KIS was founded in 1901 as 'the school organized at Kodaikanal for the education of the children of missionaries in India shall be known as the Kodaikanal School for Missionaries Children.'
Members of several missions collaborated to set up the first school in Kodaikanal: London Missionary Society, American Lutheran Mission, Wesleyan Mission, American Arcot Mission and American Madura Mission. However, only the two US based foreign mission boards of the Congregational Church and the Reformed Church in America agreed to financially support the school.

The Christian foundation of KIS has always been a priority. The first church at Kodaikanal School was started in the 1930's as 'junior church' with the students taking the primary role in organizing the worship in the absence of any other church into which students could be inducted. In 1941 the junior church was reorganized into the Kodaikanal School Church with its own constitution. It remains today a fully independent church with its own members and is affiliated with KIS, serving the school and community from the Margaret Eddy Memorial Chapel. The KIS School Chaplain is designated as Pastor of The Church at KIS which is administered by a church council drawn from resident members of the congregation.

Today students, staff and members of the local community coming from over 30 different countries and from nearly as many denominational backgrounds worship together every Sunday as The Church at KIS in the centrally placed KIS Chapel on the historic Highclerc campus. Services and worship styles are varied and reflect the autonomous, non-denominational origins of Kodaikanal International School.

The Church at KIS would like to welcome you! Services are on Sundays at 9:30 am. For further information please contact KIS Chaplain, Rev Raja Krishnamoorthy at chaplain@kis.in