St Andrews Church (‘The Kirk’ in Scottish) in Chennai has turned 200, for it was on April 6, 1818, the first stone for the building was laid by Rev Dr. John Allan in a simple ceremony. The church building was designed and built by Major Thomas de Havilland with Colonel Caldwell as chief engineer, at a time when a number of Neo-Classical churches were being built in England and Scotland.
As reported by eenaduindia.com, Rev Isaac Johnson, pastor of St. Andrew’s Church remarked that “The faith, belief and passion of the Scottish community at the time inspired them to envision, plan and build a place of worship of this scale and beauty, when the area around it was a flat, open plain.” Further, he added, “It was an audacious effort, and one can only marvel at their dedication and commitment which has left us such a rich legacy. Today, St Andrews is a living church with a vibrant congregation of over 500 families, three worship services on Sundays and many ministries for the welfare and support of the community.”
A thanksgiving service will be held on 6th April, 2018, and a special commemorative booklet would be released, which would highlight the construction of the church, its architecture and other fascinating details.
Source: http://www.eenaduindia.com
