Bishop of Rangoon
Encyclopedia
The Lord Bishop of Rangoon was the Anglican
bishop
responsible for the diocese
of Rangoon
in the province of Calcutta from 1877 to 1970. Beforehand British Burma, then part of the Indian Empire, had come under the guidance of the Bishop of Calcutta
, Metropolitan
of India
. In 1966 the last non-Burmese bishop was evicted by the Burmese authorities and in 1970 the Diocese of Rangoon became the Church of the Province of Burma, and the bishop was elevated to Archbishop
in that church.
could provide. For decades the American baptist
missionaries and members of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts had been making inroads among the Burmese
and Karenni
peoples, and therefore in 1877 the diocese of Rangoon, subject to the diocese of Calcutta was established by Letters Patent
. Jonathan Holt Titcomb
, a parish priest in the diocese of Winchester
which had contributed a large sum of money to setting up the diocese, was elected the first Bishop of Rangoon and so appointed on 17 December 1877.
The Bishop was formerly appointed by the monarch
on the advice of the Secretary of State for India
, as part of the Church of England
in Indian Empire and Ceylon. However, in 1927 in response to growing agitation on the part of the bishops in India the British Parliament passed legislation to bring to an end the Church of England's jurisdiction over the church in India. Consequently the Diocese of Rangoon became a major part of the new, autonomous Church of India, Burma and Ceylon. In Burma, the Bishop was permitted to title himself as head of the Church of Burma.
The Bishop continued to assume his duties in Burma after the independence of that country in 1948. However in 1966 the Burmese government forced all Western missionaries to leave, including the then Bishop V.G. Shearburn. His assistant bishop, Francis Ah Mya was appointed Bishop in his place. In 1970 the Church of Burma, hitherto part of the Church of India, Pakistan, Burma and Ceylon (the then-current incarnation of the 1927 creation) became the Anglican Church of the Province of Burma, and the Bishopric of Rangoon was elevated to Archbishop
.
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
responsible for the diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of Rangoon
Diocese of Rangoon
The Diocese of Rangoon was a Church of India, Pakistan, Burma and Ceylon diocese which existed from 1877 to 1970, when it became the province of the Church of the Province of Burma.-History:...
in the province of Calcutta from 1877 to 1970. Beforehand British Burma, then part of the Indian Empire, had come under the guidance of the Bishop of Calcutta
Bishop of Calcutta
The Bishop of Calcutta exercises episcopal leadership over the Diocese of Calcutta of the Church of North India. The diocese was established in 1813 as part of the Church of England and the first bishop was Thomas Fanshawe Middleton and the second Reginald Heber...
, Metropolitan
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. In 1966 the last non-Burmese bishop was evicted by the Burmese authorities and in 1970 the Diocese of Rangoon became the Church of the Province of Burma, and the bishop was elevated to Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
in that church.
Title
He was officially styled The Right Reverend Father in God, (Name), by Divine Providence Lord Bishop of Rangoon, but this full title was rarely used, the majority of the time the bishop being addressed either Bishop or Lord Bishop of Rangoon. In signing his name, the bishop's surname would be replaced by the name of his diocese. Therefore J.O.E. Bloggs would become J.O.E. Rangoon in official correspondence.Pay & residence
In 1884 the pay of the Bishop was the not insubstantial salary of £960 per annum. The official residence of the Bishop was throughout the existence of the diocese Bishop's Court in Rangoon.History
It was decided that the area of Southern Burma, then part of the British Indian Empire required a more substantial ecclesiastical presence than the Bishop of CalcuttaBishop of Calcutta
The Bishop of Calcutta exercises episcopal leadership over the Diocese of Calcutta of the Church of North India. The diocese was established in 1813 as part of the Church of England and the first bishop was Thomas Fanshawe Middleton and the second Reginald Heber...
could provide. For decades the American baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
missionaries and members of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts had been making inroads among the Burmese
Bamar
The Bamar are the dominant ethnic group of Burma , constituting approximately two-thirds of the population. The Bamar live primarily in the Irrawaddy basin, and speak the Burmese language, which is also the official language of Burma. Bamar customs and identity are closely intertwined with general...
and Karenni
Karenni
Red Karen also known as Karenni, is a subgroup of the Karen people, a Sino-Tibetan people living mostly in Kayah State of Burma....
peoples, and therefore in 1877 the diocese of Rangoon, subject to the diocese of Calcutta was established by Letters Patent
Letters patent
Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
. Jonathan Holt Titcomb
Jonathan Holt Titcomb
Jonathan Holt Titcomb was an English clergyman, and the first Anglican bishop of Rangoon.-Education:Jonathan Holt Titcomb was born in London on 29 July, 1819, and educated at Brompton in 1826, and at Clapham from 1827 to 1830. In 1831, he moved to King's College School, from where he went in 1834...
, a parish priest in the diocese of Winchester
Diocese of Winchester
The Diocese of Winchester forms part of the Province of Canterbury of the Church of England.Founded in 676, it is one of the oldest and largest of the dioceses in England.The area of the diocese incorporates:...
which had contributed a large sum of money to setting up the diocese, was elected the first Bishop of Rangoon and so appointed on 17 December 1877.
The Bishop was formerly appointed by the monarch
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
on the advice of the Secretary of State for India
Secretary of State for India
The Secretary of State for India, or India Secretary, was the British Cabinet minister responsible for the government of India and the political head of the India Office...
, as part of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
in Indian Empire and Ceylon. However, in 1927 in response to growing agitation on the part of the bishops in India the British Parliament passed legislation to bring to an end the Church of England's jurisdiction over the church in India. Consequently the Diocese of Rangoon became a major part of the new, autonomous Church of India, Burma and Ceylon. In Burma, the Bishop was permitted to title himself as head of the Church of Burma.
The Bishop continued to assume his duties in Burma after the independence of that country in 1948. However in 1966 the Burmese government forced all Western missionaries to leave, including the then Bishop V.G. Shearburn. His assistant bishop, Francis Ah Mya was appointed Bishop in his place. In 1970 the Church of Burma, hitherto part of the Church of India, Pakistan, Burma and Ceylon (the then-current incarnation of the 1927 creation) became the Anglican Church of the Province of Burma, and the Bishopric of Rangoon was elevated to Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
.