Church of Bangladesh

The Church of Bangladesh

Church of Bangladesh
(Bengali: চার্চ অব বাংলাদেশ) is
a united Protestant church চার্চ অব বাংলাদেশ
formed by the union of various Classification Protestant
Protestant churches in
Bangladesh, principally the Orientation Anglican, Presbyterian
Anglican and Presbyterian Scripture Holy Bible
denominations. The Church of Theology Reformed
Bangladesh is a member of the
Anglican Communion and Polity Mixed polity with episcopal, congregational,
World Communion of Reformed and presbyterian elements[1]
Churches. Archbishop & Primate The Most Reverend Samuel Sunil Mankhin;
enthroned on 5 December, 2018
The history of the plantation of
(Archbishop of Dhaka).
this united Protestant church is
quite old. Presbyterianism and Deputy Moderator The Right Reverend Sourabh Pholia (Bishop
Anglicanism in Bengal became of Barishal)
established from the time of Bishops 3
British rule in colonial India;
since the Anglican Church in Cathedral 3
England is called the Church of Associations Anglican Communion, World Communion of
England, the Anglican Church Reformed Churches[2]
in undivided India was known
Region Bangladesh (Also Worldwide)
as the Church of India, Burma
and Ceylon, which eventually Headquarters Moderator & Dhaka Diocesan Bishop's Office
became the Church of North 54 Johnson Road, Sadarghat
India, Church of South India Dhaka 1100
and Church of Pakistan; after Bangladesh
the independence of Bangladesh
Origin 30 April 1974
from Pakistan, the Church of
Bangladesh emerged from the Dhaka, Bangladesh
Church of Pakistan. Separated from Church of Pakistan
Parishes 151
The Church of Bangladesh
currently has three dioceses – Members 22600
Dhaka Archdiocese: Archbishop Priests 31
Samuel Sunil Mankhin, Kushtia
Missionaries Brotherhood of the Epiphany, Sisterhood of
Diocese; Bishop Hemen Halder,
and Barisal Diocese; Bishop the Epiphany, Christa Sevika Sangha etc
Shourabh Pholia. There are a Hospitals 2
total of 8 deaneries and 115
Nursing homes 1
parishes under the three
dioceses. The population is Primary schools 44
about 22,000. Membership is Tertiary institutions 1 (St. Andrew's Theology College,
diverse, including many Bangladesh)
different cultures. About half of
Other name(s) CoB
the total members are from the Publications Kapot (কপোত)
Garo, Santal, Marma and
Official website www.churchofbangladesh.org (http://www.ch
Chakma ethnic groups of
urchofbangladesh.org/)
Bangladesh.
Slogan Witnessing Christ

History
The Church of Bangladesh came into being as the outcome of the separation of East Bengal province from
Pakistan. This started as a movement which focused on language and took shape through the liberation war
in 1971, which created an independent Bangladesh. The Synod of the Church of Pakistan on 30 April 1974
declared and endorsed a free and independent status for the Church of Bangladesh. The Church of
Bangladesh brings together the Anglican and English Presbyterian Churches.

Following the creation of the Church of Bangladesh, efforts were made to increase local leadership. B. D.
Mondal was consecrated as the first national bishop of Dhaka Diocese in 1975. He tried to follow the path
of Bishop Blair, by encouraging the active participation of lay leaders from all sections of the church
congregations. After the creation of the synod, B. D. Mondal became the first moderator of the Church of
Bangladesh and Michael S. Baroi the deputy moderator. At the time of B. D. Mondal's retirement, a new
bishop was elected, and Paul Sarker, in January 2003, became the third national bishop of the Church of
Bangladesh. Although the title is not employed in this United Protestant denomination, since the
acknowledgement of the Archbishop of Dhaka as a primate within the Anglican Communion, he has been
entitled to the usual archiepiscopal prefix "the Most Reverend".[3] The current Primate and Archbishop of
Church of Bangladesh is Samuel Mankhin, enthroned on 5 December 2018.

Dioceses
There are three dioceses of the Church of Bangladesh:

Church of Bangladesh Archdiocese of Dhaka

Erected in 1956 by dividing the Diocese of Calcutta, the diocese (originally called "East Bengal")[4]
covered all East Pakistan. It was in the Church of India, Pakistan, Burma and Ceylon until the 1970 union
of the Church of Pakistan. It became the sole diocese of the Church of Bangladesh upon the church's 30
April 1974 independence. Since it was split to create Kushtia diocese, the Moderator of the Synod has
usually also been Archbishop of Dhaka of Church of Bangladesh.[5]

1956–1975: James D. Blair (assistant bishop of Calcutta (for East Bengal), 1951–1956)[6]
1975–2003: Barnabas Dejen Mondal (consecrated 16 February 1975, Oxford Mission
Church)
2003–2009: Michael S. Baroi (installed 24 January 2003)
2009 – 18 February 2019 (ret.): Paul Shishir Sarker (Moderator 2009[7] – 19 November
2018)[8]
2019–present: Samuel Sunil Mankhin

Diocese of Kushtia
Founded from Dhaka diocese in 1990; the Bishop in Kushtia was ex officio deputy moderator until 2018,[5]
when the new bishop in Barisal became deputy moderator (as the second mosty senior bishop by
consecration).

