North India, Church of

▪ Protestant denomination

      church formed in the merger in 1970 of six Christian denominations, including the United Church of Northern India; the Anglican Church of India, Pakistan, Burma (Myanmar) and Ceylon; the British and Australian Methodist churches; the Council of Baptist Churches in Northern India; the Church of the Brethren; and the Disciples of Christ.

      The decolonization of India in 1947 revitalized negotiations initiated in 1929. A draft plan of church union, submitted in 1951, was entrusted to a committee of delegates, and a final plan of union was approved in 1965. The Church of North India affirms the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper while allowing each member denomination to meet its respective liturgical needs. Church activities extend beyond religious training to include education, medical and health care, and relief and social work on behalf of the orphaned, widowed, aged, and disabled in the community at large. The church has about 1.3 million members and 3,500 congregations in 26 dioceses. Its headquarters are located in New Delhi.

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