The First Continuing Anglican Church

If the proposition of a 'Continuing Church' is so ominous to the Church of England establishment, we may do well to ask the question: 'what was the first Continuing Church?'

The answer may surprise some people.

The first Continuing Anglican Church formed since the Non-Jurors' Church, the Catholic Remnant of Britain of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, was the Continuing Anglican Diocese of Nandyal, which refused to join the pan-protestant Church of South India in 1947. Nandyal was the first local particular Church to describe itself as a Continuing Anglican Church.

This independent Diocese was placed under the direct authority of the jurisdiction of the Church of India, Pakistan, Burma, and Ceylon, headed by the Metropolitan of Calcutta.

The 1948 Lambeth Conference said this about the Church of Nandyal in its Report on the Unity of the Church:

'We have learned with great regret that in the Nandyal area in South India there has been a grievous breakdown of Christian fellowship. We earnestly hope that within a short period fellowship may be restored.

1. We reaffirm the decision expressed by the Lambeth Conference in 1930 that no Church of the Anglican Communion will set up dioceses or congregations in the area of the Church of South India.

2. We agree that no form of coercion should be used to bring any Christian into the Church of South India against his conscientious convictions.

3. We note that, at the request of the Church of South India, and with the approval of all the diocesan bishops of that Church, the Metropolitan of India has appointed a Commissary to take spiritual oversight of the Anglicans in that area who have not joined the Church of South India. We recommend that this arrangement be continued as a measure of accommodation, for as long as may be necessary.

4. We recommend that, when episcopal ministrations are necessary, the Metropolitan of India, at the request of the Commissary and with the consent of the Moderator of the Church of South India and of the Bishop of Anantapur and Kurnool, may arrange for a bishop of the Church of India, Burma, and Ceylon, to visit the Nandyal area to carry out such ministrations.

5. In the event of an ordination being required, the candidates should take the oath of canonical obedience to the Bishop of Calcutta for the time being (and his successors) as the Bishop temporarily in charge of the Christians concerned.'

In 1950, the Nandyal Church decided to recognise the validity and regularity of ordinations and consecrations carried out in the CSI.

In 1962, the Church of Nandyal was made an official Diocese of the Church of India, Pakistan, Burma, and Ceylon, replete with its own Bishop Ordinary, Cathedral and administration.

The Anglican Diocese of Nandyal finally merged with the CSI in 1975.

Unlike our post-1976 jurisdictions, Nandyal was never forced to break communion with Canterbury and has maintained such communion with the Church of England in an unbroken continuity until today. The CSI today enjoys full communio in sacris with the Anglican Communion. Those who in good conscience could not unite with the protestantising CSI or the Church of North India in the 1970's formed in the region of Nandyal and throughout India ongoing orthodox Continuing jurisdictions which survive today. Each American Continuing Church seems to have an Indian counterpart.

The Anglican Province of America is in communion with the Anglican Church of India (Dioceses of Andhra Pradesh and Lucknow).

The Anglican Catholic Church is in communion with the Church of India (Anglican) (Dioceses of Amritsar, Bombay, Delhi, Lucknow, and Nagpur).

The Anglican Church in America is in communion with the Anglican Church of India (Traditional Anglican Communion).

Let us continually pray that the great body of the Indian Continuing Church will be reunited in full sacramental communion - and that the whole Continuing Church, possessing such an admirable origin, may recover her proper Catholic unity in Our Blessed Lord.