A Pioneer MELIM Pastor , the Fisrt Indian Pastor of Thorayeri Holy Sion Lutheran Church Vaniyampadi and Govindapuram Bethlehem Lutheran Church Vaniyampadi and Calvary Lutheran Church Nagercoil [MELIM] , the First Indian Professor at the Concordia Theological Seminary Nagercoil, and Former President of Ambur Synod and Nagercoil Synod late Rev M. Philip .

Introduction    :   Late Rev. M. Philip was  one of the Pioneer Indian M.E.L.I.M, Pastors  and he was one of the founding pillars of the Missouri  Evangelical  Lutheran India Mission  in India . Really Rev. M. Philip was a great Man of God, Man of prayer, powerful Preacher, and a Staunch Lutheran  Christian Believer . Earnestly and tirelessly he  strove to spread the  Gospel of Christ in Tamil Nadu and South India  through M.E.L.I.M . Late Rev. M. Philip was a practising Christian. He had the distinction and privilege to serves as the President of two MELIM Synods namely ,"Ambur Synod' and Nagercoil Synod ".. His simple, sincere and witnessing life will definitely ignite and  illuminate the lukewarm faith of the present day Christians. and will play a galvanising part to revive I.E.L.C .. 

        Rev. M. Philip  opens the new Calvary Lutheran Church ,Nagercoil, on 11th April, 1971.

Rev. M. Philip 's  Parents and Birth    : Thovalai is one of the famous and important Villages in Kanyakumai District. It lies on the beautiful southern end of the Western ghats near Aralvaoimozhi .. The Thovalai Taluk owes its name to this Thovalai  village . Thovalai is famous for the production of fragrant and pretty jasmine flowers and Thovalai is one of the largest flower Markets in Tamil Nadu and South India . In this beautiful idyllic village there lived a God-fearing man by name Mr. Masillamani with his beloved wife Ms Perinbam Masillamani . God blessed  Mr Massillamani and his wife Ms Perinbam Masillamani with all the  connubial blessings and this couple gave birth to Rev. M. Philip in the year 1900. Mr. Massillamani and his wife Ms.Perinbam Masillamani brought up their son Philip with all love, care and concern.[ Rev M. Philip's childhood history will be traced and provided  with some details here later ] 

Rev. M. Philip's marriage     :  .Rev. M. Philip married Ms Natchathiram from Marukal Thalai village near Azhahiyapandipuram village, Thovali Taluk, K.k.District, in the year 1922.and God blessed this couple's conjugal and pastoral life with all the blessings .

                                                       
                                  Rev. M. Philip with his wife Ms Natchathiram Philip 

Rev. M. Philips'  Children and their families    :   Rev. M. Philip was living  a blissful conjugal life  with his modest and smart wife Ms Natchathiram and  this blessed couple gave birth to the  following children namely :-[1] Rev. Charles Paul and he married Ms Annie Paul, M.Sc, B.Ed,  and she  retired as a Government High School Head Mistress [KGF ], and this couple gave birth to the following children namely ;- [a] Ms. Princy, M.Sc, B.Ed, [ late[, [b] Ms Viji, B.Sc {Nursing]  [ late] , and [c]Mr Jonathan Manoharan ; [2] Rev. P. Norbert , M.A,L.T,[ Former H.M.of Concordia High School Nagercoil ] and he married Ms Beula Doraisamy, B.Sc, M.A, B.Ed, from Palayamcottai and this couple gave birth to the  following children namely ;- [a] Ms. Anitha Vanaja  Irish Sekar , M.A, B.Ed, she retired as the Head Mistress of Concordia Hr, Secondary School Vallioor  and she married Mr Irish Sekar, B.Sc[Ag]and Mr Irish Sekar retired as Joint Director of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu Govt . This couple is blessed with two daughters namely ;-Ms, Sharon Shamma Abilash Balan, B.E, and Ms. Shiny Ashwin , B.E, [b] Ms, Percis Shanthi Jannet Shanthi Leslie, B.Sc, B.Ed, M.A, M.Phil, and she works as Principal IELC. Public School Nagercoil [CBSE]and she married Mr Leslie and this couple gave birth to the following children namely Ms.Gracia Ethen Danielraj , B.C.A ,  Ms. Emelin Rebecca Athen, B.Sc[N].M.B,A, and Mr. Samuel Leslie, B.E, [c] Ms Kathleen Dayalan , M.A. B.Ed, [Kathy]  and she married Er. Dayalan, B.E [ Agri] and this couple gave birth to two daughters namely Ms. Suzan Dayalan, M.Sc[ Bio Tech] and Ms Joan Dayalan, B.A,  , and [d] Mr Herbert Rajan, D.M.E,  and he married Ms. Hema John, B.A, B.Ed, M.S.W, , and this couple is blessed with one daughter and one son ; [3] Ms Daisy and she married Mr. J. Devados, M.A, B.Ed, and he retired as Govt High School Head Master  and this couple gave birth to the following children namely ;[a]  Ms. Rani, [b] Ms. Deena Dayalan, and he worked as an Accountant in the Ambur Deaf and Dumb School [IELC], [c]  Mr. Prasad [late] , [d] Mr. Devapriyam , [e] Ms Devaki Swaranalatha and lives in USA with her Engineer husband and family and [f] Ms Dorothy Chandra kala,B,Sc, B.Ed,  [4] Ms Annie Benjamin and she married Rev. N.J. Benjamin and this couple gave birth to the following children namely ;-[a] Ms. Nalini Ezhil, B.A, and she married Mr. Ezhil , B.E and this couple is blessed with two sons namely Mr. Ben Nithin, M.E, and Mr Ken Nivin, B.D.S and [b] Ms .Starlet Cecelia Padmini, [Mini] M.A, M.Ed, and she married Mr Solomon Vincent and this couple gave birth to Mr. Gabriel and Mr. Michael, B.D.S, M.S[ Canada],  [5] Mr. P. Wilson , B.A, B.Ed  and he married Ms Sundara Bai, B.Sc. B.Ed. from Nagercoil and this couple gave birth to the following children namely ;- [a] Ms. Geeta, M.Sc, B.Ed ;[b] Mr Philip Prem, BASLP and [c] Ms Angeline, B.Sc,[ Computer Science  and [6] Ms Emily and she married Mr Frederick ..

