Kerala brethren
Encyclopedia
The Kerala Brethren are a subgroup of the larger Christian movement known as the Plymouth Brethren
. Kerala
is a small state in India
, where this movement started in 1898 with the baptism
of four men from traditional churches. Soon this movement spread all over Kerala and India, and today there are more than 600 Brethren churches in Kerala, and almost 2200 throughout India.
, the doubting disciple, brought the Christian message to this country. The middle of 1800s was a time of great spiritual awakening and revival among Indian Christians, more so for Christians in the state of Kerala. Itinerant preachers from India and abroad were warmly welcomed in revival meetings that were common in Kerala those days.
Of the preachers, V. D. David, popularly known as Tamil David, had a great impact upon many in the Mar Thoma and Jacobite churches. Many of them left these churches to embrace a non-episcopalian type of church pattern. On 19 March 1899, a worship meeting with the Lord's Supper as per the New Testament pattern was conducted at Kumbanad
. A communion service was conducted without any priest for the first time. This was the beginning of Kerala Brethren.
In strict adherence to the New Testament pattern, the local churches commonly known as "brethren assemblies" are all independent. There is no central hierarchy or governing body that oversee the local assemblies as with other denominations.
The early brethren, although few in number, had a significant impact on evangelical Christianity in India. Many of the Malayalam hymns that have become familiar to Malayalee Christians during the last century were composed by brethren including Mahakavi K.V. Simon, M.E Cherian and T.K Samuel. Brethren have also focused on gospel outreach work throughout India and have developed a reputation for advancing biblical knowledge and greater doctrinal accuracy.
The brethren assemblies in Kerala are also known as "verpadu sabhakal" due to their heavy emphasis on separation from the world for greater devotion to Christ.
, who was one of the founder leaders of Plymouth Brethren
movement in England, was the first Brethren missionary to arrive in India. John Arulappan was one of his disciples. Mathai, a CMS Evangelist from Thirunalveli who was a disciple of Arulappan, came to Kerala with a novel message. He spoke of the death of Jesus Christ, His second coming and millennium regime in his messages. This paved way for the commencement of Brethren movement in Kerala, the place being known as God's own country.
1875 Yusthos Joseph alias Vidwankutty, a Tamil Brahmin
and CMS priest, along with his fellow brethren started preaching gospel in Kerala. But one of his fellow brethren had a 'revelation' that on completing 6 years from the year 1875 Jesus would come. This had become their subject of preaching from then. Being terribly mistaken in this matter, the movement of Vidwankutty had weakened. But his hymns and sermons helped to reach gospel among the Christians in Kerala.
1894 In December 1984, a well-known gospel preacher, Tamil David visited Kerala. He spoke of Assurance of Salvation very evidently in his messages. An eleven year old boy named K. V. Simon accepted the Lord during one of his meetings held at Puthencavu.
1896 The Kerala visit of J. Gelson Gregson, the famous Keswick Convention
speaker, had become a cause for the start of Brethren Movement in Kerala. Gregson was a Baptist missionary. But he joined Keswick team because of their swing to Modernism. It was C. P. Thomas of Iroor organised his Kerala visit. Gregson took various sessions among the priests and laymen within the Marthoma Church. Many were received assurance of salvation as a result of his preaching. Baptism was also brought in as a subject in his classes. Following these sessions, some of the priests and laymen had decided to receive baptism. This development attracted fury of the Church leaders against Gregson and they barred him from ministering in the Church. In the year 1897, P. E. Mammen (Kumbanattachen), vicar of Kumbanad and Eraviperoor parishes, received baptism from a Brethren missionary, Handley Bird, at Kunnamkulam.
1897 The first instance of the Holy Supper according to the New Testament pattern was conducted in Kunnamkulam under the leadership of Volbrecht Nagel. But that was not a gathering resulted from complete separation from Nominal Christianity.
1899 P. E. Mammen (Kumbanattachen) had learned the idea that redeemed children of God need to gather for Holy Supper on every Sunday from Handley Bird. On 19 March 1899, a worship meeting with Holy Supper as per the New Testament pattern was conducted at the residence of Kuttiyil Mathai in Kumbanad. P. E. John, P. C. John, Kuttyil Mathai and Kumbanadu Melathethil P. C. Chacko participated in the Lord's Table, following Songs, Prayers and Message. P. C. Cherian Parayil from Kallissery, P. C. Mammen, Cheruvallethu Koshy Mathunni, P. N. Ninan were also present in this meeting, though they were not partakers at the Lord's Table. P. C. Mammen was baptised in the afternoon same day. Due to the protest of the parish and family members of Mammen, they were not able to continue the gathering in the following week in the same house. An attempt to conduct the meeting outside the house in the garden was also foiled. Many who believed were baptised in places like Kuriyannur and Nedumprayar and joined this new movement.
in the last week of December, hosted by the local assembly there. Many other local assemblies throughout Kerala also conduct their own conventions and gospel meetings around this time.
