{
  "bookName": "History of Christianity in India: Source Materials",
  "authorName": "M. K. Kuriakose",
  "publisherName": "Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge",
  "publicationYear": 2011,
  "chapterNumber": 171,
  "chapterName": "1931. Proceedings of the All-India Conference on Church Union, Nagpur",
  "pageFrom": 349,
  "pageTo": 350,
  "pages": [
    {
      "pageNumber": 349,
      "ocrText": "SOURCE MATERIALS\n349\n171. PROCEEDINGS OF THE ALL-INDIA\nCONFERENCE ON CHURCH UNION, NAGPUR\n(1931 A.D.)\nThe All-India Conference on Church Union was convened at\nNagpur in accordance with a resoluion of the Round Table Confe-\nrence (North India negotiations) held at New Delhi in 1930. It met\nto consider the principles that should be accepted in the formation of a\nUnited Church for India', and thus brought together those involved\nin church union discussions in both the south and north. Cited in\nA. J. Arangadan, Church Union in South India, its Progress and\nConsummation, pp. 100-102.\nThis Conference of members of Churches in North and South\nIndia, appointed to consider the principles that should be accepted\nin the formation of a united Church for India', records the following\nresolutions :-\n1. That in Christ individual Christians in the various\nChurches in this land are already joined together in faith and\nexperience.\n2. That, since the barriers that keep the members of the various\nChurches from a fuller and more effective realisation of their\nessential unity are the result of conflicting types of Church polity\nthat have grown up in the West, it is imperative that these differences\nshould not be perpetuated in India.\n3. That the present situation constitutes a call to earnest\nprayer for unity and for God's guidance and blessing in all efforts\nto promote union, to the end that the Church in India, realising that\nChrist is the Head of His Church, ever supplying new energy and\nwisdom by the Holy Spirit, may bear victorious witness to the saving\ngrace of God and thereby hasten the coming of His Kingdom in\nthis land.\n4. That, in order to promote the cause of union, the\nConference urges :-\n(a) That definite steps be taken to associate members of\nthe various Churches in united evangelistic efforts and other forms\nof Christian service.\n(b) That, since such co-operation will reveal the need for\ncloser association, in worship, the Churches should give oppor-\ntunity for, and make every endeavour to promote, common acts\nof worship, including the partaking together of the Sacrament of\nHoly Communion.",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 350,
      "ocrText": "350\nHISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA\n(c) That, a definite system of recommendation of members,\napplicable to all Churches, be devised, whereby the members of\nany Church, owing to change of residence, may not drift away\nfrom Christian worship and fellowship.\n(d) That definite opportunities be provided for the inter-\nchange of ministries in the preaching of the Word and other forms of\nservice, in order that all the Churches may share the gifts of the\nSpirit which have been so abundantly manifested in the ministries\nof the various Churches.\n(e) That, inasmuch as the present restrictions to Christian\nfellowship largely arise from different conceptions of the ministry,\nand it is only by a solution of this problem that the Church can be\nunited, it is essential that the question of the unification of the\nministry be examined and agreement reached regarding principles\nof Church organisation and government.\n5. That, with regard to the type of organisation that may\nultimately prove acceptable for a united Church in India, the\nConference records its opinion that this would be found through\nthe general adoption of a constitutional constitutional episcopate responsible to\nrepresentative assemblies and synods, in a form that would com-\nprehend, as far as practicable, the advantages of the episcopal,\npresbyterian and congregational modes of government.\n6. In Resolution No. 5 the phrase 'a constitutional\nepiscopate' is not used as a synonym for the historic episcopat.\nThere are Churches in India which are by no means ready to accept\nthe latter phrase or its supposed implications. On the other hand,\nthere are some who value the phrase, the historic episcopate, as\nexpressing their belief in the necessity for securing continuity with\nthe ministry of existing episcopal Churches.\nWhile the Joint Committee of South India has found it possible\nto adopt the phrase on the distinct understanding that no doctrinal\nimplications of apostolic succession, sacerdotalism, or the three\nOrders of the ministry are implied by its use, it is still possible\nthat a further solution of the problem may be found. The Con-\nference, therefore, considers that no such initial difficulty should be\nallowed to prevent the various Churches from discussing the pro-\nblem and working for union. It believes that no Church ought\nto demand the abandonment of a doctrine held in another Church\nas a preliminary to such discussions. No union can hope to be\nsuccessful where conscientious beliefs are stifled. A united Church\nmust aim at inclusion, not exclusion. The existence of the\ndifficulty constitutes an added call to prayer.",
      "status": "completed"
    }
  ]
}