Though the Sunday Mass was begun initially in accordance with the Wesleyan Methodist traditions since the beginnings in 1881,[2] it now follows the Church of South India liturgy as the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society (WMMS), the co-founders[2] of the church, had unionized[9] itself into the Church of South India that was formed on 27 September 1947[9] at CSI–St. George's Cathedral, Chennai. Wesleyan Methodists form a substantial majority of the parishioners of the Diocese of Medak,[10] whereas Anglicans form a very small minority; together they regard Medak Cathedral as theirs and look to their bishop for divine leadership.
Renovation and rededication
Renovation
Since the edifice had been standing for more than 150 years, efforts were initiated in 2013[11] during the then Presbyter-in-charge Pastor, The Reverend S. P. Vidyasagar[11] to raise awareness about the aging rafters and garner majority opinion from the members of the church who stood for restoration of the church in lieu of demolition and reconstruction of a new edifice. The Pastorate Secretary Mr. D. Sudesh Kumar, inspired[11] the church to raise contributions in order to restore the edifice and willing members then responded by making significant contributions to take up the restoration works at a cost of Indian Rupees 10 million (1 crore),[1] entrusting the work to a Tamil Nadu restoration architect M/s. APTSORBH, Mr. Rajan Proprietor.[1]
Rededication
After the efforts put in by the Pastorate Committee for nearly two years, the newly restored edifice was rededicated on 21 December 2014 by The Most Reverend G. Dyvasirvadam who by then had become Moderator of the Church of South India Synod which was directly overseeing the ecclesiastical affairs of the Diocese of Medak. The Congregation recognizes the Initiative by Rev. S.P. Vidyasagar and the pastorate Committee led by Mr. D. Sudesh Kumar. Rev. S.P. Vidyasagar who retired in 2014 and subsequently Rev. Jyothy was posted at CSI Garrison Wesley Church, the Rededication Mass was witnessed by the entire Congregation with a procession in the Lalbazaar area in the presence of then Vice Chairman, Rev. A. C. Solomon Raj, who is now the Bishop in Medak.
Recognition
In 2015,[3] the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage awarded its Heritage Award to six[4] establishments, one of which was the CSI-Garrison Wesley Church, recognizing the efforts put in for renovating and restoring the church.[3]
History
The Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society set foot in the erstwhile Hyderabad State in 1878,[2] the missionaries led by Henry Little, William Burgess and the Indian Evangelist Benjamin Wesley[2] who pioneered the spread of the Gospel and helped in establishing of churches in areas northward of Hyderabad winning of new converts to the fold of Christianity.
While this was so, the British Indian Army had stationed itself in Secunderabad by 1798[12] itself and there were already Christians of British origin[13] and among them were Wesleyan Methodists who had already begun worshiping following the Wesleyan Methodists traditions and it was the military troops[2] who were led by a Presbyter had laid a cornerstone of the church in 1853.[1]
Clergy
Present
The present pastor is D. Prasanna Kumar,[6] CSI who has been designated as the Presbyter-in-Charge of the CSI-Garrison Wesley Church.
^ abManohar Samuel, Christianity in S. Muthiah (Edited), Madras, Chennai: A 400-year Record of the First City of Modern India, Volume 1, Palaniappa Brothers, Madras, 2008, pp.160-184. [4]
^Clifford P. Morehouse, "Delegation visits native parish services during tour of CSI" in The Living Church, Volume 133, Number 2, 1956, pp. 13-14.[5]
^ abcWords of Life, Community Bible Newsletter of the CSI-Garrison Wesley Church, Volume 1, by Mr. D. Sudesh Kumar, Hon. Secretary in January 2013, p.1.
^Kalpana Markandey, Geeta Reddy Anant (Edited), Urban Growth Theories and Settlement Systems of India, Concept Publishing, New Delhi, 2011, p.98.[6]
