The Pentecostal movement within Evangelical Christianity places special emphasis on the direct personal experience of God through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, as shown in the Biblical account of the Day of Pentecost. Pentecostalism is similar to the Charismatic movement, but developed earlier and separated from the mainstream church. Charismatic Christians, at least in the early days of the movement, tended to remain in their respective denominations.


Beliefs
Pentecostals believe that one must be saved by believing in Jesus as Lord and Savior for the forgiveness of sins and to be made acceptable to God. Being descended from Methodism and the Methodist Holiness Movement, Pentecostal soteriology is thoroughly Arminian rather than Calvinist, believing that the ability to believe in Jesus is a power of the human free will.

This is in fact one of the distinctions that separates Pentecostal traditions from those of the Second Wave Charismatic and Evangelical churches which tend toward a Calvinistic soteriology. One of the main points of division is the definition of eternal security which is thoroughly Calvinist in the later Evangelical denominations and follows the Arminian tract in Pentecostal churches and denominations. This is most clearly illustrated by the belief, held in Pentecostal groups, that crediting the charismatic gifts and expressions to demonic or carnal motives and spirits, qualifies as an unpardonable sin (Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit). In Charismatic and Evangelical churches this view is marginalized or replaced with the belief that refusing to convert to Christianity before death is the only unpardonable sin.

Pentecostals believe in water baptism as an outward sign of conversion, and that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is a distinct spiritual experience that all who have believed in Jesus should receive. Most classical Pentecostals believe that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is always accompanied initially by the outward evidence of speaking in tongues. It is considered a liberalizing tendency to teach contrary to this historic position. This is another major difference between Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians, who believe that a Christian who is baptized in the Holy Spirit may exhibit certain supernatural signs, which may include speaking in tongues, "being slain in the spirit" (where people fall to the ground as if asleep or in convulsions), prophecy (i.e. a vision or a word of God, spoken or felt in the spirit), miraculous healings, miraculous signs, etc.

Most major Pentecostal denominations reject any connection between personal salvation or conversion and the baptism in the Holy Spirit and teach that it is not necessary for salvation, but a gift from God available to all Christians regardless of denominational affiliation. This doctrine was a development of the teachings of Stephen Galbraith regarding what he called the Third Moment of Grace and as such is linked to soteriology. Many early Pentecostals believed that the revival of the gifts of the Spirit were a sign from God of the latter rain, a period of restoration before the end of the age and the coming millenial reign of Christ. Traditional Protestants believe that one is baptized with or in the Holy Spirit upon Regeneration, the work of the Holy Spirit that enables faith and belief in the unbelieving heart. Pentecostals would not deny that regeneration is an activity of the Holy Spirit or that it results in the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the believer. Instead they distinguish this indwelling from a subsequent more intense relationship with the Holy Spirit.

They most often reject such concepts as a "second grace" though not rejecting the idea of periodic or even weekly renewal through repentance and the ordinances of the church. Pentecostals also typically believe, like most other evangelicals, that the Bible has definitive authority in matters of faith.

Classical Pentecostals, unlike their Charismatic or evangelical counterparts, hold a peculiar form of sacerdotalism. For this reason many will not use the term Sacrament preferring the term sacerdotal function or ordinance. This belief invests the efficacy of the ordinance in the obedience and participation of the believer and the witness of the celebrant and the congregation. This view stems from a highly developed concept of the priesthood of the individual believer. The activity of the ordinance takes on a sacerdotal rather than sacremental role in that it is a sacrificial act offered by the believer on his or her own behalf, rather than a ritual which has an inherent power of its own.

Pentecostalism and related charismatic movements represent one of the fastest-growing segments of global Christianity. According to the World Christian Database, at least a quarter of the world's 2 billion Christians are thought to be members of these lively, highly personal faiths, which emphasize such spiritually renewing "gifts of the Holy Spirit" as speaking in tongues, divine healing and prophesying. Even more than other Christians, pentecostals and other renewalists believe that God, acting through the Holy Spirit, continues to play a direct, active role in everyday life.

Despite the rapid growth of the renewalist movement in the last few decades, there are few quantitative studies on the religious, political and civic views of individuals involved in these groups. To address this shortcoming, the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, with generous support from the Templeton Foundation, recently conducted surveys in 10 countries with sizeable renewalist populations: the United States; Brazil, Chile and Guatemala in Latin America; Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa in Africa; and India, the Philippines and South Korea in Asia. In each country, surveys were conducted among a random sample of the public at large, as well as among oversamples of pentecostals and charismatics.

In this report, the term pentecostal is used to describe individuals who belong to classical pentecostal denominations, such as the Assemblies of God or the Church of God in Christ, that were founded shortly after the famous Azusa Street Revival in the early 20th century, as well as those who belong to pentecostal denominations or churches that have formed more recently, such as the Brazil-based Universal Church of the Kingdom of God.

Charismatics, by contrast, are a much more loosely defined group. The term generally refers to Christians who have experienced the "in-filling" of the Holy Spirit but who are not members of pentecostal denominations. Indeed, most charismatics are members of mainstream Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox denominations. In the surveys, respondents were categorized as charismatic if they met one of three criteria: (1) they describe themselves as "charismatic Christians"; or (2) they describe themselves as "pentecostal Christians" but do not belong to pentecostal denominations; or (3) they say they speak in tongues at least several times a year but they do not belong to pentecostal denominations.

"Renewalist" is used as an umbrella term throughout the report to refer to pentecostals and charismatics as a group.

How Many Renewalists?

The surveys find that the size and composition of the renewalist population varies substantially from country to country, ranging from a low of 5% in the areas of India surveyed to a high of 60% in Guatemala. In every nation surveyed except India, at least 10% of the population can be described as renewalist; in three countries (Brazil, Guatemala and Kenya) membership in the renewalist movement approaches or exceeds 50%. In two countries (Kenya and Nigeria), pentecostals outnumber charismatics. In every other country, by contrast, the renewalist movement is primarily charismatic in character, with charismatics outnumbering pentecostals by a margin of at least twoto-one. Pentecostals are more concentrated in Latin America and Africa (where they range from 9% of the population in Chile to 33% in Kenya) than they are in the United States or Asia (where they range from 1% of the population in the areas of India surveyed to 5% in the U.S.).

