Our History
The story of the journey of a Prayer Group moving on to a Worship Congregation and then onto a full fledged Church, the St. James CSI Malayalam Church, is a typical Christian story of Commitment, Prayer and Fortitude. Committed Laymen and Dedicated Clergy over the years have seen the development of a church in the Bangalore East area.
The Bethel Prayer Group was formed in the year 1985 and started functioning with Cottage Prayer and Bible Study. In 1990, with the support of East Parade Church, the group organized a lot of activities including carol rounds. The inauguration of a Worship Service in 1993 at the EMPACS hall in Maruthi Seva Nagar made the fellowship stronger. Several renowned Clergy conducted worship services there, and we are grateful to them for nurturing and strengthening the Fellowship. 1n 1995, the Worship shifted to Hennur Main road. And, in 1996, it shifted to the Prem Prayer Hall, a leased-hall owned by Mr. Rajappa. In the year 1999, with the initiative taken by the East Parade Pastorate committee, a report was submitted to the Karnataka Central Diocese, (KCD) recommending the Fellowship to be recognized as a Congregation. This was placed in the Diocesan Executive Committee meeting and on the basis of enquiries and reports received, on 26th April 1999, and the KCD officially approved the new Congregation and it was brought under the Urban Church Extension of KCD. On 2nd May 1999, the Rt. Rev. S. Vasanthakumar, Bishop of Karnataka Central Diocese, declared the Congregation as St. James CSI Church. Rev. Babu Jacob who was serving in the East Kerala Diocese, was deputed to KCD and was appointed as the first Presbyter of the newly-formed Church. He assumed office on 15th May 1999 and in the same year on 28th August, the first Advisory Committee was formed.
In 2001, Rev. Johnichen was appointed as the new Presbyter and continued till 2003. Rev. K. Sathyanadh then took over the Pastoral duties at the Church in 2003 and he continued till 2008. In 2008, Rev. John Joseph came in on deputation from the North Kerala Diocese and he has mentored and nurtured the Congregation ably in all ways spiritual.
The Spiritual Organizations – Sunday School, Youth Fellowship, Women’s Fellowship, The Church Choir and Fasting Prayers started in 1998. On 15th October 2000, the first Thanksgiving and Harvest Festival was conducted.
It was always a dream of the Parishioners of the St. James Church to have their own independent location to worship as a full-fledged church and to this end; an authorization was received from the Bishop in 2001 to go ahead with a Church Building Project. Over the years, advisory committees worked with zeal and enthusiasm to bring this dream to fruition and things finally took concrete shape in the year 2009. The Congregation was blessed by the generous donation of 5000 sq. ft. of land in Kacherkanahalli by Mr. Sankey Prasad, the current secretary of the Advisory Committee. This magnanimous gesture along with the support from the Moderator and Bishop, The Most Rev. S. Vasanthakumar and the Officers of the Diocesan Executive Committee and under the guidance from Rev. John Joseph saw a massive wave of donations and sponsorships from all the Members of the church.
This unified effort has seen the dream becoming reality and the dedication of the St. James Church building on the 14th of August 2011 was a testimony of the strength of prayers bearing fruit.
Certainly, here is the history of St. James Church, chronicling the leadership changes:
The Early Vision:
The inception of St. James Church dates back to a dream, a vision held dear by its faithful congregation. Through their unwavering unity and dedication, this dream became a reality. The pinnacle of their collective prayers was witnessed on the 14th of August 2011 when the St. James Church building was dedicated, a testament to the strength of their faith bearing fruit.
Rev. V. L. Michael’s Leadership (June 2012 – 2014):
In June 2012, Rev. V. L. Michael, a respected figure from the North Kerala Diocese, assumed leadership of the church. His pastoral guidance and commitment were instrumental during these years. However, in 2014, he concluded his tenure and moved on to other endeavors.
Rev. Aneesh Padikamannil’s Fruitful Ministry (2014 – 2017):
Following Rev. Michael’s departure, Rev. Aneesh Padikamannil, hailing from the Madhya Kerala Diocese, took charge of the congregation in 2014. His ministry was marked by fruitfulness and dedication, leaving an indelible mark on the church community throughout his tenure, which lasted until 2017.
Rev. Aneesh M. Kurian’s Stewardship (2017 – 2022):
In 2017, the leadership baton was passed to Rev. Aneesh M. Kurian, who hailed from the Malabar Diocese. For five years, from 2017 to 2022, Rev. Kurian served the church diligently and with unwavering commitment, providing spiritual guidance and support to the congregation.
Rev. Ebin KP’s Current Leadership (May 2022 – Present):
In May 2022, a new chapter in the history of St. James Church began when Rev. Ebin KP took over as the presbyter. He continues to serve the congregation with dedication and passion, leading the church into its current phase of growth and spiritual development.
The story of the journey of St. James Church will not be complete without expressing gratitude to all the people who worked tirelessly for Church and the greater Glory of God. The journey would not have been complete without the efforts of several Elders and Laymen of the Church, the Advisory Committees and our thanks go to them. The Spiritual guidance by the Clergy has been exemplary over the years and our gratitude goes to the Clergy that nurtured this congregation and worshipped with us. Our Special Gratitude goes to Bishop The Rt. Rev. S. Vasanthakumar who has been a source of support for us since the formation of this Church and especially in the last year when he has stood by us in the Church Building Project.
