History
WESLEYAN MISSION 1880
Sir Arthur Cotton, an Engineer with the help of two Missionaries (E.E Jenkins & George Fryar) traveled in Telangana and were responsible in starting work in Sironcha in 1863. The Missionaries Henry Little and William Burgess came off from Madras to Secunderabad in 1878. The Indian colleague was Benjamin Wesley and the first Methodist Telugu service was held in Ramkote in December 1879 in the house of one Telugu Layman called Mr. Joseph Cornelius. The Tamil congregation of the Church of Scotland Mission was handed over to them.
The first Church was in Trimulgherry. In 1881. The present Wesley Girls School with its Missionary Bungalow was purchased in 1884. Thus started the work in the present existing Secunderabad Wesley Pastorate. How Rev. William Burgess started the work is described by Rev. Sacket as follows:
“One man is sent to occupy the dominions in the name of the Lord. Burgess stayed in a Dak-Bungallow as there was no ready house for accommodation. He had no Church to receive him. He was a lonely Christian in the midst, of a million inhabitants. He began his work first with British Soldiers. And only by the inspiration given by Mr. Cornelius, he gathered people for Christ. “The first Baptism was administrated by Burgess on the 25 th January 1880 . His first convert was Andrew son of Chakkariah who became the fore-runner of the Lakhs who are today Christians in Medak Diocese”.
Nothing interested Burgess more than the winning of souls for Christ. He worked tirelessly, ceaselessly with determination for our Lord. He rode on Horse-back so unceasingly that we might say the saddle was a second home like founder of Methodism John Wesley. In 1880, a church building rose in Ramkote which was called Wesleyan Mission ‘1880’. The Madras Synod sent Rev. Benjamin P. Wesley to help Burgess. Rev. Benjamin P. Wesley along with Mrs. Burgess set about establishing Educational Institutions. The congregation of Tamils and Telugus used to meet in the Wesley Hall Market Street, Secunderabad. In 1882, Burgess bought the shops of one Bhagyavarapu Bala Krishnamma and another man Narasimha. This was used for building up side rooms for a school. In Hyderabad too, a Church was built in 1883. Rev. Pratt arrived in 1880 and learnt to read Telugu Bible in six weeks. Benjamin P. Wesley was ordained as a Wesleyan Minister in 1882. He comes from Cuddapah and was a well educated man who always stood for the dignity of an Indian. It is said that when he was sent for deputation of England, he never let down India. Once an Englishman thinking of the poverty of the Indians, asked him in what kind of China Plates Indians use to serve to ear our food and throw them away signifying, we Indians use only a leaf plate. He never left his English colleagues to conquered Hyderabad for Christ. These three Burgess, Pratt and Benjamin Wesley used to travel on cart, on Bullock Bandies. They had adventures with wild beasts. Pratt surveyed Karimnagar area and started the Headquarters there. Then the District Headquarters was Ellagandala eight miles away from Karimnagar. Benjamin Wesley made Siddipet his Headquarters. The Hyderabad and Secunderabad cities were given to Burgess.
WESLEY CHURCH, RAMKOTE
The congregation further started growing and it became difficult to accommodate the worshippers, then Rev. Charles Walker Posnett, a visionary who built Medak Cathedral was prompted by the Spirit of God to build a church at Ramkote Hyderabad in the Byzantine style – from distance it looks like a Mosque and from close it looks like a temple which attracted the then natives to enter the place and join the Christian worship. A foundation stone was laid on 18th of March 1927 which was dedicated and declared open by the Rev. Charles Walker Posnett in 1931.
The architectural designs and plans and Structural designs, permits and sanctions were supervised by the skilled laymen of our Church like Late. Dr. S P Raju, Principal of Osmania Engineering College, Regnal Thomas, John Obadiah, Sanjeeva Rao, etc. The middle dome collapsed thrice during the construction, however these men of God were never disappointed instead with more passion from God successfully completed the final construction.
The congregation further grew in strength and could not accommodate the worshipers. The then laymen Mr. P. D. Prasada Rao, Chief Engineer General, Mr. B. S. Jayakar, Commercial Tax Officer, Major V. G. Prakash Rao, A. T. David, M. J. Bhasker Rao and B. S. John raised donations and extended by two wings on the eastern and western sides of the church without effecting main structure of the existing building to accommodate further five hundred worshippers which was dedicated by Late. Rev. P. Y. Luke
Centenary Wesley Church
’The Mega Church’, a dream that we as a congregation had seen finally came to see its day on the 25th of December 2020. It was back in 2007 when God had enabled us to first lay the foundation for this Sanctuary of His. It took us 13 years, continuous prayers and unshakable faith in Christ to finally build and dedicate to the Lord, our Church. It was The Lord alone who had helped us overcome the many obstacles that came our way. In 2007, under the guidance of Rev. B. Winston, we began with the groundbreaking and in 2020, under the leadership of Rev. Dr. U Daniel, we entered our New Church. We hold the old structure dearly but also look forward to bringing glory and praise to Christ in this new Church.
On blessed occasion of Christmas, when the entire world celebrates the birth of our Redeemer, we dedicated to Him, this Church that belongs to Him, to Christ, our Lord. Amid the pandemic, God led us to conduct this program successfully. On the morning of 25th, the Clergy and Dignitaries consisting of – The Most Rev. A. Dharmaraj Rasalam (Moderator, CSI Synod), The Rt. Rev. A.C Solomon (Bishop in Medak), Rev.Dr. U. Daniel (Presbyter in Charge), Rev. B. Solomon Raj (Presbyter), Rev. N. Jayraj, Rev. Kiran Kumar and Sri. Md. Mohamod Ali (Home, Prisons and Fire Services Minister, Govt of Telangana) and Mr. Talasani Srinivas along with the Pastorate Committee members had received a warm welcome as they entered the Church premises.