The largest charismatic populations are in Brazil (34% of the population), Guatemala (40%) and the Philippines (40%). In several other countries, including the U.S., Chile, Kenya and South Africa, approximately one-in-five people are charismatic. Taken together, these findings confirm that members of renewalist movements can be found in sizeable numbers throughout the world.

In six of the 10 countries, the surveys find that renewalists account for a majority of the overall Protestant population. Indeed, in five nations (Brazil, Chile, Guatemala, Kenya and the Philippines) more than two-thirds of Protestants are either pentecostal or charismatic. In Nigeria, renewalists account for six-in-ten Protestants.

Renewalist Distinctives

The surveys find that there are certain religious experiences and practices that differentiate pentecostals, and, to a lesser degree, charismatics, from other Christians. In seven of the 10 countries surveyed, for instance, at least half of pentecostals say that the church services they attend frequently include people practicing the gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues, prophesying or praying for miraculous healing. These types of services are less common, but still relatively prevalent, among charismatics. By contrast, in most of the countries surveyed, only small numbers of non-renewalist Christians report attending religious services where these sorts of religious experiences occur.

While many renewalists say they attend religious services where speaking in tongues is a common practice, fewer tend to say that they themselves regularly speak or pray in tongues. In fact, in six of the 10 countries surveyed, more than four-in-ten pentecostals say they never speak or pray in tongues.

In all 10 countries surveyed, large majorities of pentecostals (ranging from 56% in South Korea to 87% in Kenya) say that they have personally experienced or witnessed the divine healing of an illness or injury. In eight of the countries (India and South Korea are the exceptions) majorities of pentecostals say that they have received a direct revelation from God.

Pentecostals around the world also are quite familiar with exorcisms; majorities in seven of the 10 countries say that they personally have experienced or witnessed the devil or evil spirits being driven out of a person. Generally, fewer charismatics, and even fewer other Christians, report witnessing these types of experiences.

Intensity of Belief

In addition to their distinctive religious experiences, renewalists also stand out for the intensity of their belief in traditional Christian doctrines and practices. For instance, in eight of the 10 countries surveyed (all except the U.S. and Chile), majorities of nonrenewalist Christians believe that the Bible is the word of God and is to be taken literally, word for word; but this view is even more common among pentecostals than among non-renewalist Christians. Similarly, large majorities of all Christians, renewalists and nonrenewalists alike, believe that miracles still occur today as in ancient times. But this belief tends to be even more intense among pentecostals and, to a lesser extent, charismatics than among nonrenewalist Christians.

Pentecostals also stand out, especially compared with nonrenewalist Christians, for their views on eschatology, or "the end times." In six countries, at least half of pentecostals believe that Jesus will return to earth during their lifetime. And the vast majority of pentecostals (more than 80% in each country) believe in "the rapture of the Church," the teaching that before the world comes to an end the faithful will be rescued and taken up to heaven. This belief is less common (though still widely shared) among charismatics, who in turn tend to express higher levels of belief in the rapture than do other Christians.

Pentecostals also make a concerted effort to share their faith with non-believers. In eight of the 10 countries surveyed, majorities of pentecostals say they share their faith with non-believers at least once a week. And relatively few pentecostals say this is something they never do. Charismatics tend to be somewhat less likely than pentecostals to share their faith on a weekly basis.

Pentecostals' frequent attempts to spread the faith are consistent with their widespread belief that faith in Jesus Christ represents the exclusive path to eternal salvation; in every country surveyed except South Korea, at least 70% of pentecostals completely agree that belief in Jesus is the only way to be saved from eternal damnation.

Renewalists and Politics

Renewalist Christians' strong focus on the supernatural has led to the widespread perception that the movement is largely apolitical in outlook. Although renewalists are focused on spiritual matters, many also say there is a role for religion in politics and public life. In nine of the 10 countries surveyed, for instance, at least half of pentecostals say that religious groups should express their views on day-to-day social and political questions; support for this position is equally widespread among charismatics. In every country surveyed, furthermore, renewalists are at least as likely as others to express this view.

Majorities of renewalists in every country surveyed say that it is important to them that their political leaders have strong Christian beliefs. In six of the 10 countries, at least three-quarters of pentecostals share this view; in the other four countries, at least two-thirds of pentecostals agree with this position. Charismatics, as well, share the conviction that political leaders should have strong Christian beliefs.

In seven of the 10 countries surveyed, majorities or pluralities of pentecostals say there should be a separation between church and state. But in each of these countries, sizeable minorities of pentecostals say that their government should take special steps to make their country a Christian country. And in three countries, including the U.S., pentecostals who favor separation of church and state are at least slightly outnumbered by pentecostals who say that the government should take special steps to make their nation a Christian country.

Regionally, support for this position is particularly strong among pentecostals in Africa, where 48% of Kenyan pentecostals. 58% of Nigerian pentecostals and 45% of South African pentecostals say the government should take steps to make their nation a Christian nation. In every country, fewer than half of charismatics express support for the idea that their government should take steps to make their country a Christian nation.

In many of the 10 countries surveyed, large majorities of the general population hold quite conservative positions on several social and moral issues. But even in these generally conservative countries, pentecostals often stand out for their traditional views on a wide range of social and moral issues, from homosexuality to extra-marital sex to alcohol consumption. Majorities of pentecostals in nine countries (all except the U.S.), for example, say that drinking alcohol can never be justified. In six of the 10 countries, majorities of pentecostals say the same thing about divorce.

