CSI Home Church, Nagercoil

CSI Home Church, Nagercoil
சிஎஸ்ஐ முகப்பு தேவாலயம்,நாகர்கோவில்
CSI Home Church, Nagercoil
8°10′N 77°26′E / 8.17°N 77.43°E
Location	Nagercoil, India
Country	India
Denomination	Church of South India
Previous denomination	London Missionary Society
History
Founded	2-03-1819
Founder(s)	Rev. William Tobias Ringeltaube
Architecture
Status	District Church
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Greek
Architect(s)	Rev. William Tobias Ringeltaube
Architectural type	English Gothic
Groundbreaking	1816
Administration
Diocese	CSI Kanyakumari diocese
Clergy
Bishop(s)	Rev. G. Devakadasham[1]
Senior pastor(s)	Rev.A.R CHELLIAH
Deacon(s)	Mr.I.Gospel Sironmony, Prof James R Daniel, Mr.Adalphus, Mr.J.Diamond, Mr.H.Malaki Thayakumar, Mrs.Josephine Victor,Mr.J.Christopher Dhas, Mr.Lovin Daniel, Mr.Lional Ponniah, Mr.J.Gino Ebenezer, Mr.Phizo Samraj, Mrs.Hepsi Suseela John.

CSI Home Church is one of the largest and oldest churches in Asia.^[2] It is having a rich history of close to 200 years. It was the first Major church in the state of Travancore.^[3] It was built in the year 1819 under the supervision of Rev. William Tobias Ringeltaube an Prussian, who had come to Nagercoil via Madras and Rev Charles Mead.^[4] the land on which the church was built was donated by the then British Travancore Resident, General John Munro, 9th of Teaninich, who had acted as a catalyst between the Missionary and the government of Madras and the Kingdom of Travancore.^[5][6] This helped in the Theological Education for about two Centuries.^[7][8] The church hosted the wedding of Dr. Robert Caldwell, one of the best known Linguistics Scholars in the world in the year 1830. He died in the year 1891, August 28 and was buried in Tirunelveli.^[9]

Architecture

The building imposing Greek style is 140 ft long and 70 ft wide. This is one of the oldest and biggest of the Protestant churches in South India. The edifice can provide accommodation for nearly 2500 people at a time.

Committee members

(2015-2018)Mr.I.Gospel Sironmony,Prof James R Daniel,Mr.Adalphus, Mr.J.Diamond,Mr.H.Malaki Thayakumar, Mrs.Josephine Victor,Mr.J.Christopher Dhas,Mr.Lovin Daniel, Mr.Lional Ponniah,Mr.J.Gino Ebenezer, Mr.Phizo Samraj,Mrs.Hepsi Suseela John

References

2. "Churches tell historical tales"
3. "C.S.I Home Church in Nagercoil"
4. "Rev.Charles Mead was the Father of the South Travancore Mission"
5. "The Christian Advocate, Volume 11"
6. "Evangelical Magazine and Missionary Chronicle, Volume 10"
7. "THE OLD SEMINARY AND TWO CENTURIES OF THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION- by Rev. Dr. B. Varghese "
8. "On The Missionary Trail- By Tom Hiney"
9. "Renovated house of Caldwell inaugurated"