Centenary Methodist, Delhi
Another prominent religious center, located in Lodhi Colony, for the Christian community is the Centenary Methodist Church. Centenary Methodist Church is one of the oldest Methodist churches in Delhi that traces its history from 1948. However, during this time, the church was just a plan of Bishop J.W. Pickett which got initiated in the year 1956 when the foundation of the church was also laid.
At present, the church has more than 5000 members and is touted as one of the popular Christian shrines in Delhi. Besides, regular morning mass is observed at the church in Hindi and English languages. Whereas on Sundays, Sunday school is also held at the church for children. The school aims at imparting youths about the religion of Christianity through Biblical knowledge and also teaches them about moral values. Besides, several fun activities are organized by the Sunday school. Not just this, Centenary Methodist Church also supports students to pursue their higher education by offering them scholarships. Along with that, this beautifully built church also observes various festivals like Christmas, Easter, and Palm Sunday. Amongst those, Christmas is one significant festival which marks a large gathering of people from all regions.
History
Centenary Methodist Church is one of the oldest Methodist churches in Delhi that traces its history from 1948. However, during this time, the church was just a plan of Bishop J.W. Pickett which got initiated in the year 1956 when the foundation of the church was also laid. For that, a fundraising drive was organized to raise Rs 50,000, which was 10% of the total cost. However, the remaining 90% cost was promised by the Board of Missions, Methodist Church, New York. After the fundraising drive, in May 1959, the 1.27 acres of land was given to the contractor to build a church. After 18 months, the construction of the church got completed and it opened for the general public with the name Centenary Methodist Church. At present, the church has more than 5000 members and is touted as one of the popular Christian shrines in Delhi.