1.            
   FIRST BATCH STUDENTS ,CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY NAGERCOIL

Rev. M. Philip's Seminary Education  : Rev. M. Philip did his school education in MELIM schools. Rev. M. Philip's parents wanted  their son Philip to become  a Pastor in MELIM and Rev M. Philipp also longed to become a Pastor in MELIM . MELIM  congregations were growing rapidly in Nagercoil area, Ambur area and Trivandrum area and the available foreign missionaries were inadequate to meet the demand for the Pastors to serve in MELIM Congregations. Moreover the MELIM Missionaries wanted to start their own Theological Seminary in Nagercoil so that they can teach the Lutheran Doctrines and principles to the Seminary Students .  In the year 1924 Concordia Theological Seminary was started in Nagercoil by the MELIM Missionaries .Rev,Theodre Gutnecht served as the first Principal of Concordia Theological Seminary in Nagercoil with great commitment and efficacy [1924 to 1928 ]. The MELIM Missionaries selected 7 suitable and eligible  lads from the MELIM congregations to study at the the newly started Concordia Theological Seminary, Nagercoil . The names of the Students of the First Batch who studied at the  Concordia Theological Seminary Nagercoil were the following namely ;_ [1]  Mr. I. Swamidhasan [ Vadasery], [2] Mr. A.C. Swamidhas [ Nagapattinam], [3] Mr. M. Philip [ Thovalai] , [4] Mr. A. Perinba Nayagam [ Marukalthalai] ,[5] Mr. S. Arulanandam [ Vadesry] and [6] Mr M. Dharmakan [ keerangkulam] and [7] Mr. M. Swaminathan [ Shenbagaramanputhur ]. Mr. M. Philip studied the Theological Course with great curiosity and interest in the Concordia Theological Seminary for four years [1924--1928 ] and passed his Theological course in 1928. meritoriously 

Rev. Philip's Started his Pastoral / Ministerial Career in K.G.F   :  After having passed his Theological Course at the Concordia Theological Seminary Nagercoil in 1928 ,  Mr. M. Philip was appointed and directed by the MELIM missionaries in 1928 to serves as Pastor at a MELIM Congregation in  Kolar Gold Field area.  Rev. Philip gladly accepted the Call and went and served as a Pastor in a .M.E.L.I.M  congregation in K.G.F  area  for four years with  great sincerity  and zeal with a spirit of a real  Pastor till 1934. Afterwards there was no turning back in his Pastoral Career .

Next Part Will Follow Soon . 

By. P. Babu Manoharan, M.A ,. [ All rights are reserved. This Article will be enlarged, modified or corrected later if needed ].