Church of Bangladesh

Church of Bangladesh
Primate Paul Sarker
Polity Episcopal
Headquarters Moderator & Dhaka Diocesan Bishop's Office
54/1 Barobag, Mirpur 2
Dhaka 1216
Bangladesh
Website www.churchofbangladesh.org

The Church of Bangladesh is a church of the Anglican Communion in Bangladesh. It is a united church formed by the union of various Protestant churches in the region, principally Anglican and Presbyterian. The Church of Bangladesh is also a member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches.[1]

History

The Church of Bangladesh came into being as the outcome of the separation 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 'archbishop' is not employed in this province, since the acknowledgement of the Bishop of Dhaka as a Primate within the Anglican Communion, he has been entitled to the usual archiepiscopal prefix "the Most Reverend".[2] The current Primate is Paul Sarker.

Dioceses

There are three dioceses of the Church of Bangladesh:

  • Diocese of Barisal
  • Diocese of Dhaka
  • Diocese of Kushtia

Anglican realignment

The Church of Bangladesh is a member of the Global South. Moderator Paul Sarker attended a 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.[3]

References

  1. ↑ "Members". World Communion of Reformed Churches. Retrieved 2016-04-11.
  2. ↑ "Member Church - Bangladesh". Anglican Communion. Retrieved 2016-04-11.
  3. ↑ A Joint Statement on Communion from the Primate of Bangladesh and the Primate of the Anglican Church, ACNA Official Website
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