In most of the countries surveyed (all except the U.S. and South Korea), large majorities of the general population say that abortion can never be justified, and renewalists tend to share this view. The percentage of pentecostals who say that abortion can never be justified ranges from 64% in the U.S. to 97% in the Philippines. Similarly, the percentage of charismatics who say that abortion is never justified ranges from 57% in the U.S. to 96% in the Philippines.

Renewalists in the U.S.

The patterns of religious belief and practice that set renewalists apart from other Christians around the world also apply to pentecostals and charismatics in the United States. In the U.S., for instance, roughly two-thirds of pentecostals and charismatics report attending church at least weekly, compared with less than half for the population as a whole. And the religious services attended by U.S. renewalists tend to be quite different from the ones attended by others; more than half of U.S. pentecostals who report attending church say that the services they attend frequently include people speaking in tongues and manifesting other signs of the Spirit; the same is true for roughly three-in-ten charismatic church attenders in the U.S. Other U.S. Christians are much less familiar with this type of church service.

U.S. renewalists, like renewalists around the world, also often stand out for their moral conservatism. Eight-in-ten U.S. pentecostals say that homosexuality is never justified, for instance, and nearly six-in-ten charismatics share this view. Among the public as a whole, by contrast, roughly half say homosexuality can never be justified. Renewalists in the U.S. also are more likely than others to oppose drinking alcohol.

And just as renewalists around the world favor a role for religion in public life, the same holds true for renewalists in the U.S. For instance, nearly eight-in-ten American pentecostals (79%) say that religious groups should express their views on day-to-day social and political questions, compared with 61% of the public as a whole. And more than half (52%) of American pentecostals say that the government should take special steps to make the U.S. a Christian country, compared with only 25% among Christians overall.

Other Findings

In addition to these results, the 10-nation survey also finds:

•           In most countries, pentecostals tend to be somewhat more hopeful than nonrenewalist Christians about their future financial prospects.

•           Pentecostals are divided on the question of whether or not AIDS is a punishment from God; majorities in three of the countries surveyed (Guatemala, Kenya and South Korea) believe that AIDS is a punishment from God for immoral sexual behavior, but majorities of pentecostals in five other countries explicitly reject this point of view.

•           In most countries, pentecostals are somewhat more likely than nonrenewalist Christians to sympathize more with Israel than with the Palestinians.

•           Pentecostals in six of the countries surveyed are more willing than the public overall to allow women to serve as pastors or church leaders. This pattern, however, does not generally extend to other gender issues, where there is no consistent pattern differentiating pentecostals from others.

•           Majorities of pentecostals in all 10 countries surveyed agree that God will grant good health and relief from sickness to believers who have enough faith, and in nine of the countries most pentecostals say that God will grant material prosperity to all believers who have enough faith.

Theology
Theologically, most Pentecostal denominations are aligned with Evangelicalism in that they emphasize the reliability of the Bible and the need for the transformation of an individual's life with faith in Jesus. Pentecostals also adhere to the doctrine of Biblical inerrancy. Pentecostals differ from fundamentalists by placing less emphasis on personal spiritual experience and more emphasis on the Holy Spirit's work within a person than other Protestants.

The Scriptures hold a special place in the Pentecostal worldview because the Holy Spirit is always active in the Bible. For him, to encounter the Scriptures is to encounter God. For the Pentecostal, the Scriptures are a primary reference point for communion with God and a template for reading the world. This template is often referred to as "Types and Shadows", which is a reference to the Midrashic view of prophecy.

One of the most prominent distinguishing characteristics of Pentecostalism from Evangelicalism is its emphasis on the work of the Holy Spirit. Pentecostals believe that everyone who is genuinely saved has the Holy Spirit with them. But unlike most other Christians they believe that there is a second work of the Holy Spirit called the baptism of the Holy Spirit, in which the Holy Spirit dwells more fully in them, and which opens a believer up to a closer fellowship with God and empowers them for Christian service. Speaking in tongues, also known as glossolalia, is the normative proof, but not the only proof, of the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Most major Pentecostal churches also accept the corollary that those who don't speak in tongues have not received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This claim is uniquely Pentecostal and is one of the few differences from Charismatic theology.

Some ministers and members admit that a believer might be able to speak in tongues, but for various personal reasons (such as a lack of understanding) might not. In these cases however, a demonstrated tendency toward a supernatural love and the gifts of the Spirit would indicate a definite deviation in the character and capacity of the believer. This would be the only case where a believer would be filled with the Holy Spirit, but not exhibit the so-called "initial physical evidence" of speaking in tongues. This, however, would be a minority perspective.

Pentecostals believe it is essential to repent for the remission of sins and believe in Jesus as Savior in order to obtain salvation. They believe that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is an additional gift that is bestowed on believers, generally subsequent to an intermediary step termed sanctification. Sanctification refers to a work of grace wherein the effect of past sins are ameliorated and the natural tendency toward a sin nature is likewise set aside through the working of the Holy Spirit.

Pentecostals believe that there are different types of instances of speaking in tongues. They believe that someone who has been given the gift of speaking in tongues may speak in tongues in a church service or other Christian gathering for everyone to hear. They believe that the person, or another Christian with the gift of interpretation of tongues will be able to speak what the first person did in the language of the audience so that everyone can understand what was said. They believe that only some people are given the gift of speaking in tongues while everyone has the opportunity to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and develop a "prayer language" with God.

Critics charge that this doctrine does not mesh well with what they believe to be Paul's criticism of the early Corinthian church for their obsession with speaking in tongues. They argue that Paul stated that speaking the language is only one of the gifts of the Spirit and is not gifted to all. Church history argues against the idea that charismatic gifts went away shortly after the apostolic age. The early church father Irenaeus (ca. 130-202) as writing, "...we hear many of the brethren in the church who have prophetic gifts, and who speak in tongues through the Spirit, and who also bring to light the secret things of men for their benefit [word of knowledge]...". Dr. Robbins also cites Irenaues writing, "When God saw it necessary, and the church prayed and fasted much, they did miraculous things, even of bringing back the Spirit to a dead man." According to Dr. Robbins, Tertullian (ca. 155–230) reported similar incidents, as did Origen (ca. 182 - 251), Eusebius (ca. 275 – 339), Firmilian (ca. 232-269), and Chrysostom (ca. 347 - 407).

