Church of God (Full Gospel) in India
Encyclopedia
The Church of God in India
is the registered name of the branch in India of the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee).
. Cook worked in India during the 1913s through the 1940s. After some attempts to begin a Pentecostal work in northern parts of India, Cook realized that there were ancient Christian communities in southern India, especially in Kerala
. After arriving in Kerala, he fell in love with the land and the people. He crossed paths with a man named Kalloor Chacko
, of Thrikkannamangal, Kottarakara. While a prominent figure in the Indian Brethren
Church in India, Chacko accepted the teachings of Cook regarding the work of the Holy Spirit. The two joined hands to establish the first registered Pentecostal church in India. It was named the Church of God. Cook, meanwhile, joined the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee). The two built the first church building on land set aside by Chacko.
Early leaders that worked with Cook in building up the Church of God in its early days in Mulakuzha include Rev. T.M. Varghese and Rev. U. Thomas. When laws were passed that forbade foreign missionaries in India, it was T.M. Varghese that served as the Field Secretary. When the church had developed to the point that it was granted its own leadership, Rev. U. Thomas served as the first Overseer.
The Church was divided into three districts. These included Kerala State, Tamil Nadu
and Central Region. Kerala State was later divided into two at the request of the brothers of low caste
backgrounds. The new region was named Kerala Division and is now named Kerala Region, with headquarters in Kottayam. The region of Andra Pradesh was included. The work that was started and run by Rev. Samuel John was incorporated into the Church as the Northern Region. In the 90's, under the leadership of Rev. KM Thankachan, the Central Region was divided into two regions with Bombay as the headquarters of the Western Region and Calcutta as the headquarters of the Eastern Region. There are many departments now under the Church. They provide and undertake many activities for the believers.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
is the registered name of the branch in India of the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee).
Beginnings
The work of the Church of God was started in India by the American missionary Robert F. CookRobert F. Cook
Robert F. Cook served as the prime missionary responsible for the establishment of the Pentecostal movement in India. Though a number of missionaries came before him and though the Pentecostal experience took place in India independent of foreign missionary work, Cook was the one that first...
. Cook worked in India during the 1913s through the 1940s. After some attempts to begin a Pentecostal work in northern parts of India, Cook realized that there were ancient Christian communities in southern India, especially in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. After arriving in Kerala, he fell in love with the land and the people. He crossed paths with a man named Kalloor Chacko
Kalloor Chacko
Kalloor Chacko is the fourth of seven sons born to Kalloor Koshy. Koshy is the patriarch of the Kalloor family in Thrikkannamangal, Kottarakara. His elder brother is the patriarch of the Thondel family...
, of Thrikkannamangal, Kottarakara. While a prominent figure in the Indian Brethren
Indian Brethren
The Brethren are a Christian Evangelical premillennial religious movement.The "Brethren" churches or Assemblies are completely independent of each other.Local assemblies are autonomous but are often informally linked with each other....
Church in India, Chacko accepted the teachings of Cook regarding the work of the Holy Spirit. The two joined hands to establish the first registered Pentecostal church in India. It was named the Church of God. Cook, meanwhile, joined the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee). The two built the first church building on land set aside by Chacko.
Headquarters
Mulakuzha (Kerala State), Andra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Western Region, Eastern Region and Northern Region worked hand in hand with Cook to establish numerous works in various parts of Kerala. As time went by, disagreements over doctrine and organizational structure led to many of these early leaders parting ways. Disagreement with Chacko also resulted in Cook relocating the headquarters to Mulakuzha. The founder of the Ceylon Pentecostal Mission Rev. Ramankutty, later known as Pastor Paul, also worked with Cook for some time before starting off on his own path.Early leaders that worked with Cook in building up the Church of God in its early days in Mulakuzha include Rev. T.M. Varghese and Rev. U. Thomas. When laws were passed that forbade foreign missionaries in India, it was T.M. Varghese that served as the Field Secretary. When the church had developed to the point that it was granted its own leadership, Rev. U. Thomas served as the first Overseer.
The Church was divided into three districts. These included Kerala State, Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
and Central Region. Kerala State was later divided into two at the request of the brothers of low caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
backgrounds. The new region was named Kerala Division and is now named Kerala Region, with headquarters in Kottayam. The region of Andra Pradesh was included. The work that was started and run by Rev. Samuel John was incorporated into the Church as the Northern Region. In the 90's, under the leadership of Rev. KM Thankachan, the Central Region was divided into two regions with Bombay as the headquarters of the Western Region and Calcutta as the headquarters of the Eastern Region. There are many departments now under the Church. They provide and undertake many activities for the believers.
Kerala Region
The church of God in India Full Gospel in Kerala is divided into two viz, Kerala State and Kerala Region. Kerala Region is the denomination of "low caste" believers who demanded the division of the Church of God in Kerala in the early 70s because of the discrimination against their castes especially in the areas of being deprived from participating in leading the services as well as occupying the official posts even though most of them were educated. The separation allowed them to prove their abilities to run an organization independently by the grace of God.See also
- New India Church of God
- Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee)Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee)The Church of God, with headquarters in Cleveland, Tennessee, is a Pentecostal Christian denomination. With over seven million members in over 170 countries, it is one of the largest Pentecostal denominations in the world...
- Ceylon Pentecostal Mission
- Assemblies of GodAssemblies of GodThe Assemblies of God , officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 140 autonomous but loosely-associated national groupings of churches which together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination...
- India Pentecostal Church of God