Barnabas Dejen Mondal

Barnabas Dejen Mondal (19 September 1937 - 29 June 2019. Bangla: বার্ণবা দ্বিজেন মন্ডল) was a Bangladeshi Archbishop.  He was the first bishop, the first moderator of the synod, the first Archbishop of Church of Bangladesh Archdiocese of Dhaka and “The National Bishop" of the Church of Bangladesh. Mondal was seen by many as one of the greatest and most influential  Anglican bishop and Christian clergy in Bangladesh.  Mondal was the longest serving bishop in Bangladesh. He had served for almost 30 years. He was one of the people that started the economic movement in Bangladesh.

Early Life
Mondal's father was Johon Mondal. His mother was Komola Mondal. He was the second oldest of thirteen siblings. He completed his schooling from a baptist school. He then completed his college from Government Brojomohun  College, Barishal. For higher studies, he went Bishop's College Kolkata.

Priest and Bishop Life
Mondal was a talented priest. From childhood, he wants to do something for Jesus. In the early 1950s, he joined the seminary. He was made a deacon in 1964. In 1965, he became a priest of Oxford Mission Church.

Mondal was ordained as a priest in the Anglican Church in East Pakistan in 1964. He was consecrated as the first national bishop of the Church of Bangladesh on 16 February 1975. The Church of Bangladesh came into being after Bangladesh became an independent  country in 1971. He became the Bishop in early 1975. Mondal was the Bishop of Dhaka diocese and Moderator of the Church of Bangladesh for almost three decades, Mondal’s contributions in laying foundations for the present structure of a united church in the country have been widely recognised. In particular, Bishop Mondal consistently encouraged more active participation of the lay leaders in the congregations of the Church of Bangladesh.

Influences
Mondal actively participated in the Asian and Bangladesh ecumenical movement in various capacities. He served on various committees of the East Asia Christian Conference (EACC), the forerunner of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) in the 1960s and 1970s. He as pionneer of National Bible Society, CCDB

Recognition
In all Bangladesh among Catholic and Protestant, he was a key figure. The Recognition Title was: Servant of God.

Death

Mondal died in a hospital in the capital, Dhaka, June 29 at the age of 82. More than ten thousand Christian of all Denomination gathered to say good bye to him in the name of Jesus Christ

References



Category:1937 births
Category:2019 deaths
Category:People from Dhaka
Category:Archbishops