Michael S. Baroi (consecrated 30 November 1990, St Peter's Ratanpur)

Paul Shishir Sarkar (consecrated 5 January 2003, Oxford Mission Church)
?–2019: Samuel Sunil Mankhin (consecrated 8 November 2009, St Mary's Haluaghat;
Moderator since 19 November 2018)[8]
2019–present: Hemen Halder (consecrated 27 January 2019)[9]

Church of Bangladesh Diocese of Barisal

Formed in 2017[10] from Dhaka diocese.[11]

2017–present: Shourabh Pholia (elected 24 February;[12] consecrated 30 April, at Christ the

King Khalishpur;[13] installed 18 June;[14] Deputy Moderator since 19 November 2018)[8]

Coat of Election
Bishop Person Consecrated Introduced
Arms confirmed

The Archbishop of Dhaka

Samuel Sunil
Primate & Moderator Mankhin

The Bishop of Barishal

Sourabh Pholia
& Deputy Moderator

The Bishop of Kustia Hemen Halder

Anglican realignment
The Church of Bangladesh is a member of the Global South. Moderator Paul Sarker attended an Anglican
Church in North America meeting on 13–15 May 2017, at Holy Cross Cathedral, in Loganville, Georgia.
He and Archbishop Foley Beach, of the ACNA, signed "A Joint Statement on Communion from the
Primate of Bangladesh and the Primate of the Anglican Church", to affirm and celebrate the communion
between both churches. It was also discussed how both provinces could work together with mission
partnerships. The Church of Bangladesh was the first united province of the Anglican Communion to
declare full communion with the ACNA.[15]

The Church of Bangladesh wasn't represented at GAFCON III, on 17–22 June 2018, because it took place
in Jerusalem, but Samuel Mankhin attended G19, the additional conference that took place in Dubai, on 25
February – 1 March 2019.[16][17]

References
1. Sachs, William L. (2017). The Oxford History of Anglicanism, Volume V: Global Anglicanism,
c. 1910-2000. Oxford University Press. p. 413. ISBN 978-0-19-252094-4.
 2. Mankhin, Samuel Sunil (14 January 2020). "Anglican Cycle of Prayer: The Church of
Bangladesh" (https://www.anglicannews.org/blogs/2020/01/anglican-cycle-of-prayer-the-chu
rch-of-bangladesh.aspx). Retrieved 21 September 2023.
3. "Member Church - Bangladesh" (http://www.anglicancommunion.org/structures/member-chu
rches/member-church.aspx?church=bangladesh). Anglican Communion. Retrieved
2016-04-11.
4. "Obituaries: Bishop James Blair" (https://www.ukpressonline.co.uk/ukpressonline/view/pagvi
ew/ChTm_1991_02_01_006). Church Times. No. 6677. 1 February 1991. p. 6. ISSN 0009-
658X (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0009-658X). Retrieved 24 July 2019 – via UK Press
Online archives.
5. "Our History" (http://churchofbangladesh.org/about/foundation/). Church of Bangladesh.
2012-01-29. Retrieved 2020-08-27.
6. "Gazette: deaths" (https://www.ukpressonline.co.uk/ukpressonline/view/pagview/ChTm_199
1_02_01_005). Church Times. No. 6677. 1 February 1991. p. 5. ISSN 0009-658X (https://w
ww.worldcat.org/issn/0009-658X). Retrieved 24 July 2019 – via UK Press Online archives.
7. Conger, George (2016-01-03). "Primates of the Anglican Communion - Moderator of the
Church of Bangladesh" (http://anglican.ink/2016/01/03/primates-of-the-anglican-communion-
moderator-of-the-church-of-bangladesh/). Anglican Ink © 2020. Retrieved 2020-08-27.
8. "Church of Bangladesh has new Moderator and Deputy Moderator" (http://churchofbanglade
sh.org/publications/news/852-church-of-bangladesh-has-new-moderator-and-deputy-moder
ator/). Church of Bangladesh. 2018-11-27. Retrieved 2020-08-27.
9. "Rev. Hemen Halder was consecrated as the new Bishop of Kushtia Diocese" (http://church
ofbangladesh.org/publications/news/865-rev-hemen-halder-was-consecrated-as-the-new-bi
shop-of-kushtia-diocese/). Church of Bangladesh. 2019-02-12. Retrieved 2020-08-27.
10. "The First Council of Barisal diocese held" (http://churchofbangladesh.org/publications/new
s/817-the-first-council-of-barisal-diocese-held/). Church of Bangladesh. 2017-08-01.
Retrieved 2020-08-27.
11. "Dhaka Diocese Council 2016 held" (http://churchofbangladesh.org/publications/news/821-
dhaka-diocese-council-2016-held/). Church of Bangladesh. 2017-08-01. Retrieved
2020-08-27.
12. "Bishop Elected for Barisal Diocese" (http://churchofbangladesh.org/publications/news/715-
newly-elected-bishop/). Church of Bangladesh. 2017-03-01. Retrieved 2020-08-27.
13. "Bishop Consecration held" (http://churchofbangladesh.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Co
BNewsletterJan-May17.pdf) (PDF). Church of Bangladesh Newslatter. January–May 2017.
14. "Enthronement of Rt. Rev. Shourabh Pholia" (http://churchofbangladesh.org/publications/ne
ws/829-enthronement-of-rt-rev-shourabh-pholia/). Church of Bangladesh. 2017-08-01.
Retrieved 2020-08-27.
15. A Joint Statement on Communion from the Primate of Bangladesh and the Primate of the
Anglican Church (http://anglicanchurch.net/?/main/page/1453), ACNA Official Website.
16. Fuel for Prayer (https://www.gafcon.org/fuel-for-prayer) Archived (https://web.archive.org/we
b/20190408023404/https://www.gafcon.org/fuel-for-prayer) 2019-04-08 at the Wayback
Machine, GAFCON Official Website.
17. Standing with the Suffering (https://www.gafcon.org/news/standing-with-the-suffering),
GAFCON Official Website, 1 April 2019.

External links
Church of Bangladesh Official Website (http://churchofbangladesh.org/)
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