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Pentecostal Saint Thomas Christians
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Pentecostal Saint Thomas Christians
Pentecostal Saint Thomas Christians, also called Pentecostal Syrian Christians, are the ethnic Saint Thomas Christians (Nasranis) affiliated to various Pentecostal and independent Neo-Charismatic churches. Sometimes, the Kerala Brethren are also erroneously lumped together with Pentecostals. The community is native to the Indian state of Kerala, and shares in the legacy of early Christianity in the region, traditionally traced to the missionary activities of Saint Thomas the Apostle in the first century (AD 52–72). Prior to their conversion to Pentecostalism, they belonged to traditional Saint Thomas Christian denominations.
Pentecostalism in Kerala, has its origins in the activities of German–American missionary George E. Berg and his Indian co-workers, in 1911. The first converts came from a small Kerala Brethren congregation based in Thuvayur, near Adoor. This group, which was led by Paruttupara Ummachan, became the first Pentecostal congregation of South India. During his Kerala tour, Berg also got acquainted with a few more young men, who accompanied him to Bangalore, where they received their Pentecostal instruction. Two of them, Umman Mammen and Pandalam Mattai, worked as Pentecostal evangelists, after their return to Kerala.
In 1912, Berg returned to the United States, where he met Robert F. Cook. Berg convinced Cook about the mission in India. So in 1913, Cook joined Berg, in Bangalore. In the coming years, Cook made several missionary journeys to Kerala, and financially supported the original native Pentecostal evangelists of Kerala, as well as the congregation of Thuvayur. Additional help came from Mary Chapman, an Assemblies of God missionary, who arrived in Trivandrum, by this time. Soon other foreign evangelists followed. In the first half of the 1920s, a large number of Kerala Brethren (mostly ex–Mar Thomites) became Pentecostals.
Pentecostalism continued to grow among Saint Thomas Christians and in Kerala, in the following decades. However, this period was marked by constant disagreements and quarrels among the leaders of the movement. Disputes arose over questions of leadership, financial aspects, affiliation to foreign missionary organizations etc. As a result, in the 1930s four different Pentecostal churches dominated by St. Thomas Christians emerged. They were the Assemblies of God of India, Church of God in India, Ceylon Pentecostal Mission and Indian Pentecostal Church of God. K. E. Abraham, P. M. Samuel and K. C. Cherian, the co–founders of the Indian Pentecostal Church of God, originally belonged to the Malankara Jacobite Syriac Orthodox Church.
Internal strife within the first four churches led to the establishment of newer ones like the Sharon Fellowship Church (P. J. Thomas, 1953), New India Church of God (V. A. Thamby, 1973), New India Bible Church (Thomas Philip, Abraham Philip, 1972) etc. The Gospel for Asia (K. P. Yohannan, 1979) was yet another Pentecostal missionary organization found by a St. Thomas Christian. Ultimately, K. P. Yohannan got ordained as a bishop and set up the Believers Eastern Church, under the auspices of the Gospel for Asia.
The Pentecostal wave that swept through the St. Thomas Christian community, naturally generated ripples in the Knanaya community; an endogamous subcaste of Nasranis. The Knanaya Christians traditionally belong to the Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Kottayam and Malankara Syriac Knanaya Archdiocese. V. A. Thamby, who hailed from the Knanaya community, converted to Pentecostalism in 1962. Initially, Thamby started a couple of house churches among the Knanaya.
From 1973 onwards, Thamby worked in collaboration with Australian pastor Cliff Beard. With Beard's support, Thamby went on a preaching journey to the United States, and acquired the necessary sponsorships, which enabled him to establish the New India Church of God. Thamby's wife, Mariamma Thamby supported her husband in every possible way. After completing her Biblical studies in Australia, Mariamma Thamby opened a Bible school for women in 1983.
In 1988, Thamby moved to Chingavanam, a long-established centre of the Knanaya community, where he put up his church's headquarters. From there, he launched a rigorous campaign to proselytize Knanaya Christians. He met with significant success, for Chingavanam soon became the largest congregation of the New India Church of God.
