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History of Christ Church Bangkok

Background

Foreign Christians have been free to worship in Thailand for nearly five hundred years. The first to do so were Portuguese traders who settled outside Ayutthaya early in the 16th century. The remains of three Roman Catholic churches and a graveyard can still be seen.

Ayutthaya was destroyed in 1767, and it was ninety years before Westerners began to settle in Thailand again, welcomed by King Mongkut (1851-1868). Protestant and Roman Catholic missionaries came and worked without hindrance amongst the Thai and Chinese communities. They built hospitals and schools, many of which are still flourishing. There are also many fine Roman Catholic churches. But there was no equivalent Protestant church, though there was a Protestant Cemetery (1853) which is still in use.

The Church began at a site by the river

3 June 1861	Meeting of non-Roman Catholic Christians held at the British Consulate: Protestant Church Committee formed.	East Window of Chapel
26 July 1861	King Mongkut granted land by the river to the Community of foreigners of Protestant Christian faith.
1 May 1864	The Protestant Union Chapel (also called “The English Church”) opened for worship. The preacher at the opening service was the Rev.S.Mattoon of the American Presbyterian Mission.
April 1894	Canon William Greenstock came as Chaplain, supported by SPG (Society for the Propagation of the Gospel).
16 February 1896	First confirmation in the chapel. It was conducted by Bishop George Hose, Bishop of Singapore Labuan & Sarawak.
7 April 1904	King Chulalongkorn granted permission to sell the river site and gave land off North Sathorn Road.

*Clergy, River Site*
*1864-1892*	*American missionaries*
*1894-1900*	*W.G.Greenstock (Chaplain)*
*1900-1901*	*American Presbyterian missionaries*
*1901-1902*	*W.H.Robins (Chaplain)*
*1902-1903*	*American Presbyterian missionaries*
*1903-1905*	*H.de Courcy Blakeney (Chaplain)*

Christ Church was built on land granted to the Protestant community by King Chulalongkorn Rama V

30 April 1905	Church building dedicated. The service was conducted by the Rev. H. de Courcy Blakeney (chaplain), Canon W.Greenstock (SPG) and the Rev. J.Carrington (American Bible Society).
September 1905	Font arrived.
19 November 1905	Pipe organ dedicated.
1907	Clergy stalls and chancel screen provided.
1913	First ceiling fans installed.

Christ Church

East windows

Armchair seating

Ceiling fan

4 November – 2 December 1917	Severe flooding: services were held at the British Legation instead of at Christ Church.
December 1918	Land between the church building and BNH purchased.
1928	Celebration of a century of Protestant missions in Thailand.
23 July 1937	British Government’s representative no longer to be ex-officio chairman of the Church Committee.
1941	The Chaplain was interned in a military camp during World War II and the Church’s affairs were looked after by the Scandinavian community.
1946	Church Services were resumed upon cessation of hostilities.
1948	The Church began to take full responsibility for financing all of its own affairs.
1 May 1955	Jubilee celebrations.
1956	Services began to be taken in Saigon, Phnom Penh and Vientiane as circumstances demanded.

*Chaplains,* *Christ* *Church*
*1905-1907*	*H.de Courcy Blakeney*	*1941-1945*	*Chaplain interned-Second World War*
*1908-1920*	*Dr.H.J.Hillyard*	*1945-1946*	*British Army Chaplains*
*1920-1921*	*C.R.Simmons*	*1946-1951*	*C.G.Eagling*
*1921*	*F.Dowland Ryan*	*1951-1955*	*W.H.Fowke*
*1922-1932*	*C.R.Simmons*	*1955-1958*	*J.L.Gilmour*
*1932-1935*	*E.Edwards*	*1958-1962*	*E.J.Pulman*
*1935-1940*	*C.W.Norwood*	*1962-1963*	*Interregnum-Diocesan Clergy*
*1940-1941*	*C.G.Eagling*

Christ Church, 1963-

1963	The Revd J.E.Ironside inducted as Vicar. This saw the end of 70 years of chaplaincies.
1969	New Vicarage built.
13 February 1972	H.M. Queen Elizabeth II accompanied by H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh and H.R.H. The Princess Anne attended divine service.
1976	Memorial Chapel and Garden of Remembrance were dedicated.
1982	Outreach to Karen displaced persons began.
1991	Thai-language ministry organised by the Revd Gerry (Gerald) Khoo and his wife, Dorothy.
1991	Stained glass windows installed high up on north and south walls of church.
1994	Anglican Church in Thailand registered with Evangelical Fellowship of Thailand.
1993-4	Air-conditioning installed.

Chapel and Vicarage

Garden of Remembrance

Rainbowland

Li Hall

1996	Christ Church Banchang established.
1998	Rainbowland Child Development Centre opened on the ground floor of the Old Vicarage.
1999	A new wall, gates and a car park built.
1999	Christ Church Sawang Daendin established.
November 2001	The Li Hall (parish hall) was dedicated.
26 December 2004	Tsunami: Christ Church was quick to respond.
Statement of vision and core values produced by the 2005/6 Parish Church Council "Christ Church Bangkok strives to be a vibrant, growing, welcoming, Bible-based, prayerful community which worships the risen Jesus Christ, and demonstrates Christ's love." We are committed to the authority and accuracy of Scripture as the ultimate voice of God, who defines our faith and life together: · We express our love for God in worship and in prayer; · We are a Bible-based, prayerful community, equipping God's servants to apply God's Word and will in practical ways; · We come to worship God: we know He is present, we hear Him speak. We reach out to each other and to the community: · We express our love for our neighbours by caring for them and helping them to know and experience God's love through Jesus Christ; · We are committed to share God's love by serving Thailand and its people; · We are a caring community. Each person is valued and by God's Word we seek to build each other up in Christ.
30 April 2005	Centenary Celebration of the church building on Convent/North Sathorn Road.
August 2005	Installation of bell (made 1955).
29 April 2007	Dedication of Sala in memory of Archdeacon Gerald (Gerry) Khoo.

*Vicars,* *Christ* *Church*
*1963-1966*	*J.E.Ironside*	*1986-1995*	*Canon Dr.Monty Morris*
*1966-1971*	*D. N.Bowers*	*1995-1997*	*Bruce McNab*
*1971-1973*	*P.D.Kingston*	*1998-2004*	*Stephen Gabbott*
*1973-1981*	*Canon John Taylor, O.B.E.*	*2004-2005*	*Andrew Dircks*
*1982-1984*	*Ian Bull*	*2005-2006*	*Stephen Gabbott (Interim Vicar)*
*1984-1986*	*Interregnum-John Morrett (Acting Vicar)*	*2006-*	*Peter Cook*

Bibliography

Christ Church, “A Prayer Book for Thailand”, Christ Church Bangkok, 1989

Peter Norman (ed.), "Spiritual Oasis", Christ Church Bangkok, 1994

Members of the congregations of Christ Church Bangkok, past and present, "A Century of Fellowship", Christ Church Bangkok, 2005