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Christ Church Bangkok
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Christ Church, an old Protestant church in Bangkok, dates back to the early Protestants in the 19th century who laid the foundation for the Protestant Church in Thailand.
The first Protestant missionaries arrived in Bangkok in 1828, from the London Missionary Society representing the Church of England. The American Protestants followed over the next three decades.
One prominent American missionary who arrived in 1835 was Dr Daniel Bradley, who taught English to Prince Mongkut, the future King Rama IV (1851 – 1868).
With the growing foreign Protestant community in Bangkok over the years, the idea of having their own church took seed. In 1861, King Rama IV granted land for a church in Charoen Krung Road near the Chao Phraya River.
Contributions from the foreign Protestant community, the British government and the Borneo Company, a large trading company in Southeast Asia, provided funds for the construction of the new church.
Completed in 1864, the new church wasn't called Christ Church then. Officially named the Protestant Union Chapel, it was commonly referred to as the English Church owing to its predominantly English-speaking congregation.
The English Church remained in Charoen Krung Road until 1904. As the foreign Protestant community grew larger by the early 1900s, a bigger and more centrally located church was required.
The new church in Convent Road
In 1904, King Rama V granted a bigger plot of land at the junction of Convent and Sathorn Roads. A condition that came with the royal grant was that the church would be open to all Protestant Christians regardless of nationality or sect.
Open to all Protestants
Sathorn Road at the turn of the 20th century was a farming and orchard area with a klong (canal) running down the center, very much like neighboring Silom Road. Today, it's an area popular with foreign embassies, office towers and up-market condominiums.
This new church in Convent Road was completed on 30 April 1905.
Breaking away from the tradition of naming the church after a saint, the members settled for the simple and appropriate name, Christ Church.
In 2005 the English church in Convent Road, celebrated its centenary, more than 175 years after the first Protestant missionary set foot in Bangkok.
For the official website of the church, please see Christ Church Bangkok.
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Y! MyWebUpdate on the renovations of the church
3 March 2008 - These photos were taken after the repainting of the exterior walls was completed in late February 2008. The interior of the church is still undergoing repairs. We’ll be bringing you more photos of the beautiful stained glass windows once the work is completed.
Interior renovations completed
14 June 2008 - I visited Christ Church again today as the re-plastering and repainting of the chapel has been completed. Here are the pictures of the stained glass windows in the chancel. 
The chancel
These windows were installed when the new church was built in Convent Road in 1905.
The crucifixion is the main window directly behind the Communion Table.
“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)
The window with Christ and the little children is to the right of the main window.
“Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for such is the kingdom of God.” (Mark 10:14)
The window to the left
Note of thanks
I would like to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude to Reverend Peter Cook and the staff of Christ Church for kindly granting permission to take the photographs for this web page.
To get there, please see map to Christ Church and for other old Bangkok churches.
Tree-lined church grounds
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