Registered Under Societies Act. XXI of 1860 having its registration no. 114/2004 Chandigarh, having its Camp Office at 471/A Christ Church, Behind St. Jude School, Nagra, Jhansi U.P., is the supreme governing and legislative body and Court of the United Church of Northern India and its organ for the expression of the judgment of the whole Church. It is responsible for the guidance and oversight of the Church in spiritual and temporal affairs and for the direction of all its work for the Kingdom of God. The General Assembly is the supreme governing and legislative body and the court of the United Church of Northern India and its organ for the expression of the judgement of the whole Church in spiritual & temporal affairs and for the direction of all its work for the kingdom of God. The General Assembly of the United Church of Northern India registration no. 114/2004-05 has 5 Synods and 18 Church Councils running under it, nationwide.
Composition
The General Assembly shall be composed of: -
(i) Commissioner's appointed by Church Councils, each Church Council being entitled to appoint two Commissioners (of whom one shall be a Minister) for every seven organized Congregations or major fraction thereof within its bounds.
(ii) Persons; not exceeding seventeen in number, co-opted as full voting members by the Executive Committee of the General Assembly; such persons to include all those who have been nominated by the Executive Committee for election as office-bearers of the General Assembly and others chosen from amongst the members of the Executive Committee and Conveners of Committees and Commissions of the General Assembly who have not been appointed as Commissioners by Church Councils
(iii) All office-bearers of the General Assembly ex officio until the end of the meeting at which their successors are appointed.
Functions and Powers
The functions and powers of the General Assembly are as follows:
(i) It shall legislate on matters respecting the doctrine worship, membership and government of the Church subject to the provisions of the Constitution (Blue Book).
(ii) it shall have power to form new Synods. define the areas of Synods and disband Synods.
(iii) It shall have power to approve the bye-laws of Synods and shall examine the records of Synods.
(iv) it shall have power to approve the formation of new Church Councils, the definition of their bounds and their disbandment. all on the recommendation of the Synod or Synods concerned.
(v) it shall direct help and encourage Synods and Church Councils in their evangelistic and other work
(vi) It shall promote ways and means for the edification and extension of the whole Church, including comity and union with other denominations.
(vii) It shall through a Committee appointed for the purpose. bear responsibility for the participation of the United Church of Northern India in the worldwide mission of the Church Universal.
(viii) It shall exercise general oversight and direction of. theological education within the bounds of the United Church of Northern India and shall have power; to determine the minimum qualification for ordination to the Ministry.
(ix) It shall receive and deal with references, petitions, appeals and overtures presented in regular form by or through Church Councils or Synods.
(x) it shall assume such responsibilities as may be required by schemes of integration with associated Missions.
(xi) it shall legislate and take necessary action on matters respecting property as provided for in the Memorandum and Articles of the United Church of Northern India Trust Association.
(xii) It shall adjudicate in all appeals regularly presented against a decision of a Synod.
(xiii) It shall appoint a standing Judicial Committee as provided for in Chapter lX of the Constitution.
(xiv) It shall receive reports from Synods and Church Councils and shall collect statistics of the Church, as a whole and shall be responsible for publication of a periodic report
(xv) It shall appoint such Committees as it deems necessary for the effective carrying on of its work.
(xvii) lt shall publish an official journal and shall appoint its Editor and Managing Committee.
(xvii) It shall, in general, enact such legislation and adopt such measures as may tend to promote true godliness, repress immorality. preserve the unity and well-being of the Church and advance the Kingdom of Christ throughout the world.
Current Office Bearers of the General Assembly of the UCNI are: