The Global Anglican Communion and the Anglican Orthodoxy
Anglican Church of India and British India
A Rich Heritage and History
Preserving the past to revitalize the future!
The Anglican Church of India underwrites all fundamentality of the various faculties of doctrines of the Christian faith, such as the Trinity, Redemption, Salvation, Water Baptism, Baptism of the Holy Spirit, The Death and Resurrection of Jesus, the Coming Judgement and Eternal Life.
History of ACI
The Anglican Church of India (ACI) is an independent body within the Anglican tradition, following Orthodox Anglican principles. Its historical roots are associated with the work of the Church Missionary Society (CMS), which was founded in England on 12 April 1799 as the missionary arm of the Church of England.
The CMS commenced its missionary activities in India in 1814 and extended its work to Kerala in 1816. Early missionary efforts were overseen in association with the Metropolitan of the Church of England in India, Dr Daniel Wilson, whose headquarters was in Calcutta. In its initial phase, CMS collaborated with the Orthodox Church; however, this cooperation gradually declined, and around 1836 the relationship had effectively ended following developments associated with the Mavelikara Synod.
Subsequently, CMS redirected its mission towards the indigenous population of Travancore and Cochin. This phase of work was led by Rev. John Hawksworth, along with Rev. George Mathen of Mallappally, a former Orthodox priest. The mission expanded significantly, leading to the establishment of the Diocese of Travancore and Cochin as part of the Church of England’s ecclesiastical structure in India.
Following Indian independence in 1947, a Church Union process took place, resulting in the formation of the Church of South India (CSI). The Anglican community participated in this union with provisions allowing for reconsideration and withdrawal within a defined period should doctrinal concerns arise.
The early episcopal leadership of the diocese included Bishops Speechly, Hodges, Gill, Moore and Corfield. They were later succeeded by Bishop Jacob, a former Orthodox cleric. During this period, differing interpretations of faith and administrative direction emerged within the Church, leading to internal tensions regarding doctrine and governance.
On 24 August 1964, a decision was taken by a section of the Anglican community to withdraw from the Church of South India. This withdrawal was followed by a period of legal and ecclesiastical disputes concerning church properties and administrative authority, during which the Anglican community asserted continued adherence to its ecclesiastical identity.
Archbishop V. J. Stephan became the first Bishop of the reconstituted Anglican Church of India. He was succeeded by Archbishop Stephen Vattappara, who later passed on the leadership to the Most Revd Dr John Sathiyakumar, who is serving as Metropolitan Suffragan Archbishop of the Anglican Church of India Synod and Moderator of the Anglican (Episcopal) Church of India, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Archdiocese.
The Anglican (Episcopal) Church of India UK Mission is currently in full partnership with The Free Church of England.
++ John Sathiyakumar, Metropolitan Archbishop,
Anglican Church of India
EPISCOPAL HEADS OF THE ANGLICAN CHURCH
The Anglican Church follows the Episcopacy from the Early entry of The Church of England to India.
The Epicopacy starts from the Year 1814 wherein the Anglican Church came into existence in India.
The Church of India (CIPBC) (formerly the Church of England in India) is the original Anglican Church in India. The Anglican presence in India dates back four hundred years ago to 1600, when Queen Elizabeth I, was still on the throne of England. For the next ninety years that is until 1927 the Church of India was a Province of the Church of England, under the authority of the Crown and the British Parliament. Arising from the enactment of the Indian Church Measure, 1927 and the Indian Church Act, 1927 for the dissolution of its legal connection with the Church of England, the Church of India, Burma and Ceylon formed the ecclesiastical Province. It was the time it governed by its own very comprehensive “Constitution, Canons and Rules are binding on all members of the Anglican Church of India, that is all the clergy and lay people as well. It was the Government Church under Ecclesiastical department and Crown was the trustee of the Anglican Church. The Anglican Church in India became autonomous Church body and followed the same Creeds, traditions, the Sacraments and Holy orders of men.
CSI was one of the four united Protestant churches in the Anglican Communion, the others being the Church of North India, the Church of Pakistan and the Church of Bangladesh. In 1947, the Church of South India (CSI) was formed in the newly independent India as a united church of Anglicans, Baptists, Basel Mission, Lutherans and Presbyterians. The Church of South India accepted an order of uniformity in worship and practice which was at odds with some aspects of Anglican tradition. Traditional Anglicans in the CSI did not accept this and there was a provision for separation within a period of 30 years from the CSI. Therefore, in 1964, some Anglicans decided to withdraw from the CSI and re-established the Anglican Church of India on 24 August 1964 by the Visionary Abp. Dr. Stephen Vattapara, Kottayam, India.
1814 – 1823 Rt.Revd. Thomas Fanshawe Middleton
1823 – 1826 Rt.Revd. Reginald Heber
1827 – 1828 Rt.Revd. John Thomas James
1829 – 1831 Rt.Revd. John Matthias Turner
1832 – 1858 Rt.Revd. Daniel Wilson
1858 – 1866 Rt.Rev. George Edward Lynch Cotton
1866 – 1876 Rt.Revd. Robert Milman
1876 – 1898 Rt.Revd. Edward Ralph Johnson
1898 – 1902 Rt.Revd. Jambs Edward Cowell Welldon
1902 – 1913 Rt.Revd. Reginald Stephen Copleston
1912 – 1945 “FIRST INDIAN ANGLICAN BISHOP TO LEAD THE CHURCHES OF ENGLAND in INDIA.
