Jeypore Evangelical Lutheran Church

Jeypore Evangelical Lutheran Church is a major

Jeypore Evangelical Lutheran
Lutheran Christian denomination in India. It was
established in 1882. At that time, the founder of The Church
Schleswig Holstein Evangelical Lutheran Mission
Society of Germany (SHELM) in Germany was Pastor
Christian Jensen, who was praying for the people of
India. Pioneer missionaries Rev. Ernest Pohl and Rev.
Herman Bothmann came to India and reached the
Koraput district of Odisha on 31 May 1882 and started
mission work.

Foundation
In late 19th century, when the missionaries arrived,
they faced several challenges; one of them was laying Abbreviation JELC
the foundation of a church. At first they visited the king
Classification Protestant
of Bastar state in Jagdalpur to seek approval for
constructing a church and preaching Christianity in the Orientation Lutheran
region but were denied permission for the purpose. Theology Luther's theology
However, they later went to the neighbouring Jeypore
Governance JELC Central Office,
state which was ruled by Maharaja Vikram Dev III and
Jeypore, Odisha
he granted them the permission and a plot where
accordingly, the JEL Church was constructed in Bishop Bidhan Kumar Nayak[1]
1909.[2] Region Odisha

The Germans were able to learn the local language, Language Odia
culture, customs, and the traditional system of the Liturgy Lutheran
natives. The first woman, Asimuti Behera of the village
Headquarters Jeypore 764 001[1]
Joba under the Kotpad mission station, was baptized
by the missionary Timmke on 6 December 1886. A Founder The Schleswig Holstein
minority of local populace also volunteered for the Evangelical Lutheran
mission programmes. Mission Society of
Germany (SHELM)
Service Vikram Dev III
Origin 1909
Apparently, it was from Jeypore Evangelical Lutheran Odisha
Church that Christianity spread to other parts of
southern Odisha such as Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, and Recognition World Council of
Rayagada. Subsequently, the community members set Churches
up three major Christian hospitals in Bissam Cuttack, Lutheran World
Nabarangpur, and Lamtaput in Koraput district to serve Federation
people from all religious backgrounds. The first Indian
National Council of
president, A. C. Kondpan, served two terms from 1954
to 1962. He was followed by the German missionaries, Churches in India
and then the second bishop of JELC., from 1972 to United Evangelical
1978. During this time, the JELC experienced a period Lutheran Church in India
of significant growth and progress. Kondpan was
regarded as a visionary leader. Congregations Works predominantly in
the Undivided Koraput
Now the church has more than 250,000 members. It Dist and Aruku Valley
has its own rules and regulations approved by IGR of and Jagdalpur.
Odisha, as per the society registration act of 1952, and
Members 250,000
the synod has four elected officers: bishop, synod
chairman, secretary, and treasurer. They serve for a Ministers More than 100
term of four years. The current office holders are Hospitals Christian Hospital
bishop of JELC Bidhan Kumar Nayak, synod Nabrangpur (German
chairman Anant Nag, secretary Praful Bhatra, and
Hospital), Christian
treasurer Jasbir Paul. The headquarters of JELC
Hospital Bissamcuttack
function in Pohl & Bhothmann Bhavan, JELC central
office, pin code -764001. Nursing homes Nursing college
(Christian Hospital
Jeypore Evangelical Lutheran Church.is associated Bissamcuttack)
with the National Council of Churches in India, United
Evangelical Lutheran Church in India, Lutheran World Primary schools JELC Primary School
Federation, and World Council of Churches.[3][4] Jeypore, Koraput,
Nabrangpur, Malkagiri
JELC has its unofficial Oriya-language Lutheran District
Hymns Book Android App,[5] offered by Premasis Secondary schools JELC High School
Satman. Jeypore, Koraput,
Kotpad, Nabrangpur
See also Other name(s) (German) Jeypore
Evangelisch-Lutherische
Christianity in Odisha
Kirche;
Christianity in India
Martin Luther (Latin) Jeypore
Ecclesiae
References Evangelicae
Lutheranae;
Notes (Hindi) जयपुर इवेंजेलिकल
लूथरन चर्च;
1. Lutheran World Federation, Member
Churches - JELC (https://www.lutheranworld.
(Odia) ଜୟପୁ ର
org/content/jeypore-evangelical-lutheran-chur
ଇଭାନଜେଲି କାଲ୍ ଲୁ ଥେରାନ୍
ch)
ଚର୍ଚ୍ଚ
2. "Week-long Christmas celebration begins
today in Jeypore" (https://www.newindianexpr Slogan Thy Kingdom Come
ess.com/states/odisha/2018/dec/25/week-lon
g-celebration-begins-today-1916178.html).
The New Indian Express. Retrieved
2021-06-29.
 3. "India" (https://web.archive.org/web/20091116114849/htt
p://www.lutheranworld.org/Directory/ASI/JeyporeEvLuth
Cch-EN.html). www.lutheranworld.org. Archived from the
original (http://www.lutheranworld.org/Directory/ASI/Jeyp
oreEvLuthCch-EN.html) on 16 November 2009.
Retrieved 15 January 2022.
4. "1" (https://archive.today/20121210082258/http://webcac
he.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:XACiP6Cs
A6QJ:www.casa-india.org/download-form2.php?form_na An old picture of JEL Church
me%3D488ff3b2d36f5nn.doc+Jeypore+Evangelical+Lut
heran+Church&cd=16&hl=de&ct=clnk&gl=de).
Archive.is. 2012-12-10. Archived from the original (http://
www.casa-india.org/download-form2.php?form_name=4
88ff3b2d36f5nn.doc) on 2012-12-10. Retrieved
2016-09-02.
5. "JELC Church – Apps on Google Play" (https://play.goog
le.com/store/apps/details?id=com.arleneandashertechno
logies.jelcchurch&hl=en_IN).

Further reading

Otto Waack (1997). Church and mission in India: the history of the Jeypore church and the
Breklum Mission (1876-1914) (https://books.google.com/books?id=dB7kAAAAMAAJ&q=girl
s+boarding+kotpad). Vol. II. Northelbian Centre for Worldmission and Church World Service
by the Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. ISBN 9788172143985.
Otto Waack, Cynthia C. Lies (1997). Church and mission in India: the history of the Jeypore
church and the Breklum Mission (1876-1914) (https://books.google.com/books?id=Ix7kAAA
AMAAJ&q=jensen+kotapad). Vol. I. Northelbian Centre for Worldmission and Church World
Service by the Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. ISBN 9788172143473.
S. Vasantharaj Albert (1992). "Orissa: Church and People Groups" (https://books.google.co
m/books?id=9VYxAAAAMAAJ&q=theological+seminary+kotapad). Church Growth
Association of India. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
Kenneth Gill (1990). "Count us Equal: The Ministry of Women in the Church of South India"
(https://books.google.com/books?id=tCJrGwAACAAJ&q=count+us+equal+kenneth+gill).
Association of Theologically Trained Women in India. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal
requires |journal= (help)

External links
Media related to Jeypore Evangelical Lutheran Church at Wikimedia Commons

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