English: Nongsawlia Presbyterian Church, Nongsawlia, Sohra

The Nongsawlia Presbyterian Church is the first established Christian church in Meghalaya. It was established long back in the year 1846. The first Church Building was built upon a hillock of the present Nongsawlia Cemetery. This building was destroyed by the great earthquake occurred in June 1897. The new Church Building at the present Site was built in 1898 i.e., a hundred years ago. The membership of the Nongsawlia Presbyterian Church had increased slowly and steadily. In 1847, there were five members, in 1848, there were 6 members including one young woman ka Nabon Sawian who was baptized in 14th July, 1848. She was the first woman to become Christian inspite of threatening and persecution from the family members. In 1853 the members increased to 24. From Nongsawlia as an origin of Christianity, the Presbyterian Church had spread to different parts of Khasi-Jaintia Hills, to Mawnai in 1854, to Jowai in 1858, to Shillong in 1871. The present statistic of the Presbyterian church in Khasi-Jaintia Hills is more than 5 lakhs.

The Presbyterian Church of Wales known at that time as the "The Calvinistic Methodist Church of Wales" sent the first Missionary to Khasi Hills, they are, Rev. Thomas Jones-I and his young Wife Anne Thomas. They left Wales in November 1840 and after five months they arrived at Calcutta. From Calcutta they travel by boat and landed at Majai, the southern part of Khasi Hills. From Majai they climbed up reaching Laittyra and finally arrived at Saitsohpen, Sohra (Cherrapunjee) on the 22nd, June, 1841 which is the Head Quarter of the then Sylhet Light Infantry, a force of Sepoy troops under the British command since 1835.From the Military and Government officials, Thomas Jones received cold reception. One British official advised Thomas Jones and said "go back home Jones; you may as well try to instruct the monkeys on that tree than to attempt to teach these people". They looked down the Khasi people as illiterate and ignorant. But Thomas Jones was not discouraged instead he bent down devoted heart and soul to do the work for which he had been called by God. By God's providence there was a devout Christian, Lieutenant William Lewin (1806-1846) who welcomed Thomas Jones and his wife and give them a shelter in one of his rooms in the White Bungalow at Saitsohpen. The kindness of William Lewin helped Thomas Jones and his wife to feel at home in a foreign land accompanied with heavy rainfall of 264 inches in the month of August alone.

In 1843 Thomas Jones moved to a new site at Nongsawlia, a plot of land given by the Chief of ka Hima Sohra (Cherra Syiemship), U Suba Syiem. At that time there were five Missionaries, Thomas Jones, Mrs. Jones, Rev. William Lewis, Mrs. William Lewis and Dr. Richard. At this new station the Missionaries had built two Bungalows, School and the Church building.

Thomas Jones from the beginning devoted his time listening attentively the pronunciation of the Khasi words and learnt the language. It is said that only in 7/8 months he could converse with people and preached the Gospel. He rejected the Bengalee scripts and adopted the Roman scripts A, B, K, D etc. He opened three schools at Mawsmai, Mawmluh and Sohra. He wrote the first Reader and the second Reader using the Roman scripts to be taught in these Schools. Thomas Jones was successful in his attempt, and Hence, Thomas Jones was known as the Father of the Khasi Alphabets and also the founder of the khasi Literature. Nearly 5 (five) years had passed since the coming of the first missionary from Wales, Rev. and Mrs. Thomas Jones but no one from among the Khasis responded to the preaching of the Gospel. "It was till the 8th of March 1846 that the first two khasis" U Amor and U Rujon were baptized by the Rev. William Lewis. "This event marked the beginning of the Presbyterian Church at Nongsawlia and indeed the Presbyterian Church in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills".

Description credit to Sohra Civil Sub division, Sohra, East Khasi Hills district, Meghalaya, India.