St Andrew's Scots Kirk
During the 19th century, when the British Colonial rule of Ceylon (as Sri Lanka was then called) was at its peak, many Scottish planters came over to the newfound tropical paradise island for a chance to create a brand new life filled with fortune. They left their mark on Sri Lanka’s history; from the famous Lipton’s Tea brand created by the Scotsman Thomas Lipton, to Scottish plantation names like Edinburgh, Strathdon and Invergordon in the Central Highlands. Their arrival in Sri Lanka was not for missionary reasons, but to create a place where they could be free in a time when the British were heavily discriminating against the Scots and their traditions.
For them Ceylon was a home away from home. So they built churches and sprawling manor homes. Many of these Scotsmen were Presbyterian, and thence their churches too were of the same denomination – as opposed to the Anglican denomination of the British. As their ships arrived in the Colombo harbor, which was the port that was most commonly used during the British era, the Scotsmen who made their homes in the Highlands of Ceylon or had just come in often found themselves in the busy trading city of Colombo. But there were no Scottish Presbyterian churches for them to say a prayer at.
The First Presbyterian Church of Colombo gets built
The Scots who were in Sri Lanka realized the need for a Scottish Presbyterian church in Colombo. The foundation stone for the very first such church in Colombo was laid at Prince’s Street, Fort on the 1842. Approximately an year later, on the 21st of October 1842, the newly built church formally opened its doors for service.
The church was a member of the Presbytery of Ceylon and a part of the Church of Scotland, thus receiving its name ‘Scots Kirk’. The Church of Scotland was a Reformed Church founded by John Knox during the Reformation period of Europe in the 1550s. Over the next four centuries the Church of Scotland had continued to build churches whatever parts of the world the Scottish people were living and working in. Ceylon too had received their patronage in the form of some smaller churches amongst the tea plantations in Haputale and Kandy. However, St Andrew’s Scots Kirk turned out to be one of their biggest churches in Sri Lanka.
The church enjoyed good relations with other Presbyterian Dutch Reformation churches in the city of Colombo. These relationships proved to be valuable throughout the following years as the church went through tough times during changes in the ministers. The services were done by Scottish Ministers sent straight from the United Kingdom. Sometimes they left due to emergencies before their term was complete, or they completed their term and returned back to Scotland. Either way this left the church at a quandary until the next minister arrives in Ceylon. With the varying conditions of the sea, this could take anywhere between several months