The majority of Pentecostal denominations hold to a Trinitarian theology in accordance with mainstream Protestantism. The world's largest Pentecostal denomination, the Assemblies of God, holds to this belief, [1] as does the Elim Pentecostal Church, Church of God, the Church of God in Christ, and the Foursquare Church.

Some Pentecostal churches, however, hold to Oneness theology, which decries the traditional doctrine of the Trinity as unbiblical. The largest Pentecostal Oneness denomination in the United States is the United Pentecostal Church. The major Trinitarian Pentecostal organizations, however, including the Pentecostal World Conference and the Fellowship of Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches of North America, have condemned Oneness theology as a heresy and refuse membership to churches holding this belief. This same holds true for the Oneness Pentecostals towards Trinitarian churches. In the UK, the term "Apostolics" refers to members of the "Apostolic Church (UK)" - a denomination which adheres to traditional evangelical teaching on the Trinity. This animosity has given rise to heated polemic in the guise of organized dabates sponsored by the Oneness churches, in particular the United Pentecostal Church.

Most Pentecostal churches hold that preaching the Gospel to unbelievers as extremely important. "The Great Commission" to spread the "Good News of the Kingdom of God", spoken by Jesus directly before his Ascension, is perceived as one of the most important commands that Jesus gave.

History
The Pentecostal movement was also prominent in the Holiness movement who were the first to begin making numerous references to the term "Pentecostal" such as in 1867 when the Movement established The National Camp Meeting Association for the Promotion of Christian Holiness with a notice that said: [We are summoning,] irrespective of denominational tie...those who feel themselves comparatively isolated in their profession of holiness…that all would realize together a Pentecostal baptism of the Holy Ghost....

The literal beginning of the modern Pentecostal movement, the remoteness of this region very likely played a role in this event remaining localized for so long. Around 1901, however, Pentecostalism was to stand on a larger stage, as that was when Agnes Ozman received the gift of tongues (glossolalia) during a prayer meeting at Charles Fox Parham's Bethel Bible College in Topeka, Kansas in 1901. Parham, a minister of Methodist background, formulated the doctrine that tongues was the "Bible evidence" of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Further, Pentecostals point to the "upper room" experience of the gathered disciples of Jesus as described in Acts 2:1 and Peter's instructions in Acts 2:38 as justification for their practices.

Parham left Topeka and began a revival meeting ministry. The most significant and controversial is his link to the Azusa Street Revival conducted by his student, the African-American, William J. Seymour. Parham taught W.J.Seymour in his school in Houston, Texas. Although W.J. Seymour was African-American, he was only allowed to sit outside the room to listen to Parham.

This racial separation was deeply influenced by the social, national and political structures of the time. The Supreme Court, in the landmark decision, Plessy vs Ferguson in 1896, legalized racial segregation throughout the United States and ended Reconstruction. This national political influence resulted in an "achilles heel" for the early Pentecostal movement in the U.S. and long-term impact concerning racial unity, equality and doctrinal nuances. For example, many African-American Pentecostal leaders maintained affinities, close ties, cordial relationships and even fellowship with their African-American Holiness leaders. In fact, the Trinitarian-Oneness division within the Assemblies of God had little or no impact to many African-American trinitarian Pentecostal churches who maintained cordial relationships with newly organized African-American Oneness organizations.

Although many instances of glossolalia occurred prior to 1906, The Azusa Street Revival led by William J. Seymour is the watershed of the Pentecostal movement in the U.S and worldwide. Beginning April 9, 1906 in Los Angeles, California at the home of Edward Lee who claimed the infilling of the Holy Spirit as of such date. William J. Seymour claimed that he was overcome with the Holy Spirit on April 12, 1906. On April 18, 1906, the Los Angeles Times ran a front page story on the revival, "Weird Babel of Tongues, New Sect of fanatics is breaking loose, Wild scene last night on Azusa Street, gurgle of wordless talk by a sister". By the third week in April, 1906, the small but growing congregation rented an abandoned African Methodist Episcopal Church at 312 Azusa Street and subsequently became organized as the Apostolic Faith Mission. Almost all mainline Pentecostal denominations today trace their historical roots to the Azusa Street Revival.

Pentecostalism, like any other major movement, has given birth to a large number of organizations, denominations, churches, sects, para-churches, separatists and even cults with political, social or theological differences. The movement's inception was counter-cultural to the social and politcal norms of society. Record numbers of African-American men and women, both Black and white were initial leaders. As the Asuza Revival began to wane, doctrinal differences began to surface as well as the pressure from social, cultural and political events of the time. As a result, major divisions, separation, isolationism, sectarianism and even the increase of extremism were apparent. Not wishing to affiliate with the Assemblies of God, formed in 1914, a group of ministers from predominantly white churches formed the Pentecostal Church of God in Chicago, Illinois in 1919. George Went Hensley, a preacher who had left the Church of God, Cleveland Tennesee (the oldest Pentecostal denomination in America) when it finally stopped embracing snake handling, is credited with creating the first church dedicated to this extreme practice in the 1920s. This became widely practiced in poor, rural areas of the Appalachians. In urban African-American communities of the 1940s, there were Father Divine with his Peace Mission and Daddy Grace, both claiming divinity, encouraging their followers to practice the estaticism of Pentecostalism.

In the early part of the 21st Century the Word of Faith movement, the Toronto Blessing and the Brownsville movement are some of the better know splinter groups who have appropriated the mantle of Pentecostalism to lend creedence to extreme practices and dogma which are rejected by the mainstream movement. These include the practice of divine laughter, Dominionism, ecstatic barking, Creative Visualization, Fetishism, and making Seed Money donations in order to cooerce divine reward.

