Church of Pakistan

Last updated

Church of Pakistan
Church of Pakistan Logo.png
Logo
Classification Protestant
Orientation United Protestant
Polity Mixed polity with episcopal and presbyterian elements [1]
Moderator Azad Marshall
Associations World Methodist Council,
Anglican Communion,
World Communion of Reformed Churches, [2]
Christian Conference of Asia
World Council of Churches
Origin1970;54 years ago (1970)
Pakistan
Merger of Anglicans (Church of India, Burma and Ceylon), Presbyterians (Church of Scotland), Lutherans, Methodists [3]
Separations Church of Bangladesh (1974)
Members1,500,000 [4]
Ministers 600 [4]
Official website www.cop.org.pk

The Church of Pakistan is a united Protestant Church in Pakistan founded in 1970; it holds membership in the Anglican Communion, the World Communion of Reformed Churches, [5] and the World Methodist Council. [6]

Contents

History

It was established in 1970 with a union of Anglicans (Church of India, Pakistan, Burma and Ceylon), Scottish Presbyterians (Church of Scotland), United Methodists, and Lutherans. It is the only united Protestant Church in South Asia which involves Lutherans. [7] [3] [6]

The church has two theological seminaries: the Gujranwala Theological Seminary and St. Thomas' Theological College, Karachi.

List of dioceses

The Diocese of Sialkot is a member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches. Today, the whole Church of Pakistan is listed as a member on the WCRC website. The Sialkot Diocese has more than 40,400 members in 44 congregations and 28 house fellowships. It adheres to the Apostles Creed, Heidelberg Catechism, Westminster Shorter Catechism and Nicene Creed. [5]

Moderators of the Synod have included Zahir-Ud-Din Mirza, First Bishop of Faisalabad (1990–?). [8] Immediately after the 1970 union, the Church had four dioceses: Multan, Lahore, Sialkot; in 1980, four more were created: Hyderabad, Raiwind, Faisalabad, Peshawar. In 2013, there were eight diocesan bishops plus an area bishop for the Gulf ministries (especially among Urdu-speakers) — an appointment in cooperation with the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf, and the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East [9] [10]

Diocese of Raiwind

The church in Murree Church in Murree, Pakistan.JPG
The church in Murree

Diocese of Raiwind is one of the 8 Dioceses of the Church of Pakistan and came into being in 1980, 10 years after the Church Union in which Anglicans, Scottish Presbyterian, Lutherans and the Methodist amalgamated to form the Church of Pakistan. Diocese of Raiwind within its Episcopal jurisdiction comprises the former United Methodist Mission areas and is predominantly rural and semi-urban. The central diocesan office is in Lahore. The Diocesan area stretches out from Warris Road, almost 65 miles South of Lahore. Diocese of Raiwind has more than 26,000 members in 38 congregations and six departments and 11 Schools. The main ministries of the Diocese are Pastoral Care, Village Schools, Sunday School Ministry, Peace Building, Hostel for poor children, Youth Empowerment, Women Empowerment, Special Education.

Relation with the Anglican realignment

The Church of Pakistan is a member of the Global South (Anglican) but not of GAFCON, despite the fact that some bishops already have expressed their support. Moderator and Primate Humphrey Peters, before being elected, attended the Anglican Church in North America meeting of the College of Bishops, in Orlando, Florida, at 6–10 January 2014. [11] Bishop Azad Marshall, of Raiwind, is the leading name of GAFCON in the province, and he attended G19, the additional conference for those who weren't able to attend GAFCON III the previous year, held in Dubai, on 25 February-1 March 2019. [12]

Archbishop Foley Beach, of the Anglican Church in North America, visited Pakistan in November 2019, where he met Moderator Humphrey Peters and Bishop Azad Marshall, of the Church of Pakistan. He also met Muslim scholars during his visit. [13] Marshall was elected Moderator Bishop of the Church of Pakistan in 2021, bringing his province closer to the Anglican realignment. [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Episcopal polity</span> Hierarchical form of church governance

An episcopal polity is a hierarchical form of church governance in which the chief local authorities are called bishops. The word "bishop" here is derived via the British Latin and Vulgar Latin term *ebiscopus/*biscopus, from the Ancient Greek ἐπίσκοπος epískopos meaning "overseer". It is the structure used by many of the major Christian Churches and denominations, such as the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Church of the East, Anglican, Lutheran and Methodist churches or denominations, and other churches founded independently from these lineages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diocese</span> Christian district governed by a bishop

In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.

