In accordance with the Mandate given by the Synod of Church of South India in Jan. 1970 and in consonance with the “Scheme of Division” of the former Mysore Diocese, the Karnataka Northern Diocese has emerged as one of the three dioceses of the C.S.I. in Karnataka on 1st May 1971. The churches belonging to different traditions namely Basel Evangelical Mission, London Mission, Wesleyan Methodist Mission, SPG Mission came under the umbrella of Karnataka Northern Diocese.
The Karnataka Northern diocese encompasses eleven revenue Districts of Karnakaka namely: Dharwad, Bellary, Bijapur, Chitradurga, Shivmogga, Haveri, Gadag, Koppal, Bagalkot, Davanagere, parts of Uttara Kannada and a few areas of Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh.
The whole region has a wide variety of landscapes - mountain terrain on the one hand the extensively dry land on the other. The rivers like Tungabhadra , Kali, Bhima, and other rivers have become life sustaining ones for these districts. This region is largely covered with rich black cotton soil . Hinduism is the major religion ; Islam is a minority. Christianity constitutes a miniscule minority faith. Kannada being the major language spoken, besides Telugu, Tamil, Urdu and Malayalam. Ragi, jowar, rice sugarcane, coconut, groundnuts and cotton are the major crops grown here. Iron ore and manganese are available in large quantities.
For the smooth functioning and administration of the diocese, it is divided into four areas namely - Bellary Area, Shimoga Area, North Karnataka Anglican Area, and North Karnataka Area- and each area has its own Area Chairman elected for two years.