Christ Church Bangkok

Christ Church Bangkok
Christ Church Bangkok
Coordinates: 13°43′26″N 100°32′08″E / 13.723783°N 100.53562°E / 13.723783; 100.53562
Location	Bang Rak, Bangkok
Country	Thailand
Denomination	Thai Anglican Communion
Website	http://www.christchurchbangkok.org/home.html
History
Founded	1862
Architecture
Style	Neo-Norman
Years built	1905
Clergy
Pastor(s)	Tim Eady Pairoj Piemmettawat

Christ Church is a parish of the Anglican Church in Thailand within the Diocese of Singapore. It has both English- and Thai-language congregations. There are about 400 church members representing many different nationalities and denominational backgrounds. The liturgy is Anglican-Episcopal. The building is in the Gothic Revival style and can seat as many as 450 persons.

Christianity was brought to what is now Thailand as early as the sixteenth century. The Protestant faith came with British traders and American missionaries who reached Bangkok in the early years of the 19th century, but made little progress until the country opened to the West during the enlightened reign of King Mongkut Rama IV (1851-1868). At first, Bangkok's Protestants met for worship in each other's homes but as their numbers increased they felt the need for a church building. To a petition's response, King Mongkut granted land near the Chao Praya River for the use of the "community of foreigners who are of Protestant Christian faith". A new church was opened for worship on 1 May 1864. Officially named the Protestant Union Chapel, it was commonly known as "the English Church". By the end of the century the congregation had grown and access by land had become impossible so it became necessary to build a larger church in a more central location. On 7 April 1904, His Majesty King Chulalongkorn Rama V graciously granted a larger plot of land at the junction of Convent and Sathorn Roads for the use of the church. He also permitted the sale of the land on which the first church stood. A building was erected on the new site and was given the name "Christ Church". It opened for divine service on 30 April 1905.

The church is in a simple Gothic style. The nave and chancel are flanked by six pillars beyond which are north and south aisles. There are seven double doors in the walls of each aisle. The doors at the west end of the north aisle open on to a short covered passageway linking the church to the church hall. There is an apse at the east end in which is the sanctuary. At the west end, large double doors open on to a porch formed by the tower.