Missionary remembered as church turns 150

A special thanksgiving service was held on Sunday to mark 150 years of Anderson Church in Parrys, Chennai.

The Church of South India (CSI) held the service presided by Rev V Devasahayam, in memory of Rev. John Anderson who arrived Madras on February 22, 1837 as the first missionary of the Church of Scotland. The church was built in March 1859, four years after Anderson's death.

During the thanksgiving, Rev J Jacqulin Jothi of the church said: "At this moment we are grateful to John Anderson and remember his yeoman service to the society. He taught us the joy of giving and we pledge to rededicate ourselves to serving society and the downtrodden.''

Rev Anderson is also the founder of prestigious Madras Christian College. It started as the General Assembly's school in a rented house with 59 boys. In 1877 it became the Madras Christian College.

The CSI Anderson Church is listed as a landmark heritage building by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Tamil Nadu chapter, and Chennai Heritage.