MCI

The History of The Methodist Church in India, is detailed as below in chronological order.

Beginnings

The religious order presently known in United States of America by the name UNITED METHODIST CHURCH [hereinafter referred to as UMC and formerly known as METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH hereinafter referred to as “MEC” was organized on the 24/12/1784 in Baltimore, U.S.A., and MEC has its origin in the preaching, directions and Instructions of One who was a clergyman by name Late Rev John Wesley in the Church of England

The Book of Discipline

UMC is governed and regulated by the book, known as THE BOOK OF DISCIPLINE, which contains the general directions given by the aforesaid LATE REV. JOHN WESLEY to his followers.

Missionary work

The missionaries of the MEC have been sent to various parts of the World in order to spread the Gospel of Christ and these Missionaries established MISSION STATIONS for the organising missionary work in Mission Fields

Similarly the missionaries of the MEC were also sent to India, as early as the year 1856 and by the year 1864 the work of the missionaries Of the MEC was organized under the name “INDIA MISSION CONFERENCE”.

With the passage of time, the missionaries of MEC established several MISSION STATIONS in India and the Churches found the areas coming under each or those mission stations were organized under the name “Bombay Bengal Mission” in the year 1873.

The work of MEC in India was on evangelistic, educational, medical and literary lines and the missionaries of the MEC founded several churches, educational institutions and hospitals in India.

The Missionaries of the MEC in India brought into existence a new type of body, known as “CENTRAL CONFERENCE,” as early as the year 1885 with the purpose and objective of governing and resealing the activities of various mission stations within the political boundaries of India as it then stood.

MEC made rapid strides and by the year 1900 “CENTRAL CONFERENCE” transformed itself, from being a mere provincial Organization of the MEC, into a National Church having considerable influence throughout all of Southern and South Eastern Asia.

The missionaries of the MEC in India foreseen the need and immense possibility of carrying out missionary work within the borders of India by employing an indigenous agency and utilizing funds collected within the Country and for this purpose they Formed society in India called “METHODIST MISSIONARY SOCIETY’ the year 1920.

The General Conference of the MEC recognized the value and utility of the CENTRAL CONFERENCE and from the year 1920, it began organizing “Central Conferences” for governing and regulating the work of each of its mission fields spread throughout the world and
The year 1939 marked a turning point in the history of worldwide Methodism by reason the union of the Methodist Episcopal Church, The Methodist Episcopal Church South and the Methodist Protestant Church to form the Methodist Church. This Union affected the work of the Methodist Episcopal Church in India to form the Methodist Church in Southern Asia to strengthen the work of the Church in India.

THECENTRALCONFERENCEOFTHE METHODIST CHURCH IN SOUTHERN ASIA thereinafter for short referred to as CC of MCSA became the supreme body governing and regulating the works of the Methodist Church in Southern Asia (hereinafter referred to as MCSA) and

The Executive board of the MCSA was legally constituted as a Society with the name and style of THE EXECUTIVEBOARDOFTHEMETHODISTCHURCHIN SOUTHERN ASIA (hereinafter referred to as EXECUTIVE BOARD of MCSA) And the same was registered under the Societies of Registration Act, XXI or 1860 on 19/05/1942 with the Registrar of Joint stock Companies, Bombay and the EXECUTIVE BOARD of the MCSA along with the MANAGING COMMITTEE of the EXECUTIVE BOARD of the MCSA were the supreme administrative bodies of the MCSA; and a Trust was formed under BPT Act 1950 at Mumbai under registration no. F-405 dated 02/08/1954.

In the year 1960, the one conference in India had grown into 13 Conferences covering the whole of Southern Asia and these conferences alone with the CC of MCSA came to govern and regulate the activities of MCSA.

The Methodist Church in India

The CC at MCSA during its session in the years 1960-61 re-organized METHODIST MISSIONARY SOCIETY and in piece was created as BOARD OF MISSION OF METHODIST CHURCH IN SOUTHERN ASIA [hereinafter for short referred to as BOM OF MCSA and

The CC of MCSA during its session in the year 1976 rescinded to consider for the MCSA, the status of an Autonomous Church affiliated to the UMC and accordingly, it authorized a committee known as COMMITTEE ON STRUCTURE OF METHODISM AND CHURCH UNION (here in after referred to as COSMACU) to prepare a draft Constitution and a draft Plan of the new church.

The CC of MCSA during second adjourned of its 29th Session held at Bangalore in May 1979, unanimously adopted the Draft Constitution, draft plan and draft articles of Faith prepared by COSMACU.

Thereafter the EXECUTIVE BOARD MCSA, petitioned the General Conference of the UMC, on behalf of the CC of MCSA.

In response to this petition, the General Conference Of UMC in its session, held between 15 to 25thApril, 1980 at Indianapolis, U.S.A. passed on enabling Actuate horizon the CC Of MCS Atore-organize and become an autonomous church affiliated to UMC.

The CC of MCSA during its 30thregular session held in Sep/Oct 1980 at Jabalpur, received the afore mentioned enabling Act and resolved that the CC of MCSA shall be dissolved on such date and time as may be decided by the Council of Bishops and Executive Board Of the MCSA: and The METHODIST CHURCH IN INDIA shall be constituted in the place of the CC of MCSA and The delegates of the 30th regular session of the CC of MCSA shall become the delegates for the First GENERAL CONFERENCE of THE Methodist Church in India.

Hereafter the CC of MCSA, in its adjourned Session of the 30th Central Conference held at Madras on 07th January 1981, dissolved itself and simultaneously reorganized itself into THE METHODIST CHURCH IN INDIA [hereinafter referred to as “MCI”] and

Thereafter a conference of the MCI consisting of delegates from throughout India, known as the “GENERAL CONFERENCE” came to become the supreme body having governing and legislative powers all matters pertaining to the MCI.

FIRSTGENERALCONFERENCE of the MCI held at Madras between 7th to 15th January, 1981 resolved that, the Draft constitution and draft Articles of faith which were adopted by the CC of MCSA be taken up and adopted as the constitution to the MCI.

The first GENERAL CONFERENCE of the MCI held at Madras now called Chennai, resolved that, the EXECUTIVE BOARD OF MCSA shall continue to hold title of all movable and immovable properties of the Church as trustees for the MCI till such time they are duly transferred in the name of a Trust Association of MCI, which is to be duly registered under an appropriate Act, and it was further resolved that the Executive Board of the MCSA and its MANAGING COMMITTEE shall function under the control and supervision of the GENERAL CONFERENCE and the EXECUTIVE COUNCIL of the GENERAL CONFERENCE in Methodist Church in India which subsequently changed to Executive Board of Methodist Church in India and Managing Committee of Methodist Church in India.

Episcopal Areas

The First GENERAL CONFERENCE of the MCI held between 7th to 15thJanuary, 1981 constituted the following 4 Episcopal Areas consisting of the following: