The Diocese of Chotanagpur is the jurisdiction of the Church of North India (since 1970) [1] [2] under the episcopal leadership of the Bishop of Chotanagpur. [3]
The Church of North India (CNI), the dominant united Protestant Church in northern India, was established on 29 November 1970 by bringing together the Protestant churches working in northern India; it is thus a province of the worldwide Anglican Communion and member of the World Methodist Council, as well as the World Communion of Reformed Churches. The merger, which had been in discussions since 1929, came eventually between the Church of India, Pakistan, Burma and Ceylon (Anglican), the United Church of Northern India,, the Baptist Churches of Northern India, the Church of the Brethren in India, which withdrew in 2006, the Methodist Church and the Disciples of Christ denominations.
Christianity is India's third-largest religion after Hinduism and Islam, with approximately 27.8 million followers, constituting 2.3 percent of India's population .According to the tradition of Indian Christians, the Christian faith was introduced to India through Thomas the Apostle, who is said to have reached the Malabar Coast (Kerala) in 52 AD. According to another tradition Bartholomew the Apostle is credited with simultaneously introducing Christianity along the Konkan Coast. There is a general scholarly consensus that Christian communities were firmly established in the Malabar Coast (Kerala) of India by the 6th century AD, which were communities who used Syriac liturgies. Starting from European colonisations from 15th century several Western Christian communities like Latin Rite Catholics and Protestants were created in different parts of the country.
Constant Lievens was a Belgian (Flemish) Jesuit priest, missionary among the tribal peoples of Central India, particularly the Mundaris, Oraons. He is regarded as the apostle of the Chotanagpur.
The National Council of Churches in India is an ecumenical forum for Protestant and Orthodox churches in India.
Christians are an ethno-religious community residing in the Indian state of Jharkhand. As per 2011 Census of India, 4.3% of people in Jharkhand are Christians. Christians are majority in Simdega district of Jharkhand.
United Evangelical Lutheran Churches in India (UELCI) is a communion of twelve Christian denominations in India. It has approximately four million members. It is a member of the World Council of Churches, Christian Conference of Asia, the National Council of Churches in India, the ACT Alliance and Lutheran World Federation. The churches belonging to the UELCI are:
Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chotanagpur and Assam (GELC) is a major Christian Protestant denomination in India. It has hundreds of thousands of members. It was established on 2 November 1845. It belongs to National Council of Churches in India, United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India, Lutheran World Federation and World Council of Churches. It is led by Moderator Bishop Johann Dang. It is one of the three Lutheran denominations in northeast India along with the Bodo Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church.
Arcot Lutheran Church is a Christian denomination in India. It has about 40,000 members. It belongs to National Council of Churches in India, United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India, Lutheran World Federation and World Council of Churches. The Bishop and the President of this church is Rt. Rev. V. Samuel Kennady Its headquarters are in Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu. The other churches belonging to the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India are:
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Madhya Pradesh is a Church belonging to the Lutheran denomination in India. It has about 22,000 members. The head office is situated in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh. It is affiliated with United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India, National Council of Churches in India, Lutheran World Federation and Christian Conference of Asia. It is currently led by Bishop Dr Emmanuel Panchoo. It exists since 1926. The other churches belonging to the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India are:
Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Himalayan States is a Christian denomination in India. It has about 25,000 members. It belongs to the Lutheran World Federation. Its president is Godwin Nag. The other churches belonging to the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India are:
Good Samaritan Evangelical Lutheran Church is a Christian denomination in India. It has about 40,000 members. Its headquarters is in Bhadrachalam, Madhya Pradesh. It has been founded in 1972. It is led by T. Esther Rani. The other churches belonging to the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India are:
South Andhra Lutheran Church is a Christian denomination in India. It is Telugu-speaking. It is led by Bishop Rev.E.Vijayabhasker, who elected by an unconstitutional election It has tens of thousands of members. It belongs to the Lutheran World Federation. Several church lands which were given to the leaders by missionaries are being sold after decades. The other churches belonging to the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India are:
North Western Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church is the fourth largest Lutheran church in India. The NWGEL Church has a presence in Nepal. Most NWGEL church members are from indigenous and tribal communities. NWGEL Church became an autonomous church on 10 July 1919. On 28 April 1989 United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India gave provisional membership to NWGEL Church. NWGEL Church is a member of the National Council of Churches in India and local bodies such as Bengal Christian Council, Jharkhand Christian Council, Bihar Christian Council and Chattishgarh Christian Council.
NWGEL Church undertook partnership with the World Mission Prayer League in February 2005. WMPL is helping in developing the Multi-purpose Training Center, near Ranchi.
Bishop Westcott Girls' School, one of the schools of Ranchi, is located in Namkum, Ranchi, Jharkhand. It was founded by Bishop rev. Foss Westcott in 1921. Formally an Anglican school, it now belongs to [Chotanagpur Diocese](Church of North India). It provides education through the medium of English, I.C.S.E standard, for over 2000 children of all communities as boarders and day scholars. The school is situated 7 kilometers from Ranchi on the healthy Chotanagpur Plateau, at an altitude of 2,000 ft. in Namkum. Presently Miss. N.Jacob is the Principal of the school.
The Garhjat Hills is a mountain range formed by a series low lying hills, plateaux, ridges and meadows that stretch into Odisha from the Utkal Plains in the Chotanagpur region of Jharkhand and the Chhattisgarh Plains. The range, also known as the Odisha Highlands, runs in a north east to south west direction for about 382 km along the Odisha coast, covering 76,800 km2.
Nirmal Minz is Bishop Emeritus of the Protestant North Western Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church Society who served as Bishop from 1980 through 1996.
St. Paul's College, Ranchi, is a general degree college in Ranchi, Jharkhand. It was established in 1980 by Diocese of Chotanagpur and Church of North India under the leadership of Rev. Bimal Kumar Soy. College provides undergraduate education in liberal arts, commerce and sciences. It is affiliated to Ranchi University.
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