "1931. Proceedings of the All-India Conference on Church Union, Nagpur", "page_numbers": [ 349 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00373-7e17d1c56e8b1fc5b0b5.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Barriers to Christian Unity", "chunk_data": "2. That, since the barriers that keep the members of the various Churches from a fuller and more effective realisation of their essential unity are the result of conflicting types of Church polity that have grown up in the West, it is imperative that these differences should not be perpetuated in India.", "time": { "start_year": 1931, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1931, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1931 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [], "places": [ "India", "West" ], "event": "The conference declared that Western differences in Church polity should not be perpetuated in India.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Church Union", "Politics" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 5, "chapter_name": "1931. Proceedings of the All-India Conference on Church Union, Nagpur", "page_numbers": [ 349 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00373-7e17d1c56e8b1fc5b0b5.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Prayer for Unity", "chunk_data": "3. That the present situation constitutes a call to earnest prayer for unity and for God's guidance and blessing in all efforts to promote union, to the end that the Church in India, realising that Christ is the Head of His Church, ever supplying new energy and wisdom by the Holy Spirit, may bear victorious witness to the saving grace of God and thereby hasten the coming of His Kingdom in this land.", "time": { "start_year": 1931, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1931, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1931 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Jesus Christ" ], "places": [ "India" ], "event": "The conference called for prayer, divine guidance, and blessing so that the Church in India could witness to God's saving grace and advance His Kingdom.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Prayer", "Church Union" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 6, "chapter_name": "1931. Proceedings of the All-India Conference on Church Union, Nagpur", "page_numbers": [ 349 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00373-7e17d1c56e8b1fc5b0b5.webp" ], "chunk_title": "United Christian Service", "chunk_data": "4. That, in order to promote the cause of union, the Conference urges :-\n\n(a) That definite steps be taken to associate members of the various Churches in united evangelistic efforts and other forms of Christian service.", "time": { "start_year": 1931, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1931, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1931 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [], "places": [ "India" ], "event": "The conference urged Churches to unite their members in evangelistic work and other forms of Christian service.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Evangelism", "Church Union" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 7, "chapter_name": "1931. Proceedings of the All-India Conference on Church Union, Nagpur", "page_numbers": [ 349 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00373-7e17d1c56e8b1fc5b0b5.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Common Acts of Worship", "chunk_data": "(b) That, since such co-operation will reveal the need for closer association, in worship, the Churches should give opportunity for, and make every endeavour to promote, common acts of worship, including the partaking together of the Sacrament of Holy Communion.", "time": { "start_year": 1931, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1931, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1931 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [], "places": [ "India" ], "event": "The conference encouraged Churches to promote shared worship, including joint participation in Holy Communion.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Worship", "Church Union" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 8, "chapter_name": "1931. Proceedings of the All-India Conference on Church Union, Nagpur", "page_numbers": [ 350 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00374-40ffbb70c3d519aa9560.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Recommendation of Members", "chunk_data": "(c) That, a definite system of recommendation of members, applicable to all Churches, be devised, whereby the members of any Church, owing to change of residence, may not drift away from Christian worship and fellowship.", "time": { "start_year": 1931, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1931, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1931 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [], "places": [ "India" ], "event": "The conference proposed a system to help Christians who changed residence remain connected with worship and fellowship.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Church Union", "Community" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 9, "chapter_name": "1931. Proceedings of the All-India Conference on Church Union, Nagpur", "page_numbers": [ 350 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00374-40ffbb70c3d519aa9560.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Interchange of Ministries", "chunk_data": "(d) That definite opportunities be provided for the interchange of ministries in the preaching of the Word and other forms of service, in order that all the Churches may share the gifts of the Spirit which have been so abundantly manifested in the ministries of the various Churches.\n\n(e) That, inasmuch as the present restrictions to Christian fellowship largely arise from different conceptions of the ministry, and it is only by a solution of this problem that the Church can be united, it is essential that the question of the unification of the ministry be examined and agreement reached regarding principles of Church organisation and government.", "time": { "start_year": 1931, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1931, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1931 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [], "places": [ "India" ], "event": "The conference promoted interchange among Church ministries and called for agreement on the organisation and government of a united Church.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Church Union", "Leadership" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 10, "chapter_name": "1931. Proceedings of the All-India Conference on Church Union, Nagpur", "page_numbers": [ 350 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00374-40ffbb70c3d519aa9560.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Constitutional Episcopate Proposed", "chunk_data": "5. That, with regard to the type of organisation that may ultimately prove acceptable for a united Church in India, the Conference records its opinion that this would be found through the general adoption of a constitutional episcopate responsible to representative assemblies and synods, in a form that would comprehend, as far as practicable, the advantages of the episcopal, presbyterian and congregational modes of government.", "time": { "start_year": 1931, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1931, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1931 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [], "places": [ "India" ], "event": "The conference expressed support for a constitutional episcopate accountable to representative assemblies and synods while incorporating episcopal, presbyterian, and congregational advantages.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Church Union", "Politics" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 11, "chapter_name": "1931. Proceedings of the All-India Conference on Church Union, Nagpur", "page_numbers": [ 350 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00374-40ffbb70c3d519aa9560.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Constitutional and Historic Episcopate", "chunk_data": "6. In Resolution No. 5 the phrase 'a constitutional episcopate' is not used as a synonym for the historic episcopate. There are Churches in India which are by no means ready to accept the latter phrase or its supposed implications. On the other hand, there are some who value the phrase, the historic episcopate, as expressing their belief in the necessity for securing continuity with the ministry of existing episcopal Churches.", "time": { "start_year": 1931, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1931, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1931 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [], "places": [ "India" ], "event": "The conference distinguished constitutional episcopacy from historic episcopacy and acknowledged differing views among Indian Churches.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Church Union", "Theology" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 12, "chapter_name": "1931. Proceedings of the All-India Conference on Church Union, Nagpur", "page_numbers": [ 350 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00374-40ffbb70c3d519aa9560.webp" ], "chunk_title": "South India Joint Committee Position", "chunk_data": "While the Joint Committee of South India has found it possible to adopt the phrase on the distinct understanding that no doctrinal implications of apostolic succession, sacerdotalism, or the three Orders of the ministry are implied by its use, it is still possible that a further solution of the problem may be found.", "time": { "start_year": 1931, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1931, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1931 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [], "places": [ "South India" ], "event": "The Joint Committee of South India accepted the phrase constitutional episcopate without implying specific doctrines concerning apostolic succession, sacerdotalism, or the three Orders of ministry.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Church Union", "Theology" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 13, "chapter_name": "1931. Proceedings of the All-India Conference on Church Union, Nagpur", "page_numbers": [ 350 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00374-40ffbb70c3d519aa9560.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Unity Without Doctrinal Exclusion", "chunk_data": "The Conference, therefore, considers that no such initial difficulty should be allowed to prevent the various Churches from discussing the problem and working for union. It believes that no Church ought to demand the abandonment of a doctrine held in another Church as a preliminary to such discussions. No union can hope to be successful where conscientious beliefs are stifled. A united Church must aim at inclusion, not exclusion. The existence of the difficulty constitutes an added call to prayer.", "time": { "start_year": 1931, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1931, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1931 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [], "places": [ "India" ], "event": "The conference urged Churches to pursue union without making the abandonment of another Church's doctrine a precondition, emphasizing inclusion and prayer.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Church Union", "Prayer" ] } } ] }