The Confessing Movement is a largely lay-led theologically conservative Christian movement that opposes the influence of theological liberalism and theological progressivism currently within several mainline Protestant denominations and seeks to return them to its view of orthodox doctrine, or form a new denomination and disfellowship (excommunicate) them if the situation becomes untenable. Those who eventually deem dealing with theological liberalism and theological progressivism within their churches and denominations as not being tenable anymore would later join or start Confessional Churches and/or Evangelical Churches that continue with the traditions of their respective denominations and maintaining orthodox doctrine while being ecclesiastically separate from the Mainline Protestant denominations.

In Anglican Christianity, low church refers to those who give little emphasis to ritual. The term is most often used in a liturgical sense, denoting a Protestant emphasis, whereas "high church" denotes an emphasis on ritual, often Anglo-Catholic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of South India</span> United Protestant church in South India

The Church of South India (CSI) is a united Protestant Church in India. It is the result of union of a number of Protestant denominations in South India that occurred after the independence of India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of North India</span> Dominant united Protestant church in North India

The Church of North India (CNI) is the dominant united Protestant church in northern India. It was established on 29 November 1970 by bringing together most of the Protestant churches working in northern India. It is a province of the worldwide Anglican Communion and a member of the World Methodist Council and 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 Methodist Church, Disciples of Christ, and some congregations from the United Church of Northern India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of Bangladesh</span> United Protestant Church in Bangladesh

The Church of Bangladesh is a united Protestant church formed by the union of various Protestant churches in Bangladesh, principally the Anglican and Presbyterian denominations. The Church of Bangladesh is full communion with the Anglican Communion. Also it's a member of World Communion of Reformed Churches.

The Right Reverend is an honorific style given to certain religious figures and members of a clergy.

Protestants in India are a minority and a sub-section of Christians in India and also to a certain extent the Christians in Pakistan before the Partition of India, that adhere to some or all of the doctrines of Protestantism. Protestants in India are a small minority in a predominantly Hindu majority country, but form majorities in the north-eastern states of Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland and significant minorities in Konkan division, Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, with various communities in east coast and northern states. Protestants today trace their heritage back to the Protestant reformation of the 16th century. There are an estimated 20 million Protestants and 16 million Pentecostals in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anglican Communion and ecumenism</span> Overview about the Anglican Communion and ecumenism

Anglican interest in ecumenical dialogue can be traced back to the time of the Reformation and dialogues with both Orthodox and Lutheran churches in the sixteenth century. In the nineteenth century, with the rise of the Oxford Movement, there arose greater concern for reunion of the churches of "Catholic confession". This desire to work towards full communion with other denominations led to the development of the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral, approved by the Third Lambeth Conference of 1888. The four points were stipulated as the basis for church unity, "a basis on which approach may be by God's blessing made towards Home Reunion":

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anglican Church in North America</span> Anglican realignment province

The Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) is a Christian denomination in the Anglican tradition in the United States and Canada. It also includes ten congregations in Mexico, two mission churches in Guatemala, and a missionary diocese in Cuba. Headquartered in Ambridge, Pennsylvania, the church reported 977 congregations and 124,999 members in 2022. The first archbishop of the ACNA was Robert Duncan, who was succeeded by Foley Beach in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lists of Christians</span>

Christians have made many contributions in a broad and diverse range of fields, including the sciences, arts, politics, literatures, sports and business.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Communion of Protestant Churches in Europe</span> Fellowship of Protestant churches

The Communion of Protestant Churches in Europe is a fellowship of over 100 Protestant churches which have signed the Leuenberg Agreement. Together they strive for realizing church communion, especially by cooperation in witness and service to the world. Prior to 2003 the CPCE was known as the "Leuenberg Church Fellowship".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ordination of women in Christianity</span> Taking place in Protestant churches

