Chiang Mai Chareonporn Church

“A church built of teak?” a woman whispered to her companion, gesturing towards Chiang Mai Chareonporn Church. “In Thailand?” Chiang Mai Chareonporn Church is indeed a testament to an unlikely blend of cultures. It’s a unique landmark in Chiang Mai, bearing witness to over a century of Christian history in Northern Thailand. The story of Chiang Mai Chareonporn Church begins in 1867 with the arrival of Daniel McGilvary, an American Presbyterian missionary. He established the Laos Mission, the first Protestant mission in Northern Siam. The local ruler, Kawilorot Suriyawong, granted McGilvary land on the east bank of the Ping River. There, McGilvary erected a simple thatched-roof dwelling for mission work and Sunday worship. As the congregation expanded, services shifted to a larger house, then to the unfinished girls’ school next door. Finally, in 1888, the need for a dedicated church building became clear. An intriguing figure enters the narrative here: Marion Alonzo Cheek. A former Laos Mission member, Cheek had transitioned into the timber trade. He owned a sawmill in Chiang Mai. This proved fortuitous, as Cheek was commissioned to design and build the new church. Using teak from his own mill, he constructed the weatherboard church over three years, completing it in 1891 at a cost of $7,000. Imagine the dedication ceremony led by McGilvary, the culmination of years of effort. The Chiang Mai Chareonporn Church became a spiritual home for a growing community. It served the community faithfully until 1968, when a new church opened on Charoen Rat Road. While no longer used for regular services, the legacy of Chiang Mai Chareonporn Church endures. It serves as a tangible reminder of the intertwined history of faith and community in Chiang Mai.