About Us

We warmly welcome you into the fellowship of CSI Christ Church, Kodukulanji. Even though this is a typical village parish it has made a positive impact in the socio-economic life of the area and has made valuable contributions to the life of the larger human community. Since its very inception the church has been a centre of evangelistic activities in the area. The church’s school, known today as the CMS Upper Primary School, founded in 1842 has influenced the life of the community and has made a valuable contribution to the development of its people.

Many of the local institutions like the local YMCA, cooperative society  bank,  and hospitals started on the initiative of the church and are among the great contributions this parish has made to the community at large. Moreover it has contributed many men and women of stature to serve the church and the community both on the national and international level. The church has also played the role of the Good Samaritan by running to the aid of the sick and the needy, the poor and the homeless regardless of their religious or caste backgrounds.

HISTORY

CSI Christ Church, Kodukulanji, has a long and chequered history. In the olden days, Kodukulanji was a quite remote and underdeveloped village lacking good roads and proper means of transportation. The overwhelming majority of the population were farmers. Most of them were Hindus. Local rajahs were the rulers. The few Christians in the area belonged to the Syrian Orthodox fold. But there were no churches in the vicinity. There was no pastoral care. In those days ( when epidemics like small pox posed real threat to life ) when a Christian died the dead body had to be carried all the way to the Pazhaya Suriyani, Pally Valiiapally, (Great Church) Old Syrian Church, some 10 kilometres away at Chengannur for the funeral rites. Such journeys were nerve-racking and hazardous. So a group of Christians approached the church reformer, Abraham Malpan at Maramon with their grievances and he in turn directed them to contact Joseph Peet, a pioneering CMS missionary, stationed at Mavelikara. Under the patronage and direction of the missionary, a place of worship was opened in Kodukulanji in a thatched shed in the year 1842. That is how the Kodukulanji church came into being with only 8 Christian families. But, in due course, more Christian families joined the church from surrounding areas like Pennukara, Cheriyanad, Cheruvalloor, Kozhuvaloor, and Kollakadavu, and continued their worship under the auspices of the Church Missionary Society.

Since its very inception the church has been a centre of evangelistic activities in the area. The church’s school, known today as the CMS Upper Primary, founded in 1842 has influenced the life of the community and has made a valuable contribution to the development of its people.

Many of the local institutions like the local YMCA, Co- operative Society Bank, hospital and Christ Church Vidyapith, started on the initiative of the church and are among the great contributions this parish has made to the community at large.

Moreover it has contributed many men and women of stature to serve the church and the community both on the national and international level. The church has also played the role of the Good Samaritan by running to the aid of the sick and the needy, the poor and the homeless regardless of their religious or caste backgrounds. Now CSI Christ Church has one outstation, St. Paul’s CSI Church, Kuthiravattom, and also a chapel at Cherianad. Once in a time, it had 17 outstations or Associate Parishes in its care, namely Kollakadavu, Cheruvalloore, Kozhuvalloore, Chriyanadu, Karode, Venmoney, Kuthiravattam, Areekara etc.

The wings of the Church like Sunday School, Choir, Youth Movement, Women’s Fellowship and Almaya Fellowship provide the platforms for Church activities, targeting the diffrent segment of the congregation. 18 Area Prayer groups of the Parish, provide an inferface for families to assemble and introspect on Biblical passages so that the lessons learnt offer a protective hedge around members, helping in their spiritual growth.

God’s grace has been guiding CSI Christ Church, Kodukulanji, all along its existence and we are also the beneficiaries of the dedicated and inspiring services of the Vicars and laity who provided the leadership and vision during these years.

Our Parish has a glorious history and it is imperative that we forge ahead on the same path by means of hard work, commitment, and co-operation. May God lead our congregation to greater heights in the years to come.