(As this is only a draft version of church history, the congregation members and other friends of Mangalapuram pastorate are requested to provide information about the pastorate, individual members and the various events to the Pastor so that this version will be updated. The viewers are also requested to send old photographs and other relevant materials for posting in the website)

 

The Lutheran congregation members living in the villages belonging to Tiruvallur, Pandur and Ramanjeri pastorates such as Anaipakkam, Sendrampalayam, Kannan Kaarani, Mudur, Tirupakkam, Allikuzhi, Placepalayam, Kanagavallipuram, Kaivandur and  Pattaraiperumpudur have migrated from these places to Madras to work in different capacities when the Buckingham and Carnatic Mills, popularly known as B & C Mills, were established by Binny and Co in the city of Madras, India. Messrs Binny & Co were one of the biggest private enterprises in the then city of Madras to set up a textile mill of its own in the wedge between Perambur, Vepery and Basin Bridge. The Binny company was registered on August 17, 1876 and started functioning from January 1878.  The Carnatic Mills were founded on June 30, 1881. The two companies were merged in 1920. Binny also started the Bangalore Woollen, Cotton and Silk Mills in 1884. The mills functioned successfully till the 1970s when rot set in until they were closed down in 1996.

 

The Leipzig Evangelical Lutheran missionaries such as Rev.Heller used to send letters of recommendation to the authorities of these mills and thus number of village Lutherans began to migrate from villages. As the companies could not provide them places to stay, these people began to find new places mostly in Government Puramboke lands in the vicinity of these mills. Thus, new townships and settlements of basic workers began to emerge within the city limits. When series of villagers began to come to Madras, the first generation of settlers in Madras city who lived in very small houses with great difficulties began to provide basic needs to all new comers in their initial stages of living in Madras and help them to get settled. At one point of time, when nearly 15,000 labourers were working in these mills, the village Lutherans began to emerge as a significant homogeneous ethnic group. Along with them people hailing from different walks of life also began to serve in these mills in different units. Though these people encountered various difficulties for their livelihood, food, clothing, sanitation, health issues and educational demands of their children neither the administrators of entire Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church nor the two city Lutheran congregations such as The Lutheran Adaikalanathar church in Tana Street and the Morning Star Lutheran church in Washermenpet, Royapuram have lent their hands to them to come up socially.

 

Yet, the faithful Lutheran families living in Ottery – Pulianthoppu – Mangalapuram – Jamalia Nagar – Perambur region and in other parts of Madras began to go to these churches week after week for worship encountering various hardships. Despite their sincerity and faithfulness to Lutheran faith, because of their economic, educational and social standards they were not actually owned by the congregations. Even while worshipping, these village Lutherans were also struggling as they could not feel at home with the worshippers and the worship patterns of these congregations because the village worship services used to be entirely different and very "lively" with the singing of Lyrics mostly and with the playing of native instruments. In the villages they used to worship with much jubilation and in indigenous manner. Therefore, such services used to be celebrations as they used to worship with their own kith and kin. On the contrary, in the city congregations they were forced to worship along with people of different castes, who were educated and who hailed from higher social standards. Apart from these, singing mostly Lutheran Hymns with pipe organs and violins used to occupy the central part of worship. In addition to these, most of the villages were not allowed to pay church fund and become eligible members of the congregations. Therefore, even after being worshippers for nearly three to four decades they did not feel part of the congregation. In the subsequent periods, though three more churches such as Christ Church in Tambaram, the Lutheran Arulnathar church in Harleys Road, the Bethlehem  church in Ambattur and the World Saviour Church in Tiruvallur were built, they did not play vital role in characterizing the conditions of migrated village Lutherans who were living in Madras.

 

Yet, even from the period of Bishop Sandagren, the lay Lutheran leaders living in this region who were working in B & C Mills have started prayer fellowships in their houses and also Sunday schools. At one point of time, there were 500 children involved in street preaching ministry and in tracts distribution. Though Bishop Sandagren who was known for his ecumenical contacts encouraged and provided few helps to these people groups, it was Rev.Masillamani Durairaj, a veteran pastor who had initiated official divine services in such neglected areas. Therefore, when he became the pastor of Lutheran Arulnathar Church at Kilpauk, with the burden for such people groups living in Mangalapuram and Ambattur,  he began to officially send young evangelists like Mr.D.Arputharaj of Villiwakkam (who was later ordained as Honourary Pastor), Mr.Deva Anbu of Purasawalkam and Mr.Danasingh of Mangalapuram to conduct weekly divine services. During his personal visits once in month, he began to conduct Holy communion services. He also encouraged the people to buy a land for building a church. Then, in 1981 when Rev.G.Selvaraj was pastor of Kilpauk pastorate, a land was bought and with the financial assistance rendered by St.John's Lutheran church, Braunschweig, West Germany, foundation stone was laid on 18.1.1981 for the old church.  But, even prior to that in 1960s divine services used to take place in the shed that was erected in the small piece of land of Mr.Appadurai. In 1970s the divine services used to take place in the house of Mr.Danasingh.

 

Then, in 1985, Mangalapuram was bifurcated from Kilpauk and was declared as a new pastorate by Rt.Rev.Dr.Jayaseelan Jacob, Bishop of Tranquebar/ President, TELC and by Mr.R. Athistam Pichai Pillai, Secretary, CC, TELC. Since then, the following have served in this pastorate as pastors.

 

Rev.G.Muller Selvaraj (1985 – 1990)

Rev.D.E.S.Arulchandran (1990 – 1991)

Rev.N.Sundarasekaran (1991 – 1997)

Rev.J.Paul Sathiamoorthy (1997 – 1999)

Rev.U.Paul Sezhiyan (1999 – 2001)

Rev.Henry Jesudoss (2001 – 2002)

Rev .M.Jagadeesh Ratnakumar (2001 – 2008) and

Rev.Dr.S.Rajendran (2008 – 2013) 

 

During the periods of Rev.Henry Jesudoss, Rev.M.Jagadeesh Ratnakumar and Rev.Dr.S.Rajendran the compound wall, the Ziegenbalg Parish Hall, the parsonage and the new Bethel church were built with the generous gifts of congregation members, well wishers and many philanthropists.

 

Presently, Rev.J.G.Jacob Sundarsingh is serving as pastor and Chairman of Pastor and Chairman of Pastor Executive Committee of Mangalapuram pastorate. Around 200 families living in the four streets of Mangalapuram, Hyder Garden, near B &C Mills gate, ESI Housing Board, Sasthri Nagar, Ottery, Samiyar Madam, Semathamman Colony, Adisheshan Nagar, Jamalia Nagar, Perambur, P & T Housing Board, Battimedu, Periyar Nagar, Jawahar Nagar, Balaji Nagar, Poompuhar, Thanihachalam Nagar, Kumaran Nagar, Agaram, Kolathur, Vinayagapuram, Teachers' Colony, Lakshmipuram, Rettery, Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, Moolakadai, Gollan thottam, Vyasarpadi, Kannigapuram, Mahakavi Bharathi Nagar, GKM Colony, Madhavaram and Ayanavaram are worshipping here.