CleanupBot II at 20:47, 13 August 2023

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{{Use Indian English|date=September 2017}}

{{Infobox church
| name = Christ Church, Salem
| fullname = CSI Christ Church, Salem
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| coordinates = {{coord|11.6558571|78.1554634|region:IND|format=dms|display=title}}
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| location = Fort Road, Near Collectorate, [[Salem, Tamil Nadu|Salem]]
| country = [[India]]
| denomination = [[Church of South India]]
| tradition = [[Anglican]]
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| consecrated date = 1875
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| style = [[Indo-Saracenic]]
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| groundbreaking = 1871
| completed date = 1875
| construction cost = BINR 15000
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| diocese = [[Diocese of Coimbatore of the Church of South India|Coimbatore Diocese]]
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'''Christ Church''' is located on Fort Road, near the District Collectorate, in the heart of [[Salem, Tamil Nadu|Salem]] City, [[Tamil Nadu]], India. The church has been serving the community for the last 140 years, since its consecration in 1875. The church services at Christ Church are conducted both in [[English language|English]] and [[Tamil language|Tamil]]. The church was designed by architect [[Robert Fellowes Chisholm]], who was a pioneer of the [[Indo-Saracenic]] architecture, and also designed the [[Senate House (University of Madras)|Senate House]] buildings of the [[University of Madras]] and the [[Presidency College, Chennai|Madras Presidency College]]<ref name=Hindu-2014>{{cite news|last1=Saravanan|first1=S P|title=Christ Church celebrates 140 years of service in Salem|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/christ-church-celebrates-140-years-of-service-in-salem/article6667276.ece|accessdate=14 August 2015|issue=Salem|publisher=The Hindu|date=6 December 2014}}</ref>

==History==
The early history of Christ Church is recorded by Rev. Frank Penny, LL.M, in his book, ''The Church in Madras : being the History of the Ecclesiastical and Missionary Action of the East India Company in the Presidency of Madras From 1835 to 1861: Volume III''(p. 294-296).<ref name=Penny>{{cite book|last1=Penny|first1=Frank|title=The Church in Madras : being the History of the Ecclesiastical and Missionary Action of the East India Company in the Presidency of Madras From 1835 to 1861: Volume III|date=1922|publisher=John Murray|location=London|page=[https://archive.org/details/churchinmadrasbe03penn/page/98 98]|url=https://archive.org/details/churchinmadrasbe03penn|accessdate=14 August 2015}}</ref>

There was a small [[Church of England]] chapel at the [[Yercaud]] Hills, with a resident clergyman, who visited Salem once a month. In Salem itself, there existed a small chapel of the [[London Missionary Society]], which was used by the Christian congregation in Salem. For nearly 60 years of the 19th century, there was perfect understanding between the missionaries of the London Missionary Society (LMS) and the officials of the [[East India Company]], and the chapel was freely available to conduct the services of the [[Church of England]] for the officers of the company.<ref name=Penny />

===Church Building Committee===
In the 1860s there was developed some misunderstanding between the LMS missionaries and the Church of England congregation, hence a need felt for constructing a separate church a Salem for the European, Anglo-Indian and native Tamil population. For this purpose a committee was formed in 1866, with H Gomez as honorary secretary, to collect funds for building a new [[Church of England]] church in Salem. The church was intended for conducting both English and Tamil services.<ref name=Church>{{cite web|title=Few Words About Christ Church|url=http://christchurchslm.in/about.php|website=Christ Church, Salem|accessdate=14 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304065716/http://christchurchslm.in/about.php|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Some of the main contributors for building the church were
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
* C N Pochin, Dist. Collector Rs. 1210
* Rev. D G Clarke Rs. 100
* The Bishop of Madras Rs. 150
* H Boalth Rs. 50
* MacFarlane Rs. 100
* R Fischer Rs. 300
* Gomez Rs. 200
* Moses Pillai Rs. 60
* F R Price Rs. 100
* Middleton Rs. 50
* C Pritchard Rs. 50
* J C Hanyngton Rs. 500
* R K Puckle Rs. 50
* Devasagaiyam Rs. 200
* C T Longley Rs. 400
* H Austin Rs. 50
* J Longley Rs. 50
* M/s Wilson & Co. Rs. 100
{{div col end}}

The total amount collected, along with other miscellaneous contributions was Rs. 3800.<ref name=Penny />

===Cost Estimates===
The building cost of the church was estimated to be Rs. 9127, as estimated by the Consulting Architect of the Government of [[Madras Presidency|Madras]]. Further, a sum of Rs. 1500 was contributed by the Church Building Society. The rest of the funds amounting to Rs. 4512 (including Rs. 1897) was granted by the Government of Madras.<ref name=Church /><ref name=Penny />