Rt.Revd. Vethanayagam Samuel Azariah”
1945 – 1955 Rt.Revd. Anthony Blacker Elliott
1947 – 1974 Rt.Revd.Lesslie Newbigin
THE ANGLICAN CHURCHES existed in different territories of India without any administrative heads for some years wherein the Anglican communion was formed after great effort of Most Rev Dr. Stephen Vattapara, Most Rev Dr. Samuel Prakash and Most Rev. Dr Duraising James joined together – united about 237 SCATTERED ANGLICAN CHURCHES together in 1964.
In 1996 the 237 Churches (the ACI & CEEC) formed THE ANGLICAN DIOCESAN COUNCIL and elected Rev. Dr. Rajkumar (1994-2000). As first Bishop of Anglican – Episcopal heads of the ACI who followed the apostolic succession of BP. V. S. Azaria, followed with this Rev. Dr. Ponniah (2000-2002), from here the ACI & CEEC started growing rapidly joining many Anglican churches which were scattered throughout India about 61 Dioces, 2 Synod, 4 Autonomous Synod are very recently joined with GAFCON movement.
Today we stand as one family of the largest main line churches in India.
Under the leadership of Abp. Levi Joesph and Abp. A. John Sathiyakumar
Hidden facts about ACI history
If it is true that the British stumbled into their Indian Empire “in a fit of absent-mindedness,” it is equally true that no plans and aims for the conversion of India to Christ were in the mind of our Church during the inception. Painfully slowly did the missionary idea grow during the eighteenth century, manifesting itself in the interest which the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge took in the work of the German Lutheran missionaries in South India. Then with the revival of religious life in England, largely through the influence of the Wesleys and Whitefield, the Church woke up to its duties overseas as the 18th century came to an end. Mainly through the influence of Charles Simeon, some most devoted and brilliant spirits among the young men at Cambridge, full of missionary zeal, went to India as Chaplains of the East India Company, belonging to the Anglican faith. This was followed by a long struggle in Parliament between those who felt we had a Christian duty towards India and those who were for leaving things just as they were at the beginning of the 19th century. It was a struggle which ended in victory, with the arrival of the first Anglican Bishop to Calcutta in the year 1815.
Clergy and laity, representative of all our dioceses, together with their Bishops, were summoned to Calcutta by the Metropolitan, to discuss plans for the formation of a Synod of Bishops, Clergy and Laity in every diocese, as well as for the creation of a Representative Provincial Synod for all India. The intention of the Representative Council which drew up these plans was that the rules and decisions of these Synods should have a binding force on all members of the Church in India. While, however, matters were still under discussion legal advice was received from England that the formation of such Synods was illegal, because the Church in India was only a part of the Church of England, and no organization with such powers existed in England. Accordingly, for the time being, the idea of a fully constituted Synod was abandoned, and Diocesan Councils and a Provincial Council for all India was formed on a voluntary basis. With the passing of the Church Powers Bill in Parliament, and the formation of a National Assembly of the Church of England, it was decided that the time had come for taking the necessary steps to secure legal independence for our Church in India. As a result of this decision, an Indian Church Measure was drafted in England with the approval of the Provincial Council in Calcutta.
Therefore, the then Anglican Church of India existed as the parental body to all independent Protestant, Free Methodists, Baptists, and Presbyterian churches in India, including the CSI and CNI.
ACI Declared as the Parental Body
In presenting the above statement, the ACI is conscious of neither putting forth anything essentially new; nor having any desire. The truth that ACI wishes to publish is eternal, interwoven in the fabric of British Indian History and that of the Church of England, being fundamental. Oct 15, 2021: On October 15, 2021 the Proposed Council of Bishops, Commissaries, Deacons, Reverends and Clergymen united in solemnly declaring the “Anglican Church of India as the Parental body for all Christian Denominations in India” for the Glory of God. This was duly approved by the Government of India on May 22, 2022. Glory to the Almighty!
Ecumenical Convergence with ACI
The CEEC envisions a communion whose life, ministry, and local churches are fully evangelical, fully charismatic, and fully sacramental in their worship expression and has converged by ecumenical means with the ACI since 1999, the journey continues…
ACI – Episcopal Succession (Anglican Linage)
The Most Revd Dr. John Sathiyakumar received his episcopal succession in the Orthodox Anglican Communion through the Most Revd Dr. Stephan Vattapara, who himself received it from the Most Revd Dr. V. J. Stephen, who in turn received his Orthodox Anglican succession from Archbishop James Parker Dees.
In addition, Archbishop John Sathiyakumar stands within lines of episcopal succession historically derived from the Utrecht Old Catholic Church and the Church of England. This succession is transmitted through Archbishop John Moore (Archbishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church, United States of America, 1787), by way of the Most Revd Duraisingh James, Archbishop of the Communion of Evangelical and Episcopal Churches.
The Most Revd Duraisingh James also conveyed episcopal succession received through the historic See of Canterbury, including succession associated with the Most Revd William Laud (1621) and the Most Revd William Sancroft (1677), Archbishops of Canterbury; the Right Revd Thomas White, Bishop of Peterborough (1685); the Right Revd Charles Edward Cheney, Bishop of the Reformed Episcopal Church (1873); and the Right Revd Michael D. Owen, Bishop of the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches (1915).