St. Thomas (SPG) Cathedral, Secunderabad

St. Thomas' Tamil Cathedral
St. Thomas' Tamil Cathedral
17°26′06″N 78°29′52″E / 17.4349°N 78.4979°E / 17.4349; 78.4979Coordinates: 17°26′06″N 78°29′52″E / 17.4349°N 78.4979°E / 17.4349; 78.4979
Country India
Denomination Secunderabad St. Thomas Mission (Anglican)
Website www.stthomasspgcathedral.org
History
Dedication St Thomas
Administration
Archdeaconry The Anglican Church of India
Diocese Diocese of Secunderabad
Province Secunderabad
Clergy
Bishop(s) Rt. Rev. Dr. Moses Asirvatham
Priest(s) Rev. Johnson Malli
  • Rev. Dr. Dasan Jeyaraj (Hon)
  • Rev. George Cornelius
Deacon(s) Dn. Jones Joseph
Dn. Sugnaraj Joseph
Laity
Organist(s) Mr. Henry Jaganathan

St. Thomas (SPG) Tamil Cathedral is one of the oldest churches in the city of Secunderabad, India. The church was built in the year 1852 by the British missionary society called the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts.[1] The church is a prominent structure situated in close proximity to Secunderabad Railway Station. Secunderabad St. Thomas Mission, owner of St. Thomas' Tamil Cathedral, Secunderabad Managed by St. Thomas' (S.P.G.) Tamil Church Society (Regd No. 2394/1991).

Faith Statement
We believe:

1. In one holy, loving, all-powerful, and gracious Creator God who exists in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

2. That Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. Through His death and resurrection alone we receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

3. That the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to empower us for godly living.

4. That the Holy Bible is God’s infallible Word written in the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments.

5. That the Bible is the inspired Word of God and that it is the unique, all-sufficient, supreme and ultimate authority in all matters of faith and practice.

6. That the Church, both local and universal, is the body and bride of Jesus Christ.

7. That Holy Baptism, for child or adult, is a symbol of the Christian's identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection.

8. That Holy Communion is a time of remembrance of what God has done for us through Jesus Christ and that Those who partake in the Holy Communion should have been confirmed by the church.

9. In the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed as our affirmation of faith.

10. In singing psalms, hymns, lyrics and spiritual songs from our hearts to the Lord.

11. In Mission and Evangelism to carry forward the work, the Triune God began in all aspects of life and society.

12. In the return of Jesus Christ in power and great glory, His final judgment and reward.

Vision & Mission
Our Vision is:

To build worshipping, witnessing and transforming communities, committed towards living for God, loving one another and presenting everyone mature in Jesus Christ.

Our Mission is :

1. To build a worshipping community by providing

A traditional and contemporary mode of worship

A systematic study of the Word of God

Christian education and discipleship to children and youth

Motivation and sponsorship to 10 young people to pursue theological studies and thereafter prepare them for ordination

2.To encourage fellow believers by

Establishing Life Groups in 40 different localities. The Life Group leaders will pay house visits to church members, sick and bereaved in their locality

Enhancing and establishing educational institutions

Organizing Community Development programs – medical assistance, career guidance and care for orphans, widows and aged.

3.To reach the society with the Gospel by

Adding 500 new members to our cathedral

Creating 5 outreach teams for village/slum ministries

Establishing 20 village/slum churches

Adding 2000 new members to our village/slum churches

Sending 10 missionaries dedicated by our church to the village/slum churches

Supporting the village/slum ministries through the SPG Missions Fund.

History

The church was built in 1852. The church possessed extensive lands much of which were bought by the British government of Secunderabad in order to build the existing Secunderabad Railway Station. The church now serves a predominantly Tamil congregation.[2]

Architecture

The church is built in the Gothic Revival style that was popular during the Victorian era. However the exterior of the church is simple with the bell tower abutting the Altar. The layout of the church is a cruciform with a nave and two transepts. The altarpiece of the church is a stained glass window depicting Christ the Good Shepherd.[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ St. Thomas (SPG) Tamil Cathedral, Secunderabad, India. "St. Thomas (SPG) Tamil Cathedral". Thomascathedral.org. Archived from the original on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  2. ↑ "Welcome to St. Thomas' S.P.G. Tamil Cathedral Official Website:::". Stthomasspgcathedral.org. Retrieved 2012-05-17.
  3. ↑ "St. Thomas' (S. P. G.) Tamil Cathedral - CV". Facebook. 2010-07-28. Retrieved 2012-05-17.
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