Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church (AELC)

stayed outside. Afterwards for sometime the SPG Churches of these areas were kept under one Calcutta Metropolitan Diocese Commissary. Later in 1964 Nandyal was made as Diocese. Later in 1975 the Nandyal Diocese was brought into Church of South India - Rayalaseema Diocese as one of the 21 Dioceses. ANDHRA EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH (AELC): The Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church in its formative stages was known, as the ‘American Lutheran Mission’ because ail the missionaries came from the American Lutheran Church. The missionaries who followed Father Heyer concentrated their missionary activities in Guntur and West and East Godavari districts. Like the missionaries belonging to other denominations elsewhere in coastal Andhra, the American Lutheran missionaries relentlessly pursued their ideal of proselytisation through means of establishing educational institutions, orphanages, hospitals, vocational schools in Guntur, West and East Godavari districts of Andhra desa. Among the prominent missionaries of Lutheran mission Guntur, the name of Christian Frederick Heyer was outstanding. At the age of 49 years he came to India in 1842 and established Lutheran Church.47