The role of African-Americans and women cannot be underestimated in the early Pentecostal movement. The first decade of Pentecostalism was marked by interracial assemblies, "...Whites and blacks mix in a religious frenzy,..." according to a local newspaper account at a time when the Supreme Court of the United States declared in its landmark case, Plessy vs Ferguson of 1896 that government facilities were to remain racially separate, but equal. The decision ushered the JIM CROW practices of apartheid in the United States with racially separate and unequal facilities in the U.S. The forward interracial, gender equality and enthusiasm of the Asuza Revival lasted until 1924, when divisions occurred along racial (see Apostolic Faith Mission), gender and doctrinal lines. Interracial services continued for many years, even in parts of the segregated Southern United States, although after the waning years of the Asuza Revival, the practice of interracial services were merely non-existent in many white Pentecostal churches. The Church of God, Cleveland, Tennessee, prior to the split in 1923, made significant inroads across racial divides, with missionary ministry to the Bahamas and elsewhere. After the 1923 divide, the bulk of the black membership followed Overseer A.J. Tomlinson into the Church of God of Prophecy.

This racial isolation, as well as doctrinal splinters, issues of church authority and autonomy, separated denominations such as the A/G and other churches from each other for many years. When the Pentecostal Fellowship of North America was formed in 1948, it was made up entirely of Anglo-American Pentecostal denominations. The Oneness organization, United Pentecostal Church would not join because of their doctrinal stance and their interracial policy throughout its history. After major, national, cultural, religious, political events such as the 1963 Civil Rights Movement led by The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Charismatic Movement, many Pentecostal denominations moved from isolationism to cooperative fellowship. In 1994, segregated Anglo Pentecostals returned to their roots of racial reconciliation. Another watershed within the Pentecostal movement is the MEMPHIS MIRACLE, a meeting by Anglo Pentecostal leaders to African-American Pentecostal leaders. This unification occurred in 1998 in Memphis, Tennessee at the headquarters of the largest African-American Pentecostal body, the Church of God in Christ. The unification of Anglo and African-American leaders led to the restructuring of the Pentecostal Fellowship of North America to become the Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America.

Some Holiness leaders who chose not to participate in the early 20th Century Pentecostal Movement remained highly respected by Pentecostal leaders of the 20th Century. Albert Benjamin Simpson became closely involved with the growing Pentecostal movement. It was common for Pentecostal pastors and missionaries to receive their training at the Missionary Training Institute that Simpson founded. Because of this, Simpson and the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) (an evangelistic movement that Simpson founded) had a great influence on Pentecostalism, in particular the Assemblies of God and the Foursquare Church. This influence included evangelistic emphasis, C&MA doctrine, Simpson's hymns and books, and the use of the term 'Gospel Tabernacle,' which evolved into Pentecostal churches being known as 'Full Gospel Tabernacles.' Charles Price Jones, the African-American Holiness leader and founder of the Church of Christ (Holiness) is another example. His hymns are widely sung at National Coventions of the Church of God in Christ and many Pentecostal churches both African-American and Anglo.

In the United Kingdom, the first Pentecostal church to be formed was the Apostolic Church. This was later followed by the Elim Foursquare Gospel Alliance, later to be known as the Elim Pentecostal Church, founded in 1914 by George Jeffreys.

From the late 1950s onwards, the Charismatic movement, which was to a large extent inspired and influenced by Pentecostalism, began to flourish in the mainline Protestant denominations, as well as the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches, fostered in Britain by organizations such as the Fountain Trust, founded by Michael Harper in 1964. Unlike "Classical Pentecostals," who formed strictly Pentecostal congregations or denominations, Charismatics adopted as their motto, "Bloom where God planted you."

In Sweden, the first Pentecostal church was Filadelfiaförsamlingen in Stockholm. Pastored by Lewi Pethrus, this congregation, originally Baptist, was expelled from the Baptist Union of Sweden in 1913 for doctrinal differences. Today this congregation has about 7000 members and is the biggest Pentecostal congregation in northern Europe. As of 2005, the Swedish pentecostal movement has approximately 90,000 members in nearly 500 congregations. These congregations are all independent but cooperate on a large scale. Swedish Pentecostals have been very missionary-minded and have established churches in many countries. In Brazil, for example, churches founded by the Swedish Pentecostal mission claim several million members.

Pentecostal denominations and adherents
Estimated numbers of Pentecostals vary widely. Christianity Today reported in an article titled World Growth at 19 Million a Year that according to historian Vinson Synan, dean of the Regent University School of Divinity in Virginia Beach, about 25 percent of the world's Christians are Pentecostal or charismatic.

The largest Pentecostal denominations in the United States are the Assemblies of God, the Church of God in Christ, New Testament Church, Church of God (Cleveland), Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the United Pentecostal Church. According to a Spring 1998 article in Christian History, there are about 11,000 different pentecostal or charismatic denominations worldwide.

The size of Pentecostalism in the U.S. is estimated to be more than 20 million including approximately 918,000 (4%) of the Hispanic-American population, counting all unaffiliated congregations, although the numbers are uncertain, in part because some tenets of Pentecostalism are held by members of non-Pentecostal denominations in what has been called the charismatic movement.

Pentecostalism was estimated to number around 115 million followers worldwide in 2000; lower estimates place the figure near to 22 million (eg. Cambridge Encyclopedia), while the highest estimates apparently place the figure between 400 and 600 million. The great majority of Pentecostals are to be found in Developing Countries (see the Statistics subsection below), although much of their international leadership is still North American. Pentecostalism is sometimes referred to as the "third force of Christianity." The largest Christian church in the world is the Yoido Full Gospel Church in South Korea, a Pentecostal church. Founded and led by David Yonggi Cho since 1958, it had 780,000 members in 2003. The True Jesus Church, an indigenous church founded by Chinese believers on the mainland but whose headquarters is now in Taiwan. The Apostolic Church is the fastest growing church in the world.