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Pentecostal Saint Thomas Christians
Pentecostal Saint Thomas Christians, also called Pentecostal Syrian Christians, are the ethnic Saint Thomas Christians (Nasranis) affiliated to various Pentecostal and independent Neo-Charismatic churches. Sometimes, the Kerala Brethren are also erroneously lumped together with Pentecostals. The community is native to the Indian state of Kerala, and shares in the legacy of early Christianity in the region, traditionally traced to the missionary activities of Saint Thomas the Apostle in the first century (AD 52–72). Prior to their conversion to Pentecostalism, they belonged to traditional Saint Thomas Christian denominations.
Pentecostalism in Kerala, has its origins in the activities of German–American missionary George E. Berg and his Indian co-workers, in 1911. The first converts came from a small Kerala Brethren congregation based in Thuvayur, near Adoor. This group, which was led by Paruttupara Ummachan, became the first Pentecostal congregation of South India. During his Kerala tour, Berg also got acquainted with a few more young men, who accompanied him to Bangalore, where they received their Pentecostal instruction. Two of them, Umman Mammen and Pandalam Mattai, worked as Pentecostal evangelists, after their return to Kerala.
In 1912, Berg returned to the United States, where he met Robert F. Cook. Berg convinced Cook about the mission in India. So in 1913, Cook joined Berg, in Bangalore. In the coming years, Cook made several missionary journeys to Kerala, and financially supported the original native Pentecostal evangelists of Kerala, as well as the congregation of Thuvayur. Additional help came from Mary Chapman, an Assemblies of God missionary, who arrived in Trivandrum, by this time. Soon other foreign evangelists followed. In the first half of the 1920s, a large number of Kerala Brethren (mostly ex–Mar Thomites) became Pentecostals.
Pentecostalism continued to grow among Saint Thomas Christians and in Kerala, in the following decades. However, this period was marked by constant disagreements and quarrels among the leaders of the movement. Disputes arose over questions of leadership, financial aspects, affiliation to foreign missionary organizations etc. As a result, in the 1930s four different Pentecostal churches dominated by St. Thomas Christians emerged. They were the Assemblies of God of India, Church of God in India, Ceylon Pentecostal Mission and Indian Pentecostal Church of God. K. E. Abraham, P. M. Samuel and K. C. Cherian, the co–founders of the Indian Pentecostal Church of God, originally belonged to the Malankara Jacobite Syriac Orthodox Church.
Internal strife within the first four churches led to the establishment of newer ones like the Sharon Fellowship Church (P. J. Thomas, 1953), New India Church of God (V. A. Thamby, 1973), New India Bible Church (Thomas Philip, Abraham Philip, 1972) etc. The Gospel for Asia (K. P. Yohannan, 1979) was yet another Pentecostal missionary organization found by a St. Thomas Christian. Ultimately, K. P. Yohannan got ordained as a bishop and set up the Believers Eastern Church, under the auspices of the Gospel for Asia.
The Pentecostal wave that swept through the St. Thomas Christian community, naturally generated ripples in the Knanaya community; an endogamous subcaste of Nasranis. The Knanaya Christians traditionally belong to the Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Kottayam and Malankara Syriac Knanaya Archdiocese. V. A. Thamby, who hailed from the Knanaya community, converted to Pentecostalism in 1962. Initially, Thamby started a couple of house churches among the Knanaya.
From 1973 onwards, Thamby worked in collaboration with Australian pastor Cliff Beard. With Beard's support, Thamby went on a preaching journey to the United States, and acquired the necessary sponsorships, which enabled him to establish the New India Church of God. Thamby's wife, Mariamma Thamby supported her husband in every possible way. After completing her Biblical studies in Australia, Mariamma Thamby opened a Bible school for women in 1983.
In 1988, Thamby moved to Chingavanam, a long-established centre of the Knanaya community, where he put up his church's headquarters. From there, he launched a rigorous campaign to proselytize Knanaya Christians. He met with significant success, for Chingavanam soon became the largest congregation of the New India Church of God.
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