Marthandam CSI Church

Marthandam CSI Church, officially known as CSI District Church, Marthandam, is a Church of South India church in Martandam, Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu. The congregation traces its origins to 1836, when the missionary Charles Miller acquired land and established a church at Martandam. The present granite church was begun in 1924 under the supervision of the Scottish missionary Robert Sinclair and was consecrated on 13 May 1933.

The church developed from the Protestant missionary work of the London Missionary Society (LMS) in southern Travancore. It subsequently formed part of the South India United Church and, following the church union of 1947, became part of the Church of South India.

History

The history of the Martandam congregation dates to 1836, when Charles Miller purchased land and established a church there. Further land was later acquired through the work of missionaries including Newport and Rev. James Emlyn. Martandam initially came under the supervision of the LMS mission district at Parassala.

During the later 19th century, James Emlyn developed Martandam as a mission centre. The church was among the congregations proposed for elevation to district-church status, and S. Mathias was subsequently appointed as its first Indian pastor.

The earlier church building was constructed of unburnt brick with a thatched roof and served as a school on weekdays as well as a church on Sundays. As the congregation increased, the building became inadequate.

Robert Sinclair and the present church Robert Sinclair, a Scottish missionary, assumed responsibility for the Martandam mission district in June 1919. He had arrived in India in 1909 after training in Glasgow and Nottingham and had previously served elsewhere in the South Travancore mission.

Sinclair initiated plans for a substantially larger stone church. Architectural drawings were obtained from Scotland, while Sinclair supervised the project locally and worked closely with the builders. The foundation stone was laid by C. G. Marshall on 26 July 1924.

Construction continued through the following years and was supported by contributions from the local congregation, income from the mission's embroidery work and donations from overseas supporters. The completed church was consecrated by Marshall on 13 May 1933.

By the early 20th century the Protestant churches in Travancore that had developed from the work of the LMS had become part of the South India United Church, a union of Congregational and Presbyterian traditions. The South India United Church subsequently joined with Anglican and Methodist churches to form the Church of South India in 1947. Marthandam is now within the CSI Kanyakumari Diocese.

Architecture

The present church is built principally of dressed granite. Its original plans called for a building approximately long, wide and high.

Inside, six polished monolithic stone pillars are arranged in two rows and support arches rising towards the roof. The building was roofed with cement tiles imported from Scotland, while marble was used around the altar.

The tower incorporates a three-faced clock donated by one of Sinclair's Scottish associates. The church bell was also manufactured in Glasgow. Glass used in the building was donated by Dr Ross, a relative of Sinclair, in memory of his wife.

Although Sinclair supervised construction and is closely associated with the design, the surviving account also records that architectural drawings were requested from Scotland. For this reason, attribution of the building to a single architect is uncertain.

Mission and community

The Martandam mission developed alongside a network of educational and social institutions. During Sinclair's period, schools, a teacher-training institution and the mission's embroidery industry operated in the area. Some of the former mission buildings were later transferred to Nesamony Memorial Christian College when it was established in 1964.

A church choir was organised during Sinclair's period, and an organ was later presented to the congregation by a church in Scotland. The church's long association with education in Martandam also reflected the wider role of Protestant missions in the former South Travancore region.

Gallery

Marthandam CSI Church

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