===Site===
The site chosen for the site, belonged to Mrs. Thomas Foulkes, sister of Mr. Robert Fischer, and originally had a club house building. Mrs. Foulkes agreed to swap her land, even though it involved some loss for her, and the club house was brought down, and the church was constructed.<ref name=Penny />

===Construction===
The foundation stone of the church was laid on by Rev. D G Clarke on 16 September 1871. The lectern, furniture and fittings were donated by Mrs. Foulkes, in memory of her daughter who died in 1870. The Eastern window and the reredos was donated by James Fischer, in memory of his wife who had died in 1861. The Western Circular window was raised in memory of E F Elliot. The church bell was given by the Government of Madras. When finished the total cost of construction was Rs. 15000. After construction, the church interior length was 68 ft., and the nave was 47x22 ft2. The church was consecrated on 26 October 1875, by the Bishop of Madras,<ref name=Penny /> the [[Frederick Gell|Right Reverend Frederick Gell]].<ref name=Hindu-2014 />

==Administration==
The Christ Church was vested with the [[British Crown]], and the maintenance looked after by the Government of [[Madras Presidency|Madras]]. The Incumbent, [[Yercaud]], was in-charge of Christ Church, with both Salem and Yercaud being administered by the Chaplain of the [[Indian Ecclesiastical Establishment]] from [[Coimbatore]].

==Tamil Services==
The priests of the [[USPG|Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts (SPG)]], conducted the services in Tamil for the native congregation. In the 1920s, the Railway Colony was developed in the Salem Junction, and native Tamil congregation started meeting at the London Mission chapel, near the railway station. However, once the Railway Colony moved to [[Erode]], the Tamil services were resumed at the Christ Church<ref name=Church />

==Transfer to CSI==
After [[Partition of India|Indian Independence]], the [[Government of India]], transferred the ownership of all Government churches to the Indian Church Trustees, [[Calcutta]], as the absolute owners of all such Church properties in India. However, maintenance of the church is the responsibility of the local Diocese. Following formation of the [[Church of South India]] in September 1947, the Christ Church, came under the Diocese of Mysore. In 1950, the church was transferred to the newly formed [[Diocese of Coimbatore of the Church of South India|Coimbatore Diocese]]. In 1963, the ownership of the churches held by the Indian Church Trustees, [[Calcutta]], was transferred to Church of South India Trust Association. The chapel of the [[London Missionary Society]] also came under the control of the [[Church of South India]]<ref name=Church />

==Church Bell==
The original church bell was given by the Government of [[Madras Presidency|Madras]],<ref name=Penny /> mounted in the bell tower is no longer used. A new bell, cast in 1982, and attached steeple of the belfry tower is now being used.<ref name=Hindu-2014 />

==Vintage Gallery==
<gallery widths="300px" heights="200px" class="center">
File:Native Girls' Sunday School, Salem (p.75, 1890) - Copy.jpg|Native Girls' Sunday School, Salem (p. 75, 1890), London Missionary Society<ref name=LMS>{{cite journal|title=Native Girls' Sunday School, Salem|journal=Chronicles of the London Missionary Society|date=1890|url=https://archive.org/details/chroniclelondon00unkngoog|accessdate=2 November 2015}}</ref>
File:Christ Church, Salem (1922), by Rev. Frank Penny's Book 'The Church in Madras - Vol. III'.jpg|Christ Church, Salem (1922), by Rev. Frank Penny's Book 'The Church in Madras - Vol. III'<ref name=Penny />
</gallery>

==Memorial Inscriptions and Cemetery==
The church has several memorial inscriptions, one being that for Major. Hodges of the [[Chennai Metropolitan Police|Madras Police]] died in 1878. In the cemetery lie buried Robert Morris (died 1757), Charles Carpenter (died 1818), brother-in-law of [[Walter Scott|Sir. Walter Scott]], and members of the Fischer family who were the [[Zamindar]]s in the [[Salem District]] since 1833 (the only European Zamindari in the [[Madras Presidency]]).<ref name=Penny /><ref name=Church />

==Present Times==
At present, the Christ Church, also has a Parish Hall, Parsonage, Zion Hall, and three cemeteries. The 220-year-old Anglican Cemetery of Salem is also administered by this church. Recently, some renovations were undertaken, before its 140th anniversary. The church has some fourth and fifth generation members.<ref name=Hindu-2014 />

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Christ Church, Salem}}
[[Category:Church of South India church buildings in India]]
[[Category:Presbyterianism in India]]
[[Category:Religion in the British Empire]]
[[Category:19th-century Anglican church buildings]]
[[Category:Churches in Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Salem, Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:1875 establishments in India]]

Christ Church Salem - Revision history

CleanupBot II at 20:47, 13 August 2023