Diocese Of Nandyal CSI

Early 18th Century William Howell did Evangelistic work in Cuddapah (YSR Kadapa) and Kurnool Districts. In 1842 the Anglican Diocese of Madras accepted the Nandyal area. In 1922, Bishop Whitehead of Madras Diocese (CIBC) transferred Nandyal Anglican area to Bishop of Dornakal, Bishop Azaraiah. Nandyal SPG area was in the Diocese of Calcutta of CIPBC from 1947 to 1963. Nandyal Anglican area was formed as a Diocese on 29th April, 1963 during the Episcopacy of the Rt .Rev. C. W. Venkatramaiah in CIPBC. When the Rt.Rev. Ernest John as the Bishop in Nandyal it joined in the CNI on 29th November, 1970. During the time of CNI Moderator’s Commissary, the Rt.Rev.R.S.Bhandare, Nandyal Diocese joined in the Church of South India on 6th July, 1975. The Rt. Rev. Pabbathi John was the first CSI Nandyal Diocesan Bishop in 1977 .

The first missionaries who came to Nandyal were Arthur Inman and Alfred Briton in the year 1881. These two missionaries were responsible to establish the SPG High School in 1884 and to build the Holy Cross Church in 1905 in Nandyal. These two missionaries who resided in Nandyal lived in tents and went about preaching the gospel in and around Nandyal in various villages and building churches. Their mode of travel in those days were bullock carts on most primitive roads or cart tracks. They learned the local language Telugu and traveled extensively beyond Nandyal to place like Kurnool, Giddalur, Kalasapad, Atmakur and Nandikotkur and planted churches in the villages. In this church first SPG Telugu Graduate Priest Rev. David Gnanamuthu served from 1912 to 1923, he came from Medras Christian Theological College, Madras (1885 to 1890) and his son Re. John Yesudas Gnanamuthu served in this diocese.