According to Christianity Today, Pentecostalism is "a vibrant faith among the poor; it reaches into the daily lives of believers, offering not only hope but a new way of living." . In addition, according to a 1999 U.N. report, "Pentecostal churches have been the most successful at recruiting its members from the poorest of the poor." Brazilian Pentecostals talk of Jesus as someone real and close to them and doing things for them including providing food and shelter.

Outside the English speaking world
Pentecostal and charismatic church growth is rapid in many parts of the world. Missions expert David Barrett estimated in a Christianity Today article that the Pentecostal and charismatic church is growing by 19 million per year.

On November 9, 2003, St. Petersburg Times writer Sharon Tubbs stated in an article entitled Fiery Pentecostal Spirit Spreads into Mainstream Christianity that Pentecostalism is the world's fastest-growing Christian movement.

Jeffrey K. Hadden at the Department of Sociology at the University of Virginia collected statistics from the various large pentecostal organizations and from the work by David Stoll (David Stoll, "Is Latin American Turning Protestant?" published Berkeley: University of California Press. 1990) demonstrating that the Pentecostals are experiencing very rapid growth as can be seen on his website. In Myanmar, the Assemblies of God of Myanmar is one of the largest Christian denominations. The pentecostal churches Igreja do Evangelho Completo de Deus, Assembleias de Deus, Igrejas de Cristo and the Assembleias Evangelicas de Deus Pentecostales are among the largest denominations of Mozambique. In Brazil Igreja Pentecostal e Apostólica Missão Jesus is a small church focused on social action and human rights defense of the poor. Among the Indian charismatic denominations are Apostolic Church of Pentecost, Apostolic Pentecostal Church, Assemblies of Christ Church, Assemblies of God, Bible Pattern Church, Church of God (Full Gospel) in India, Church of God of Prophecy, Church of the Apostolic Faith, Elim Church, Nagaland Christian Revival Church, New Life Fellowship, New Testament Church,The Pentecostal Mission, Open Bible Church of God, Pentecostal Free Will Baptist Church, Pentecostal Holiness Church, Pentecostal Mission,United Pentecostal Church in India, and India Pentecostal Church of God.

Statistics
The list indicates there may be 150 million Pentecostals with the largest Pentecostal denominations (claiming 2 million or more adherents) being:

Assemblies of God - 51 million
Independent, loosely affiliated and free Pentecostal churches - 50 million
Kimbanguist Church - 8 million
Church of God in Christ - 9 million
The Apostolic Church - 6 million
The Pentecostal Mission -6.7 million
Church of God (Cleveland) - 5 million
Christ Apostolic Church - 2.8 million
Christian Congregation of Brazil- 2.5 million
Zion Christian Church - 2.5 million
Church of the Lord Aladura - 2.5 million
International Church of the Foursquare Gospel 2 million
Universal Church of the Kingdom of God - 2 million
Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada - 1 million
Christian Outreach Centre - less than 1 million

In Kerala

During 1920s in the Southern State of India called Kerala, Pentecostalism from the West had the opportunity to meet the home grown brand of Pentecostalism. This encounter has some significant lessons for Pentecostal churches and missions agencies, particularly in their relationship with native churches and organizations. This case study of the encounter between western Pentecostalism and the indigenous Pentecostalism also illustrate the use of insights from postcolonial theory and historiography.

Post Colonialism
A postcolonial approach to historiography is different from traditional approaches in its content and as well as its perspective. A postcolonial approach has a distaste for grand narratives instead it believes in locality and historical particularity. Those who use this approach try to construct more limited and specific accounts of particular events and incidents, stressing the fact that each episode has a local and particular colour. This approach thus ensures a place for those who are not given their due place in history.

A postcolonial approach to history is also different in its perspectives. A postcolonial approach to history is considered as "history from below" or "voices from the edges". It tries to reconstruct history from the perspective of those who are left out by traditional histories or those who were not given their due place in history. This is what qualifies the Subaltern Studies project to be called a postcolonial approach.

Another important dimension is that it provides categories to understand relationships between dominant groups and the subalterns, those who have placed themselves at the centre of history and those who are pushed to the periphery.

Post colonialism and Pentecostal Studies

First of all, it would help us to recover Pentecostal history which has not found a place in the grand narratives. Pentecostalism is (still) the religion of the subalterns in most parts of the world; they are not the subjects of their history. It remains an undisputed fact that in the grand narratives that the historians belonging to the historical churches created, Pentecostalism has not been given due recognition. The elitist historiography presented by the groups that are dominant either by their place in history or political or economic advantage, Pentecostalism and especially Pentecostalism in the non-western cultures did not get the due place.

Secondly, it promises a deeper appreciation of the work of the Holy Spirit irrespective of the limits of time and space. The work of the Holy Spirit is universal and it is not limited to any place or time. The postcolonial historiography does help us to look at particular historical events from the perspectives of the natives. Pentecostal histories that are Euro-centric in nature describes Pentecostal history beginning with the Topeka revival and gaining momentum at the Azusa Street Mission and spreading all over the world. The following quotation illustrates this attitude. While introducing the article on how Pentecostalism came to city of Calcutta in India, the editor comments:


Pentecostal church history has revealed that a common thread runs from Azusa Street through contemporary Pentecostal denominations and their missionary expansion.

Such a conviction does not allow us to explore the possibilities of the work of the Holy Spirit in the rest of the world and the ways in which people in various parts of the world responded to its manifestation.