In Christianity, the ordination of women has been taking place in an increasing number of Protestant and Old Catholic churches, starting in the 20th century. Since ancient times, certain churches of the Orthodox tradition, such as the Coptic Orthodox Church, have raised women to the office of deaconess. While ordination of women has been approved in many denominations, it is still a very controversial and divisive topic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foley Beach</span> American Anglican bishop

Foley Thomas Beach is an American bishop. He is the second primate and archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America, a church associated with the Anglican realignment movement. Foley was elected as the church's primate on June 21, 2014. His enthronement took place on October 9, 2014. He is married to Alison and they have two adult children.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Azad Marshall</span> Pakistani-born Protestant bishop

Azad Marshall is a Pakistani bishop, currently serving, since May 2021, as the Moderator Bishop of the Church of Pakistan, a United Protestant denomination that is a member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches, the Anglican Communion, and the World Methodist Council. In the past, he was the sixth Bishop of the Anglican Church in the Islamic Republic of Iran, a diocese of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East in the Anglican Communion, since 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of India, Burma and Ceylon</span> Former ecclesiastical province of Anglican Communion in British India

The Church of India, Burma and Ceylon (CIBC) was the autonomous ecclesiastical province of the Anglican Communion, associated with the Church of England, in British India.

Samuel Sammy Robert Azariah is a Protestant Pakistani bishop in the Church of Pakistan, a united Protestant denomination that holds membership in the Anglican Communion, World Methodist Council and World Communion of Reformed Churches. He is married to Khushnud and they have three daughters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Humphrey Peters</span> Pakistani Protestant bishop

Humphrey Sarfaraz Peters is a Pakistani Protestant bishop. He has served as Bishop of the Diocese of Peshawar since 2011, and from 2017 to 2021, Moderator and Primate in the Church of Pakistan, a United Protestant Church that holds membership in the Anglican Communion, World Methodist Council and World Communion of Reformed Churches.

References

  1. Robert Benedetto, Darrell L. Guder, Donald K. McKim (3 November 1999). Historical Dictionary of the Reformed Churches. Scarecrow Press. p. 297. ISBN   978-0-8108-6629-4. The Church of Pakistan is the largest Protestant denomination in the country, incorporating the Scottish Presbyterian mission. The united church retains some aspects of Presbyterian polity.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. Database (undated). "Member Churches" Archived 21 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine . World Communion of Reformed Churches. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
  3. 1 2 Pakistan Affairs - Volumes 23-25. Information Division, Embassy of Pakistan. 1970. The new church has emerged following the unity of four Protestant churches in the country, viz, the Anglican Church, the Methodist Church, the Lutheran Church and the Church of Scotland.
  4. 1 2 "Church of Pakistan". World Council of Churches. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  5. 1 2 Database (9 February 2006). "Sialkot Diocese of the Church of Pakistan". Reformed Online. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
  6. 1 2 Cracknell, Kenneth; White, Susan J. (5 May 2005). An Introduction to World Methodism. Cambridge University Press. p. 3. ISBN   978-0-521-81849-0. The members of this congregation represent both national churches and subdivisions of those churches, as well as amalgamated ecclesial bodies within which Methodists are an integral part, such as the United Church of Canada, the Church of South India, and the Church of Pakistan.
  7. Dalal, Roshen (18 April 2014). The Religions of India: A Concise Guide to Nine Major Faiths. Penguin Books Limited. p. 177. ISBN   9788184753967.
  8. "Overseas Appointments" . Church Times . No. 6633. 30 March 1990. p. 4. ISSN   0009-658X . Retrieved 22 July 2019 via UK Press Online archives.
  9. Marshall, Azad. "The Church of Pakistan (United)" (Ch. 29) in Ian S. Markham, J. Barney Hawkins, IV, Justyn Terry & Leslie Nuñez Steffensen (eds) Wiley-Blackwell Companion to the Anglican Communion (p. 333)
  10. "Provinces of the Anglican Communion".
  11. Communiqué from the College of Bishops, January 2014, ACNA Official Website.
  12. Standing with the Suffering, GAFCON Official Website, 1 April 2019
  13. American archbishop lauds CoP for uniting church leaders, Pakistan Today, 20 November 2019
  14. "Bishop Marshall unanimously elected as Church of Pakistan head". Pakistan Today. 15 May 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2021.

Bibliography