, Mannmaruthy, & Vazhoor and the College of Nursing at Tiruvalla
Plymouth Brethren
The Plymouth Brethren is a conservative, Evangelical Christian movement, whose history can be traced to Dublin, Ireland, in the late 1820s. Although the group is notable for not taking any official "church name" to itself, and not having an official clergy or liturgy, the title "The Brethren," is...
. 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....
is a small state in India
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...
, where this movement started in 1898 with the baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
of four men from traditional churches. Soon this movement spread all over Kerala and India, and today there are more than 600 Brethren churches in Kerala, and almost 2200 throughout India.
At a glance
India has had a Christian presence ever since Saint ThomasThomas the Apostle
Thomas the Apostle, also called Doubting Thomas or Didymus was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He is best known for questioning Jesus' resurrection when first told of it, then proclaiming "My Lord and my God" on seeing Jesus in . He was perhaps the only Apostle who went outside the Roman...
, the doubting disciple, brought the Christian message to this country. The middle of 1800s was a time of great spiritual awakening and revival among Indian Christians, more so for Christians in the state of Kerala. Itinerant preachers from India and abroad were warmly welcomed in revival meetings that were common in Kerala those days.
Of the preachers, V. D. David, popularly known as Tamil David, had a great impact upon many in the Mar Thoma and Jacobite churches. Many of them left these churches to embrace a non-episcopalian type of church pattern. On 19 March 1899, a worship meeting with the Lord's Supper as per the New Testament pattern was conducted at Kumbanad
Kumbanad
Kumbanad is a place in koipuram panchyath Pathanamthitta district of Kerala state, in India. It is a part of Thiruvalla Taluk. It is situated on the Sabarimala pilgrimage route on the Thiruvalla - Kumbazha road . Kumbanad is one of the wealthiest settlement in India...
. A communion service was conducted without any priest for the first time. This was the beginning of Kerala Brethren.
In strict adherence to the New Testament pattern, the local churches commonly known as "brethren assemblies" are all independent. There is no central hierarchy or governing body that oversee the local assemblies as with other denominations.
The early brethren, although few in number, had a significant impact on evangelical Christianity in India. Many of the Malayalam hymns that have become familiar to Malayalee Christians during the last century were composed by brethren including Mahakavi K.V. Simon, M.E Cherian and T.K Samuel. Brethren have also focused on gospel outreach work throughout India and have developed a reputation for advancing biblical knowledge and greater doctrinal accuracy.
The brethren assemblies in Kerala are also known as "verpadu sabhakal" due to their heavy emphasis on separation from the world for greater devotion to Christ.
History of the Kerala Brethren
1872 Anthony Norris GrovesAnthony Norris Groves
Anthony Norris Groves has been described as the "father of faith missions". He launched the first Protestant mission to Arabic-speaking Muslims, and settled in Baghdad, now the capital of Iraq, and later in southern India. His ideas influenced a circle of friends who became leaders in the Plymouth...
, who was one of the founder leaders of Plymouth Brethren
Plymouth Brethren
The Plymouth Brethren is a conservative, Evangelical Christian movement, whose history can be traced to Dublin, Ireland, in the late 1820s. Although the group is notable for not taking any official "church name" to itself, and not having an official clergy or liturgy, the title "The Brethren," is...
movement in England, was the first Brethren missionary to arrive in India. John Arulappan was one of his disciples. Mathai, a CMS Evangelist from Thirunalveli who was a disciple of Arulappan, came to Kerala with a novel message. He spoke of the death of Jesus Christ, His second coming and millennium regime in his messages. This paved way for the commencement of Brethren movement in Kerala, the place being known as God's own country.
1875 Yusthos Joseph alias Vidwankutty, a Tamil Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
and CMS priest, along with his fellow brethren started preaching gospel in Kerala. But one of his fellow brethren had a 'revelation' that on completing 6 years from the year 1875 Jesus would come. This had become their subject of preaching from then. Being terribly mistaken in this matter, the movement of Vidwankutty had weakened. But his hymns and sermons helped to reach gospel among the Christians in Kerala.
