Henry Blebby Pastorate

The history of the CSI Henry Blebby Pastorate is closely associated with the missionary service of Rev. Henry Edwin Bleby in the Anamalai and Valparai region. Born in January 1902 at Ranikhet in India, he came from a missionary family. At the age of 18, he offered himself for missionary service. He arrived in the Trichinopoly region in 1923, and in 1924 began evangelistic work in the Dharapuram area.

The Missionary Legacy of Henry Edwin Bleby

His ministry later extended to the Valparai region, where he served as its first resident minister. From this base, he undertook missionary outreach among the people living and working in the tea estates. His work included proclaiming the Gospel, nurturing Christian fellowship and extending pastoral care to communities spread across the hill settlements.

He also contributed to the growth of the Church in the Dharapuram and Valparai regions during the 1920s. His missionary service became the foundation for the Christian witness that continued among the estate communities in the generations that followed.

Formation of the Pastorate

The congregations in the Valparai region gradually developed into a distinct pastoral area. Five estate communities, including Manikkan NC, Inchiparai UD, Inchiparai LD, Kungumam and Murugan Estate, formed the principal congregational base of the work. On 24 August 1997, the Henry Edwin Bleby Pastorate was formally constituted as a separate pastorate, giving an organised structure to the ministry among these communities.

The pastorate marked its 25th anniversary, celebrating the growth of the Church and the contributions of its ministers, office-bearers and members. The continuing involvement of the congregations reflects the commitment of the estate communities to worship, fellowship and Christian witness.

Churches and Congregational Life

One distinctive feature of the region’s Christian heritage is the early church known as the “Jungle Church”. Set in a densely wooded area, this place of worship was built with timber from the surrounding forest. It stands as a reminder of the determination of the early Christian community to establish a place of worship despite the challenges of the hill environment.

A church building was built at Manikkan NC in 2002. The congregation serves about 120 families and continues to support the spiritual life of the estate community. The church’s ministry among tea plantation workers remains an important part of the pastorate’s outreach.

Continuing the Mission

The CSI Henry Blebby Pastorate carries forward a heritage shaped by missionary commitment and the faith of generations of estate workers and their families. Through worship, pastoral care, evangelism and fellowship, the pastorate continues to serve the hill communities of the Valparai region and to contribute to the wider mission of the CSI Tiruchirappalli–Thanjavur Diocese.