Thirdly, it helps us to explore voices from the contact zones of West and East or the intersection of their spaces. Pentecostalism in the present forms made its appearance either in the last phase of European colonialism or at the dawn of the emergence of new nation states. In other words, Pentecostal missionaries entered the territories which had been colonial contact zones for centuries. How did the natives respond, what sort of resistance and acceptance did they receive from these natives who have already been through political, economic and sometimes even ecclesiastical domination? This would help us to learn some useful lessons for enriching relationship between East and West. "As East is far from the West…" the Psalmist says, but on Pentecost, East and West were made to meet each other through the confession "One God, One Baptism and One Spirit." However, did the confession and experience of the third person of the trinity erase their historical memories? What happens when East and West so far from each other as far as political, economic, social and ecclesiastical spaces meet is for us to explore.

I claim no authority or command over Postcolonial theory and does not endorse it as beyond limitations, but only try to explore its use for Pentecostal studies.

History of Pentecostalism in Kerala

Indigenous Pentecostalism in India first emerged from the Syrian Christian community in the state of Kerala. Its History is very much tied to the history of Christianity in Kerala. Christianity in Kerala claims its origin in AD 52 when the Apostle Thomas arrived and preached the gospel to Jews and the native high caste Bhramins. In addition, there were evidences of migrations of Christians from Syria in the fourth century and the eighth century to Kerala. However, there was an ancient Christian community in Kerala which claimed its ecclesiastical allegiance to the Syrian Orthodox Patriarch in the Middle East. The community, though now divided into two factions, one in allegiance to the Patriarchate in Damascus and one in India continues in the same ecclesiastical and liturgical traditions.

The three stalwarts of native Pentecostalism in Kerala and host of their leaders and laymen came from this community. Pastor K. E. Abraham co-founder and President of Indian Pentecostal Church until 1974 was raised in order to become an Syrian orthodox priest. Another co-founder, Pastor P. M. Samuel, and the first President of Indian Pentecostal Church of God received training to become an Orthodox priest in their seminary. And another founder, Pastor K. C. Cherian, was a teacher in the church-run school and active in the church activities.

The Syrian Christian community had recorded instances of revivals since the second half of 19th century. Edwin Orr describes how, as a result of these revivals new groups professing evangelical faith emerged from among the Syrian Christian community. The first was the reformed Syrian church called Mar Thoma Church and then a movement called Viyojitha Prasthanam (literally translated as the Separatist Movement) which can be rendered as the Holiness Movement. One stream of the Holiness movement under the leadership of noted Malayalam poet K. V. Simon ended up in the Christian Brethren and the other led by K. E. Abraham in Pentecostalism later.

K. E. Abraham, a leader in the Holiness movement who had been in alliance with Church of God (Anderson) was baptized in the Holy Spirit in April 20, 1923 in a meeting held by some native believers who believed in the baptism of Holy Spirit and tarried for it. This is a turning point in the history of Syrian Christians in Kerala. The following years saw a great number of prominent Syrian Christian leaders embracing Pentecostal faith. K. C. Cherian, another school teacher and a former colleague of K.E. Abraham joined the folds of Pentecostals in November 1924. P. T. Chacko became a Pentecostal believer in 1925 while he was a college student.

Pastor K. E. Abraham was leading a denomination called Independent Separatist (Holiness) Church since 1918 but was deserted by most of his followers for his doctrinal position on the Holy Spirit. He founded the South India Pentecostal Church of God with the "faithful remnant" of his group who stood with him. In 1924 the Syrian Christian leaders who have been working independent of each other formed what was known as the South India Pentecostal Church of God (SIPCG). This can be considered as the first indigenous Pentecostal denomination in India, now known as the Indian Pentecostal Church of God.

Arrival of Western Pentecostalism
The Pentecostal message from the West arrived in Kerala in 1909 through the visit of George Berg. This American missionary of German descent arrived in Banglore in 1909 and preached in a Brethren convention in Kerala. Berg visited Kerala again in 1910 but he had to confront tremendous opposition from the Brethren missionaries forcing him to organise meeting on his own. Berg's third visit to Kerala was in 1911 in the company of an Indian missionary called Charles Cummins, and two Brethren expatriate missionaries Aldwinkle, Bouncil, et. al who received the baptism in the Holy Spirit in the meetings of Thomas Barrett. However, the first Pentecostal congregation was formed through the efforts of Berg in Kerala only in 1911. This was among first generation Christians. Berg was the first missionary to reach out to the natives who did not speak English. Otherwise, Pentecostal (foreign) mission was limited to people of foreign origin who spoke English.

The next key player is Robert F. Cook who came to India in 1912 following the trails of Berg. Some of the congregations that Berg had founded joined the mission of R.F. Cook. At this stage, Cook was assisted by the former colleagues of Berg who were expatriate missionaries. Cook was able to establish many churches particularly among the low caste Hindus and Christians in Kerala. During his early days of mission work in India, Cook was an independent. Later R.F. Cook had become a missionary affiliated with the Assemblies of God in U.S.A. Until 1926 R. F. Cook was leading a new Pentecostal denomination by the name South India Full Gospel Church (SIFGC).

Next in the line was Ms. Mary Chapman who came to India as the missionary of Assemblies of God in the US in 1915. However, she was not involved in Kerala actively until 1921 since she stayed in Madras and only did itinerary work in South Kerala.

The work of western missionaries was mainly evangelistic. They reached out the non-Christian (mainly low caste Hindus) and Christians who are the products of Western missionary efforts during the colonial period. However, their impact on Syrian Orthodox Christians was very low.

Their influence on the Spiritual formation of the leaders of the native movements was also very minimal. Pastor K. E. Abraham co-founder of Indian Pentecostal leaders and the first to receive baptism in the Holy Spirit describes the two leading figures of Western Pentecostalism, namely Ms. Chapman and Rev. Cook only after he received Pentecostal experience.

