{
  "bookName": "History of Christianity in India: Source Materials",
  "authorName": "M. K. Kuriakose",
  "publisherName": "Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge",
  "publicationYear": 2011,
  "chapterNumber": 182,
  "chapterName": "1947. Round Table Conference: Proposed Basis of Negotiations for the Church of North India",
  "pageFrom": 376,
  "pageTo": 377,
  "pages": [
    {
      "pageNumber": 376,
      "ocrText": "376\nHISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA\n182. ROUND TABLE CONFERENCE: PROPOSED BASIS\nOF NEGOTIATION FOR THE CHURCH OF NORTH INDIA\n(1947 A.D.)\nThe first Round Table Conference on church union in North India\nhad taken place at Lucknow in 1929. Discussions had not gone\nsmoothly. In 1947 a Round Table Conference held at Allahabad\nrevived the movement. Portions of the Basis of Negotiation\nadopted at that meeting are reproduced here. Cited in G. K. Α.\nBell, Documents on Christian Unity, Third Series, 1930-48,\npp. 212-222.\nDoctrines:\n(i) The Uniting Churches in North India hold the faith which\nthe Church has ever held in Jesus Christ, the Redeemer\nof the World, in whom men are saved by grace through\nfaith, and in accordance with the revelation of God which\nHe made, being Himself God incarnate, they worship\none God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.\n(ii) They accept the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament and\nNew Testament as containing all things necessary to salva-\ntion and as the ultimate standard of faith.\n(iii) They acknowledge the Apostles' Creed and the Creed\ncommonly called the Nicene Creed as witnessing to and\nguarding that faith, which is continuously confirmed in the\nspiritual experience of the Church of Christ.\nSacraments:\n(i) The Uniting Churches believe that the Sacraments of\nBaptism and the Holy Communion are means of grace\nthrough which God works in us...\nMembership:\n(i) At the time of union all full communicant members,\nmembers on probation or under instruction, members under\ndiscipline, catechumens and other persons in connexion\nwith the Uniting Churches shall be accepted by the United\nChurch with the corresponding status.\n(ii) The full privileges and obligations of membership in the\nunited Church should belong to those persons who, having\nattained years of discretion, having gained some measure\nof experience in the Christian life, and having received due\ninstruction in Christian truth and in the duties of their",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 377,
      "ocrText": "SOURCE MATERIALS\n377\nChristian calling, make public profession of their faith and\nof their purpose, with God's. help, to serve and follow\nChrist as members of His Church. They shall make this\nconfession at a public service, which should include prayer\nfor them that they may be strengthened by the Holy Spirit\nand may receive his manifold gifts of grace for their life\nand work.\n(iii) Those only shall be members of the united Church who\nhave by baptism been admitted to Christ's Church visible\non earth. Baptism may be administered in infancy or\nupon profession of faith.\nThe Episcopate :\nThe Uniting Churches accept the Presbyteral, Congregational,\nand Episcopal elements in Church order as necessary parts of the\nbasis of union. They agree that the Episcopate shall be both\nconstitutional and historic, though this agreement is not to be taken\nas committing them to any particular interpretation.\nThe meaning in which the Uniting Churches thus accept the\nhistoric and constitutional Episcopacy is that in the united Church:\n(i) The Bishops shall perform their functions in accordance\nwith the customs of the Church, those customs being named\nand defined in the written constitution of the United Church.\nThey shall include those of pastoral oversight, of teaching,\nof the supervision of public worship, of ordination of\nministers to officiate and preach, and of the oversight of\nthe Church. A Bishop will, if required, assist other Bishops\nin the consecration of persons duly elected or appointed\nto be Bishops.\n(ii) The Bishop shall be elected, both the diocese concerned in\neach particular case and the authorities of the United\nChurch as a whole having an effective voice in their appoint-\nment.\n(iii) Continuity with the historic Episcopate shall both initially\nand thereafter be effectively maintained, it being under-\nstood that, as stated above, no particular interpretation\nof the historic Episcopate, as that is accepted in the united\nChurch, is thereby implied, or shall be demanded from any\nminister or member thereof.\n(iv) Every ordination of presbyters shall be performed by the\nlaying on of hands of the Bishop and Presbyters, and all\nconsecrations of Bishops shall be performed by the laying\non of hands in which at least three Bishops shall participate.",
      "status": "completed"
    }
  ]
}