1894 In December 1984, a well-known gospel preacher, Tamil David visited Kerala. He spoke of Assurance of Salvation very evidently in his messages. An eleven year old boy named K. V. Simon accepted the Lord during one of his meetings held at Puthencavu.
1896 The Kerala visit of J. Gelson Gregson, the famous Keswick Convention
Keswick Convention
The Keswick Convention is an annual gathering of evangelical Christians in Keswick, in the English county of Cumbria.- History :The Keswick Convention began in 1875 as a catalyst and focal point for the emerging Higher Life movement in the United Kingdom. It was founded by an Anglican, Canon T. D....
speaker, had become a cause for the start of Brethren Movement in Kerala. Gregson was a Baptist missionary. But he joined Keswick team because of their swing to Modernism. It was C. P. Thomas of Iroor organised his Kerala visit. Gregson took various sessions among the priests and laymen within the Marthoma Church. Many were received assurance of salvation as a result of his preaching. Baptism was also brought in as a subject in his classes. Following these sessions, some of the priests and laymen had decided to receive baptism. This development attracted fury of the Church leaders against Gregson and they barred him from ministering in the Church. In the year 1897, P. E. Mammen (Kumbanattachen), vicar of Kumbanad and Eraviperoor parishes, received baptism from a Brethren missionary, Handley Bird, at Kunnamkulam.
1897 The first instance of the Holy Supper according to the New Testament pattern was conducted in Kunnamkulam under the leadership of Volbrecht Nagel. But that was not a gathering resulted from complete separation from Nominal Christianity.
1899 P. E. Mammen (Kumbanattachen) had learned the idea that redeemed children of God need to gather for Holy Supper on every Sunday from Handley Bird. On 19 March 1899, a worship meeting with Holy Supper as per the New Testament pattern was conducted at the residence of Kuttiyil Mathai in Kumbanad. P. E. John, P. C. John, Kuttyil Mathai and Kumbanadu Melathethil P. C. Chacko participated in the Lord's Table, following Songs, Prayers and Message. P. C. Cherian Parayil from Kallissery, P. C. Mammen, Cheruvallethu Koshy Mathunni, P. N. Ninan were also present in this meeting, though they were not partakers at the Lord's Table. P. C. Mammen was baptised in the afternoon same day. Due to the protest of the parish and family members of Mammen, they were not able to continue the gathering in the following week in the same house. An attempt to conduct the meeting outside the house in the garden was also foiled. Many who believed were baptised in places like Kuriyannur and Nedumprayar and joined this new movement.
Pioneers
- P. E. Mammen (Kumbanattachen)
- P.C. JohnP.C. JohnP. C. John was an evangelist and Bible teacher among the Syrian Christians and the Plymouth Brethren for 38 years.-Birth and early years:John was born in 1876 at Kumbanad, Kerala to Padinjattedathu Chacko of the Kumbanattu family. After the basic Malayalam education, he started his life as a farmer...
Upadeshi - Mahakavi K. V. SimonK. V. SimonKunnampurathu Varghese Simon was a notable Malayalam Christian poet. He was also a musician, a teacher, a reformer, a writer, a profound Bible scholar and apologist. Simon was the author of around 300 devotional songs or poems. He has also written about 30 books. K. V...
- Dr. T.A Kurien Sagar
- Edward. H. Noel (Missionary)
- V. NagelV. NagelVolbrecht Nagel, commonly known as V. Nagel, was a German missionary to the Malabar coast of India.-Birth and Early Years:Volbrecht Nagel was born on 3 November 1867 in Hesse, North German Confederation. He grew up in a pious family, but lost his parents at a young age...
(Missionary) - M.E. Cherian Maduhari
Conventions and conferences
Annually, the largest Kerala brethren convention is held at KumbanadKumbanad
Kumbanad is a place in koipuram panchyath Pathanamthitta district of Kerala state, in India. It is a part of Thiruvalla Taluk. It is situated on the Sabarimala pilgrimage route on the Thiruvalla - Kumbazha road . Kumbanad is one of the wealthiest settlement in India...
in the last week of December, hosted by the local assembly there. Many other local assemblies throughout Kerala also conduct their own conventions and gospel meetings around this time.
Medical Mission Facilities
TMM Hospitals at TiruvallaTiruvalla
Tiruvalla , is a city and a Taluk headquarters located in Pathanamthitta district in the State of Kerala in South India, spread over an area of 27.94 km2...
