Shillong: The High Court of Meghalaya pushed back a hearing on the Mawkhar Presbyterian Church dispute Friday. Efforts to strike a deal for upcoming baptism and communion services fell flat. The church planned those rites for June 28. Justice Hamarsan Singh Thangkhiew noted the court usually avoids meddling in church administration. Still, he tried to bridge the gap for the sake of the congregation.
Petitioners wanted the Khasi Jaintia Presbyterian Synod Mihngi to run the services. They also fought to overturn a June 19 order from the Deputy Commissioner that blocked that specific group from acting. The Presbyterian Church of India joined the case as a respondent. Counsel for the respondents suggested Rev. E.B. Iawim of Golflink Presbyterian Church take the lead. They called him a neutral party.
The petitioners shot that idea down. They argued the committee picking the pastor belongs to the Khasi Jaintia Presbyterian Synod Sepngi. The Mawkhar church already cut ties with that group. They demanded a pastor from the Presbyterian Church of India instead. The PCI counsel balked at the request. He stated, "The PCI’s constitution prescribes a hierarchical mechanism for resolving disputes and that bypassing the established process would set an unhealthy precedent affecting the administration of Presbyterian churches across the country."
The court found no common ground. It set the next hearing for July 15. All respondents must file their formal affidavits before then.
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