About Nazareth !

In late 18th century 35 families lived in the village Channpathu. These families are engaged in agriculture and palmyrah work. They lived in small huts. These people had close marital status with the people of Vaguthankuppan and Mukuperi villages It is believed that Christianity spared in this village during 1798-1799. Even though the people in Channpathu accepted Christianity in 1799 but this village become as Christian village only in 1800. Rev. Ringle and Rev. Margoschis confirmed this year. In Channpathu only eight persons accepted Christianity in the beginning. Rev. Sathianathan Changed the Channpathu village into a Christian village in 1800. This village chanpathu received the name of NorthMudalur and VazhaidyMudalur before it came to be known as Nazareth. In 1805 Rev. Sathianathan retired and went to Tanjavur. After him Rev. William Tobia Ringel Tobb, apostle of South Travancore supervised the missionary works in the Tirunelveli region. He was supervising the ministry form1806 to 1801 to assist Rev. Christian Coleb. He came to Nazareth twice in 1806 and once in 1807. In his diary “There is a chapel built with mud and with thatched roof and Nazareth is place filled with peace. It is a city of refuge for the Christians in trouble” Ringel Tobb wrote like this. Bishop Weston mentioned that Rev. Vedanayagam was sent form Thanjavur to do the ministry in Tirunelveli area form 1811 to 1813. Rev. Abraham was sent to Tirunelveli in 1816 after Rev. Vedanayagam to continue the ministry. He did his ministry very well in Nazareth after Palayamkottai. From 1810-1816 was considered as a dark age for the Nazareth Church because the missionaries returned to their motherland. The SPK Mission was sending money to the catechists, even though it did not send the missionaries. There was no missionary to distribute the remuneration to the catechists. Samuel Sawyer took the responsibility and did the works of a missionary. There was renaissance in the churches after Rev. James Hough in 1816 know about the ministry of Rev. Visuvanathan form the notes of Rev. Hough in 1817. He used to say “My soul is eager to preach the gospel of salvations to the Indian citizens”. Bishop Weston remarked that Rev. James Hough could be called as the second father of Tirunelveli Church since he was the main cause for the growth of C.M.S. and SPG Missions in Tirunelveli..