In a historic moment for gender equality, the Church of North India (CNI) has consecrated its first ever female bishop, the Right Reverend Violet Nayak, who will serve as the Bishop of Phulbani Diocese.
The groundbreaking appointment was made official over two days this past weekend in the Indian capital New Delhi. On Saturday May 20, Rev. Nayak was elected during the full Episcopal Election Meeting for the Phulbani Diocese. Then the next day, her consecration as Bishop was ceremonially officiated by the Most Rev. Bijay Kumar Nayak, the Moderator of the CNI, at the city’s Cathedral Church of Redemption.
“As God is raising women leaders all over the world to build His Kingdom, it’s good to see CNI paving the way for women leadership,” said Vinita Shaw, Director of Disha Foundation and a prominent woman leader hailing from the CNI while speaking to Christian Today.
Rev. Nayak, born on 21 March 1969, has served for over two decades within the CNI ministry. She was ordained as a Presbyter in the Phulbani Diocese back in 2001, after obtaining her Bachelor of Divinity degree from the prestigious Senate of Serampore College (University). Now aged 55 and married to Mr. Samir Sahu, Bishop Nayak brings 22 years of valuable ordained ministry experience to her new Episcopal role.
The historic weekend in Delhi also saw two other new bishops consecrated. The Right Rev. Roshan Thapa was appointed as Bishop of the Eastern Himalaya Diocese, which covers North West Bengal including Siliguri and Darjeeling. Born in 1967, Rev. Thapa obtained his Divinity degree from the Gospel for Asia Biblical Seminary in Kerala and has 26 years of CNI ministry experience behind him.
Meanwhile, the Right Rev. Immanuel Dani was consecrated on May 24 as the new Bishop of the Sambalpur Diocese, based in the state of Odisha. 50 years old, Bishop Dani holds a Theological Studies degree from Serampore and has 16 years of pastoral work across various CNI pastorates, most recently serving at the Mission Compound in Balangir, Odisha.
Bishop Nayak’s elevation represents a significant shift for the 53-year-old CNI, which maintains 27 dioceses across India. Her appointment follows years of activism calling for women’s ordination and leadership roles in Christian protestant denominations in the region.
The consecration ceremony in Delhi was attended by several other CNI bishops from across the nation, as well as senior Synod officials. It was hailed as a “blessed program” and an important step embracing gender equality and women’s empowerment within the Church’s hierarchy.
“In the Gospels, we read of Christ using the power of women’s influence when He spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well and appeared to Mary Magdalene after His Resurrection. Both times, He rose above His time’s culture which did not permit men and women to speak in public and did not consider a woman’s witness. True followers of Christ can be identified by how they treat the women,” expressed Shaw.