‘Guardian angel’ Church of South India opens doors with first service in Abu Dhabi
A long-awaited church to serve the UAE’s South Indian Protestant community opened its doors for its first service yesterday.
The Church of South India in Abu Dhabi has been called a “dream” for parishioners, whose numbers have grown steadily from 50 in 1979 to more than 5,000 nationwide today.
The expansive winged exterior of the church welcomed a 750-strong congregation at the weekend before sharing its message of tolerance and harmony with people of all faiths.
In Abu Dhabi, Church of South India worshippers met for years at St Andrew’s Church, where weekly prayer sessions were booked.
The new octagonal church is in Abu Mureikha and near the Baps Hindu temple. “The design is a guardian angel theme and shows the protection and love provided by God to all,” Rev Lalji M Philip, the vicar of the Church of South India parish, told The National.
“We stand with the message of the UAE of tolerance to all and, after Sunday, the church will be open to all faiths and religions to pray and visit.”
A soft opening took place on Sunday with a three-hour dedication ceremony and service when vicars of several sister churches took part.
The service was led by Bishop Malayil Sabu Cherian and the prayers began outside the church.
The dedication was followed by a thanksgiving meeting, where members of other faiths including the neighbouring Baps Hindu temple and representatives of Abu Dhabi’s Department of Community Development were invited.
The interior beech wood and stained glass were crafted in workshops in Abu Dhabi.
“Those who visit the church can get a glimpse of the Old and New Testament in the stained glass windows,” Rev Philip said.
“It shows how Jesus is with us in every situation, and how we can face difficult situations with prayer.”
While the community is small in the Emirates, in India it is the biggest church group after the Roman Catholic church.
The parishioners share facilities with other churches, a common arrangement across the UAE.
The Church of South India’s parishioners are mainly from India’s Kerala state and it has worshippers from states such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Construction of the Dh11 million structure took about four years after delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic and infrastructure approvals.
“We are like one big family and we participate in all activities together,” said Joseph Jebu, 68, a founding member who took part in the first 1979 service when people gathered at St Andrew’s Church, which was then on the Corniche.
The finance professional returned to Kerala last year and has come back to Abu Dhabi to be part of the inaugural service.
“It is really a dream come true for us to have this church,” he said.
“This is a place for all of us to be together like a family.”
Land for the church was granted by President Sheikh Mohamed, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.
The church is the second place of worship in the area inaugurated after the Baps Hindu temple opened in February.
“As the name suggests, we are proud to be part of a district where different faiths will meet at one point,” said Rev Philip.
“You have a Christian Protestant church from India and a Hindu temple at the same place – people can experience first-hand the message of the UAE when they visit here.”