By Jose Kavi
New Delhi, June 7, 2023: The oldest church in northeastern India has been entangled in a factional feud for more than eight months.
On June 4, the Christ Church in Guwahati, the commercial capital of Assam state, witnessed unruly scenes when one group shut the doors obstructing another group from the church building.
Video clips circulated on social media showed two women arguing with others while blocking them from the church.
Samuel Sangma, former secretary of the church and leader of a function, described the incident as “unprecedented” and “most reprehensible.”
He told Matters India June 6 that the church doors were forcefully shut by three ordinary members of the church – the wives of bishop and presbyter and a layman.
He also said the incident has shocked Christians as the church that was built by the British in 1844 is the main place of worship for the Diocese of North East India (DNEI) of the Church of North India.
On the other hand, Jonathan Giri, the diocesan secretary, said the diocese’s officer bearers on June 6 held an urgent teleconferencing and condemned the events that happened two days earlier.
June 4 “will be remembered as a Black Sunday in the history of the Christ Church, Guwahati. A well plan and orchestrated attack on the church, in the absence of the Presbyter-in-Charge, in pure violation of the Constitution of the Church of North India, took place on that fateful Sunday, Ied by Samuel Sangma and a group of members of the Church of North India, Guwahati Pastorate,” says a press release from the official side.
Sangma traced the “fiasco” to “the serious breach of pastoral vows and the CNI Constitution” by presbyter Revered Harrison Masih who allegedly abandoned the Eucharistic service “in a fit of anger” on October 30, 2022.
The lay leader said the congregation was shocked and grieved by the presbyter’s refusal to perform the Sacrament.
The congregation on October 30, 2022, authorized the pastorate secretary to write to Bishop Michael Herenz of DNEI to remove and discipline Masih to uphold the sanctity and spiritual life “of the first church” in the region.
Despite numerous petitions, Bishop Herenz, has refused to act against the presbyter, Sangma alleged.
On the contrary, the bishop disbanded the elected pastorate committee and declared Sangma, the secretary and the treasurer as individuals not in “good standing in the Church.” The prelate then foisted “an illegal ad hoc committee,” Sangma alleged.
When the hierarchy ignored their request, the congregation decided to resume worship in the church from June 4, the dismissed secretary said.
The statement issued by Giri says that on June 4 the bishop and the presbyter were away in Kashmir to attend a clergy retreat. Only the presbyter is authorized to conduct services, and in his absence by someone who deputes.
On June 4, Ismail Kawah, who was deputed by the presbyter, conducted the services from 8:45 am to 10:30 am.
According to Giri’s statement, Sangma and team came after the services “with an intention to conduct a meeting inside the church which is illegal under the Church constitution.”
It also says Sangma and team had been told that they were free to worship during the allotted hours as no one is barred from the worship. However, conducting a separate service or meeting was against the rules, the statement explains.
Sangma says when they came to the church, his team was obstructed physically from entering the church by Zina Herenz, the bishop’s wife, Nisha Masih, the presbyter’s wife and Jocky John, a layman.
“The high handedness of the wives of the bishop and the Presbyter reeks of a conspiracy. Their sole agenda is to impose complete control over the day to day administration of the church in complete violation of the CNI Constitution and ensure Bishop Michael’s continued occupation of a part of the buildings of the church in the interest of his wife who has a job in a nursing school in the city,” Sangma said.
He said the diocese’s cathedral, diocesan office and bishop’s residence are in Shillong, capital of neighboring Meghalaya state. Hence the bishop’s regular stay in the Guwahati church premises is “totally untenable,” Sangma asserted.
Giri’s statement says the bishop’s wife and the other two were “duty bound and legally correct as responsible members” to stop Sangma and team from holding an illegal meeting.
The official statement says the bishop’s wife and others called the police sensing trouble. “The matter would have ended there amicably, but Samuel Sangma took it further and lodged a formal complaint with the police station,” it adds.
Giri also says the decision to disband the pastorate committee was taken by the executive committee of the diocesan council “in the interest of the Church.”
The diocesan secretary says the bishop stays more time in Guwahati as 70 percent of pastorates and the faithful are in Assam. The bishop has a small office and transit accommodation inside the campus of the Christ Church. This helps him to cover various areas of the diocese smoothly and to make it easy for his people from Assam to meet him.
“Moreover, the bishop is free to stay anywhere in the diocese,” asserted Giri, the diocesan secretary.
Sangma said the Christ Church has remained “a beacon of hope, peace, joy and spiritual solac” not only for its members but all its visitors during the past 179 years.