, Mannmaruthy, & Vazhoor and the College of Nursing at Tiruvalla
Schools/Colleges
- Noel Memorial High School, KumbanadKumbanadKumbanad is a place in koipuram panchyath Pathanamthitta district of Kerala state, in India. It is a part of Thiruvalla Taluk. It is situated on the Sabarimala pilgrimage route on the Thiruvalla - Kumbazha road . Kumbanad is one of the wealthiest settlement in India...
. - Noel Memorial High School, Kariamplavu.
- Brethren English Medium High School, KumbanadKumbanadKumbanad is a place in koipuram panchyath Pathanamthitta district of Kerala state, in India. It is a part of Thiruvalla Taluk. It is situated on the Sabarimala pilgrimage route on the Thiruvalla - Kumbazha road . Kumbanad is one of the wealthiest settlement in India...
. - Several Upper and Lower Primary Schools in Noel Memorial Management.
- TMM Hospital College of Nursing Thiruvalla.
- Clarence High School , Bangalore
Bible Schools
- Bethany Bible School, KumbanadKumbanadKumbanad is a place in koipuram panchyath Pathanamthitta district of Kerala state, in India. It is a part of Thiruvalla Taluk. It is situated on the Sabarimala pilgrimage route on the Thiruvalla - Kumbazha road . Kumbanad is one of the wealthiest settlement in India...
. - Brethren Bible Institute, PathanamthittaPathanamthittaPathanamthitta is a large town and a municipality situated in the central Travancore region in the state of Kerala, south India, spread over an area of 23.50 km2. It is the administrative capital of Pathanamthitta district. The city has a population of 38,000...
- Gospel Training Centre, Perumbavoor
- Vedanadam Bible School, Kannoor.
- Rehaboth Theological Institute, Thrissur.
- V. Nagel Bible School, Kunnamkulam.
- Sathyam Theological Seminary, Idukki.
- Gujarath Brethren Bible Institute, Gujarath.
- Brethren Bible Training Institute, West Bangal.
- Stewards Bible College, Tamil Nadu.
- Madurai Bible School, Madurai.
- North India Bible Institute, Alwar, Rajasthan
- HOPE Academy of Theology & Sciences (HATS), Bhopal
Orphanages
- Bethesda Boys Home, Irinjalakuda
- Rehboth Girls Orphanage, ThrissurThrissurThis article is about the city in India. For the district, see Thrissur district. For the urban agglomeration area of Thrissur see Thrissur Metropolitan Area...
- Bird's Memorial Children's Home, Chennai
- Daya Vihar Orphanage, Thiruvalla
Mission Funds
- Kerala Evangelistic Missionary (KEM) Fund
- Gospel Missions of India
- General Gospel Fund
- Gospel Fellowship Trust of India
- Stewards Association of India
Homes for the Elderly
- Brethren Mercy Trust KumbanadKumbanadKumbanad is a place in koipuram panchyath Pathanamthitta district of Kerala state, in India. It is a part of Thiruvalla Taluk. It is situated on the Sabarimala pilgrimage route on the Thiruvalla - Kumbazha road . Kumbanad is one of the wealthiest settlement in India...
- Rehoboth Old Age Home(Nellikkunnu)
See also
- Indian BrethrenIndian BrethrenThe 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....
- Open BrethrenOpen BrethrenThe Open Brethren, sometimes called Christian Brethren or "Plymouth Brethren", are a group of Protestant Evangelical Christian churches that arose in the late 1820s as part of the Assembly Movement...
- Plymouth BrethrenPlymouth BrethrenThe Plymouth Brethren is a conservative, Evangelical Christian movement, whose history can be traced to Dublin, Ireland, in the late 1820s. Although the group is notable for not taking any official "church name" to itself, and not having an official clergy or liturgy, the title "The Brethren," is...
- K. V. SimonK. V. SimonKunnampurathu Varghese Simon was a notable Malayalam Christian poet. He was also a musician, a teacher, a reformer, a writer, a profound Bible scholar and apologist. Simon was the author of around 300 devotional songs or poems. He has also written about 30 books. K. V...
- P.C. JohnP.C. JohnP. C. John was an evangelist and Bible teacher among the Syrian Christians and the Plymouth Brethren for 38 years.-Birth and early years:John was born in 1876 at Kumbanad, Kerala to Padinjattedathu Chacko of the Kumbanattu family. After the basic Malayalam education, he started his life as a farmer...