Anglican Church of India

The Anglican Church of India (ACI) is a union of

Anglican Church of India
independent Anglican churches in India. It is not currently a
member of the worldwide Anglican Communion whose titular Classification Continuing
leader is the Archbishop of Canterbury. Anglican
Polity Episcopal
In 1947, the Church of South India (CSI) was formed in newly
independent India as a united church of Anglicans, Baptists, Moderator Stephen
Basel Mission, Lutherans and Presbyterians. The Church of Vattappara
South India accepted an order of uniformity in worship and Distinct fellowships Anglican
practice which was at odds with some aspects of Anglican
Church of
tradition. Traditional Anglicans in the CSI did not accept this and
Virginia,
there was a provision for separation within a period of 30 years
from the CSI. Therefore, in 1964, some Anglicans decided to Anglican
withdraw from the CSI and re-established the Anglican Church Church
of India on 24 August 1964. International
Communion
V.J. Stephen was consecrated as a bishop by Anglican bishops
Associations International
from the United States and Africa and also by an "Anglicanised"
Council of
Evangelical bishop from Kerala, India, on 5 May 1966.
Christian
Even though the church was re-established in 1964, the synod of Churches
the Anglican Church of India was only formed in 1990 at (ICCC),
Kottayam. The synod consists of all the diocesan bishops, clergy Council of
secretaries, lay leaders of the dioceses and church-related Christian
organisations and representatives of each diocese and Churches of
independent churches. Independent churches function where
India (CCCI)
there are not enough congregations to form a diocese and are
also given representation in the synod. Archbishop Stephen Region India and the
Vattappara serves as the chairman of the synod and also as the United States
Metropolitan of the Anglican Church of India. Origin 24 August
1964
Faith Kerala
Merger of Churches
The foundation of the ACI's faith is contained in what is known separated
as the Lambeth Quadrilateral accepted by the Church of
from CSI and
England in 1888 which states:
CNI
1. Accepting the Holy Bible as the ultimate source of Congregations 800
divine truth Members 500,000
2. Acceptance of the Apostles and Nicene Creeds
Ministers 150
3. Acceptance of the only two sacraments ordained by
Jesus Christ, Holy Baptism and Holy Eucharist Missionaries 5
Official website www
.anglicansabha
.in (https://ww
 4. Acceptance of the historic episcopal succession w.anglicansab
ha.in/)

Biblical beliefs
Among other equally important biblical beliefs, ACI accepts:

the divine inspiration of the scriptures

the Holy Trinity
the virginity of Mary, Mother of Jesus
the redemption of sinners through Christ
the resurrection of Christ and
the everlasting bliss of the saved

The head of the Anglican Church of India [Church of England in India] was the Bishop of
Calcutta. His title was metropolitan. In 1947 this ceased to exist as the mainstream of Anglican
Churches joined the Church Unions of South and North India [the present CSI and CNI].
They call their heads moderators. But when the ACI formed its synod in 1990 it decided to
bring back the title of metropolitan.[1]

Metropolitan
Bp. Stephen Vattappara began his public life as a college students' union chairman in Kottayam. He served
as a telecommunication engineer in Bombay and Northern India. He resigned his job and entered the
ordained ministry in 1971. He was consecrated as bishop of the Diocese of Travancore and Cochin in 1982
and became the adjutor bishop in 1987. He was selected as the first metropolitan of the Anglican Church of
India in 1990 and serves also as a vice president of the International Council of Christian Churches (ICCC).
In Christianity banned Libya, while visiting his wife in 1987, Vattappara formed the Interdenominational
Christian Fellowship which still remains as the only Christian movement in that country. Vattappara served
as the editor of Malayalam Christian publications such as Griha Deepam and 'Christian Beacon. He has
written and published several books, including He that guides in to All Truth, Gathereth not with Jesus,
Scattereth, The End is not at once, Lo Here or There, My Kingdom is not of this World, The Anglican
Church History, Baptist – A type of Antichrist? and A Complete Study on Baptism.

Dioceses

The Anglican Church of India consists of different dioceses, independent churches and other organizations.
The Diocese of Travancore and Cochin is now elevated to the status of an archdiocese. The ACI currently
has 15 dioceses and several independent churches as members of the synod. Out of the 15 dioceses, five
are under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Travancore and Cochin. The ACI is growing rapidly and is
influencing many believers to come and join their fellow Anglican believers.
 Name Headquarters Admin Region Bishop Location

Central Diocese Kottayam Archdiocese of Archbishop Stephen Vattappara Kerala

Travancore &
Kottayam Diocese Kottayam Cochin Archbishop. Levi Joseph Ikera
Archbishop. John. J.
Malankara Diocese Chelakompu
Kochuparampil

Maramon Diocese Thiruvalla Bp. Mosses Pullolikkal

High Range Diocese Idukki Bp. John Chettiyathara

South Kerala Diocese Enathu Bp. Lukose Vallieathil

Anglican Church of
Philadelphia Bp. Stephen J Vattappara USA
Philadelphia

Haryana Diocese Gurgaon North India Bp. D. E. Singh Haryana

Delhi Diocese New Delhi Bp. Cyril S Porter New Delhi

Chandigarh Diocese Chandigarh Bp. Javed Massey Chandigarh

Dehradun Diocese Dehradun See Vacant Uttarakhand

Jammu & Kashmir Jammu &
Jammu Bp. Pankaj John
Diocese Kashmir

Secunderabad South India

Secunderabad Bp. T.Raj Kishore Telangana
Diocese

Tamil Nadu &

Chennai Bp.Gladstone Tamil Nadu
Pondicherry Diocese

References
1. "Metropolitan-The Anglican Church of India" (https://web.archive.org/web/20170319013232/
http://www.anglican.in/content.php?MenuId=64&ContentId=57). 19 March 2017. Archived
from the original (http://www.anglican.in/content.php?MenuId=64&ContentId=57) on 19
March 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2020.

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