P. T. Chandapilla
Encyclopedia
The Very Rev. P. T. Chandapilla (18 March 1926 – 4 December 2010) was the Vicar General
of St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India. He ministered to the university students in India and the Church at large through new mission initiatives, including the founding of Jubilee Memorial Bible college at Chennai
, India.
pastor inspired him and led him to commit his life to Jesus Christ as Saviour, the start of his personal Christian life. He trained for four years, then after working a year in a mission hospital he went to work as a pharmaceutical nurse in Saudi Arabia
. He planned to earn enough to enable him to attend Bible College
in India. However, a group of Christians in an American Oil Company in Saudi Arabia funded him to attend Columbia Bible College (now called Columbia International University
), South Carolina, USA in 1951.
He graduated in 1955, but renounced the chance to continue his studies because he sensed God was calling him to ministry in India. He travelled back to Mumbai
in August 1955, and the following year he married Dorothy, a committed Christian, pharmacist and alumna of Calvary Bible School, Allahabad
.
He became the First Vicar General of St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India (STECI) and also acted as President of the Board of Management of Jubilee Memorial Bible College (JMBC) in Chennai. He also served as General Secretary of the Foundation of Evangelical Churches of India. Columbia International University granted him Distinguished Alumnus status in 1988.
An eloquent preacher, he was described in 1997 with the words, “He lives like Mother Teresa
but thinks like John Calvin
.”
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
of St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India. He ministered to the university students in India and the Church at large through new mission initiatives, including the founding of Jubilee Memorial Bible college at Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, India.
Early life
Podimannil Thomas Chandapilla was the only son of a Christian preacher Chiramannil Chadaplilla Thomas and his wife Sosamma Thomas. His parents were members of the Mar Thoma Church, working in tribal areas with no regular income, trusting to God to supply their needs. Despite the family’s poverty, Chandapilla was educated in Mar Thoma Boarding school and Gurukulam High School, finishing his schooling in 1942.Training
He started training as a male nurse/pharmacist at an American Presbyterian Mission Hospital about 800 miles from home, where a PresbyterianPresbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
pastor inspired him and led him to commit his life to Jesus Christ as Saviour, the start of his personal Christian life. He trained for four years, then after working a year in a mission hospital he went to work as a pharmaceutical nurse in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. He planned to earn enough to enable him to attend Bible College
Bible college
Bible colleges are institutions of higher education that specialize in biblical studies. Curriculum is Bible-based and differs from that of liberal arts colleges or research universities. Bible colleges generally exclude the study of philosophy, unlike seminaries and theological colleges...
in India. However, a group of Christians in an American Oil Company in Saudi Arabia funded him to attend Columbia Bible College (now called Columbia International University
Columbia International University
Columbia International University is a Christian institution of higher education located in Columbia, South Carolina. The university is recognized for its emphasis upon spiritual formation, biblical authority and world evangelization.-History:...
), South Carolina, USA in 1951.
He graduated in 1955, but renounced the chance to continue his studies because he sensed God was calling him to ministry in India. He travelled back to Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
in August 1955, and the following year he married Dorothy, a committed Christian, pharmacist and alumna of Calvary Bible School, Allahabad
Allahabad
Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...
.
Ministry
Chandapilla and Dorothy started work with the new Union of Evangelical Students of India (UESI). He spent twenty years working amongst students and became the first General Secretary of the Union of Evangelical Students of India (UESI)--International Fellowship of Evangelical Students/InterVarsity Christian Fellowship in India, a post he held from 1956 to 1971, ministering to university students, with the aim of reaching India’s intellectuals with the Christian gospel.He became the First Vicar General of St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India (STECI) and also acted as President of the Board of Management of Jubilee Memorial Bible College (JMBC) in Chennai. He also served as General Secretary of the Foundation of Evangelical Churches of India. Columbia International University granted him Distinguished Alumnus status in 1988.
An eloquent preacher, he was described in 1997 with the words, “He lives like Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...
but thinks like John Calvin
John Calvin
John Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530...
.”