Nongsawlia Presbyterian Church

Nongsawlia Presbyterian Church, on a hill in Cherrapunjee (Sohra), is described as the oldest church in Meghalaya. The Welsh missionary Thomas Jones founded it in 1846 after coming to the village to preach; he learned Khasi within eight months and is remembered as the father of the Khasi alphabet and of Khasi literature. On 8 March 1846 U Amor and U Rujon became the first converts, the date taken as the start of the Presbyterian faith among the Khasi.

The first building was lost in the 1897 earthquake and rebuilt the following year. Jones also opened a school next to the church, which helped spread education in the Khasi region. Khasi pines and traditional Khasi houses surround the church, which still hosts baptisms, festivals and funerals.