He says the congregation now prays for the CNI authorities to resolve their grievances, restore conditions for spiritual nourishment and community life.
The Guwahati scandal is the latest to hit the Church of North India whose bishops have in recent times come under the scanner for cases related to shady land deals with unscrupulous builders for profits.
One of them is the dismissed Bishop P C Singh of Jabalpur, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh on money laundering charges and financial irregularities.
The Guwahati church occupies prime location land and is worth billions of rupees making it extremely valuable.
Sad
All unruly situations seen in North East India Diocese is due to lack of far sightedness of the Leadership.
Most corrupt bishop. If there is a benchmark for corruption, it will be him. He is a doctorate degree holder but barely knows the doctrine of forgiveness and humility.
The statement of Mr. Jonathan Giri, Secretary, DNEI, CNI regarding Christ Church, Guwahati is totally false, baseless and fabricated.
To protect the offenders, Mr. Jonathan Giri, Secretary, DNEI, CNI, had suppressed the real facts. We, the members of the Christ Church, Guwahati Congregation barring few families are protesting since November, 2022 to transfer the Presbyter in charge, Rev. Harrison Masih for his unconstitutional conduct in the Church and using filthy languages against Church members in the Church WhatsApp group.
We have sent several letters to the Bishop, Rt. Rev. Michael Herenz, DNEI, CNI and to the Moderator, CNI also. Copies were marked to Mr. Jonathan Giri, Secretary, DNEI, CNI, for information, which he cannot deny.
Though six months have passed, no action has been taken by the Bishop or the Moderator.
We were boycotting Rev.Harrison Masih’s services for quite some time, but now decided to attend the Church from the beginning of June, 2023, which happened to be 4th June, 2023. Mr. Jonathan Giri had stated that the Church timing is from 8.45am to 10.30am. We went there well before 10.30am, but we were not allowed to enter the Church by four persons, namely Mrs. Zina Herenz, wife of the Bishop, Rt.Rev. Michael Herenz, Mrs. Nisha Masih, wife of the Presbyter in charge Rev.Harrison Masih, Mr. Ismail Kawah and Mr. Jocky John (who was seen continuesly getting instructions over phone from his BOSS.)
Mr. Giri mentioned that the Congregation came there to attack the Church and conduct a meeting inside the Church, which was totally a false allegation and without any knowledge.
The four behaved, as if the Christ Church, Guwahati is their personal property. They obstructed the members, who came for worship and prayer, they hold the main door tightly, so that we cannot go in, then closed the door and bolted from inside.
They even called the Police to complain again us. The Officer in charge of Pan bazar Police station,
who came, talked to both the sides and then requested Mrs. Zina Herenz and Mrs. Nisha Masih, to open the Church door but they denied and informed the OC, that they don’t have authority to open the Church door.
If that was the reality, then did they have any authority to shut the Church door for members of the Congregation and deny entry ?
It was an well planned conspiracy in advance, to bar us from worship and prayer in Christ Church, Guwahati..
Mr.Jonathan Giri, Secretary, DNEI,CNI, also termed 4th June, 2023 Sunday, as a Black Sunday. Indeed, it was a Black Sunday for the Christ Church, Guwahati Congregation who will remember it ever.
Really sad news..
Really sad to hear the news about our church..really don’t know what is going on..hope that we again worship as one congregation in the future..
There is only a monopoly rules under the Bishop Herenz. Any elected member of the council of the Diocese or any member of a pastorate committee is kicked out if he/ she speaks against the faults of the said bishop. And new like-minded persons are appointed in their places. This bishop likes members who are ‘yes sir’. He strips of the licences of many senior presbyters if they fail to comply with his order. The door shutting case is purely the order of the said bishop. These church members have been running this historical church activities with devotion from before Michael bishop started his ministry in the church. He is using his position and power in the wrong direction leading towards the hell… Oh Lord please save your believers from the impure spirits….
Bishop Micheal Herenz is a great man.
Only half truths about the Bishop Michael Herenz are spoken about.
The church us open at all times for individuals to worship privately. So the doors forcefully shut by the Bishop’s wife and the presbyter’s wife is unacceptable.
Shillong has been the head office since the Dibrugarh office was washed away by the Bhramaputra. Assam has always had a greater Christian population and the excuse by the Secretary holds no truth. Because Michael Herenz has interfered both monetarily and administratively with the Shillong pastorate he operates from Guwahati. He’s been trying to grab a hold of church assets through North East IndiaTrust Association where his cronies have been voted into office.
Let an inquiry take place and many cupboards will reveal skeletons across all organisations of the church!
Sad development