The Meeting of East and West
In 1923, there were three important Pentecostal movements in Kerala, the indigenous movement by the name, South India Pentecostal Church of God, Assemblies of God under the leadership of Mary Chapman and South India Full Gospel Church under the leadership of R. F. Cook. In 1926, South India Pentecostal Church of God and South India Full Gospel Church merged to form, Malankara Pentecostal Church with R. F. Cook as President and K. E. Abraham as Vice-President. However, this did not last long; in 1930 January 30, Malankara Pentecostal Church of God was split to SIPCG and SIFCG again.

This split was a rebellion of sort and a very adventurous decision. The native leaders were very much dependent upon the financial support that was extended by the western missionary. Financial and spiritual support from the western missionary was very crucial because as they embraced Pentecostal faith, they were ostracised by their own community and also had to relinquish their own ancestral property. Though, penniless and socially and economically vulnerable the native leaders did take a decision to part ways with the western missionary.

The native leaders’ version of the conflict is reflected in various articles, leaflets and the autobiography of Pastor. K. E. Abraham. The native leaders described their experience of the western missionaries as "being under the yoke of slavery", and "surrendering the freedom", and their work as "building for money" in the manner of "those who are employed by the state." Their denial of financial support was described as refusing to drink "the milk of the white cow". In clarifying their position expressions like "autonomy of native churches" and "independence" etc were common.

Response of Indigenous Pentecostalism

I would like to examine three important sources that reflect the relationship and attitude of the native Pentecostal leaders towards the western Pentecostal missionary. The first is a speech made by Pastor K. E. Abraham in 1938 to a meeting of the representative of IPC Congregations. The second is a short history of Pentecostalism titled, "Early Years of I. P. C." and the third is the autobiography written by K. E. Abraham.

The "Early Years of I. P. C." was written by K. E. Abraham in 1955. Whether he realised it or not it was published on the 25th anniversary of the native Pentecostal leaders parting way with the missionaries from Azusa street!
The purpose of the publication of this book is that, those who have come to the Pentecostal fellowship recently and those youngsters who belong to the second generation of Pentecost must know about the details of early days Pentecostal ministry.

K. E. Abraham, the co-founder of the Indian Pentecostal Church of God, was the first to come up with an autobiography as well. Published in 1965 and entitled Humble Servant of Jesus Christ, it gives useful insights into how the native perceives himself and the alien. Though it is an autobiography, he claims that it is the history of the denomination that he headed: "My history, it is also the history of India Pentecostal Church of God."

There are three important aspects of the natives' response to the western missionary in these narratives.

Insurgencies and consciousness
I follow the lead of Ranajit Guha in exploring the reasons for such responses. In his studies on peasant insurgencies in India, Guha has pointed out that the reasons for rebellion should not be sought in external factors but in the consciousness of the native. He goes on to say that there are six elementary aspects of this consciousness: negation, ambiguity, modality, solidarity, transmission and territoriality. The fourth of these namely solidarity which I would like to pay special attention to is explained by Chatterjee as the,…the self-definition of the insurgent peasant, his awareness of belonging to a collectivity that was separate from and opposed to his enemies, lay in the aspect of solidarity.… Often it was expressed in terms of ethnicity or kinship or some such affinal category. Sometimes one can read in it the awareness of a class.

Chatterjee also suggests that this consciousness must have a history which he describes as,

Their experience of varying forms of subordination, and of resistance, their attempts to cope with changing forms material and ideological life both in their everyday existence and in those flashes of open rebellion, must leave their imprint on consciousness as a process of learning and development.

It is thus important to explore the history of this consciousness of the native leaders in order to understand this particular historical incident.

Consciousness of the Pentecostal Leaders
One important aspect of this consciousness of the native is the fact that they are Syrian. This Syrianness is evident in various auto-ethnographic remarks found in these narratives, especially in the autobiography of Pastor K. E. Abraham. It is evident in his description of his birth, education, marriage of his brother and his own. In all these the leaders of native Pentecostalism imaged themselves as Syrian Christians. The Syrian historical consciousness is evident in his comment on this issue where he draws on the analogy of the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and the Syrian Orthodox Church:

Everybody knows that the Syrian community in Malankara was absorbed in the Roman Church for about fifty years in the seventeenth century and it came to its former state through the crooked cross resolution by rejecting the relationship to the Roman church. This does not mean that the Malankara church was founded after the resolution of crooked cross. Similarly, Indian Pentecostal Church of God had allied with the movement led by pastor Cook for a period of three years.

This Syrian consciousness of the native has influenced their imaging of the missionary; a fact of which the missionaries from the West were totally uninformed.

Assertion of Surianness
The Syrian church always had an openness to the brethren from overseas. However, they did not allow the brethren from overseas to invade their cultural, social and ecclesiastical spaces. I would like to illustrate this with two examples from outside the realm of and prior to the advent of Pentecostalism in India.

As India became a British colony, evangelical missionaries from the various European countries entered the scene in Kerala. The Syrian metropolitans did encourage the missionaries to preach in their churches as long as they did not interfere with their own traditions and liturgical practices. However, they did control their activities. The cooperation with western missionaries (mainly Anglican) went on in the area of Bible translation, production of literature, and allowing missionaries to hold evangelistic and revival meetings after the regular Qurbana (liturgical service) in the church. Metropolitan Mar Dionysius sought the help of Claudius Buchanan to get the Bible in Syriac to be printed. In 1806 Buchanan got 100 copies of the Syriac Bible printed. These were the first printed copies of Bible in Syriac that this community had. During this time Mar Dionysius also got the Syriac version translated into the local language, Malayalam, and got it printed by the help of Buchanan. Another metropolitan, Matthews Mar Athanasius encouraged western missionaries to visit and preach in the churches. However, this did not last long since the revival took dimensions that Syrian church could not tolerate. In 1830 the Syrian Metropolitan Chepad Mar Dionysius (1827-1856) prohibited the work of the western missionaries through an encyclical. This did have its repercussions in the Syrian Christian community as a number of enlightened Syrian Christians left the Church and joined the Church Missionary Society. The major break came in about half a century later by the formation of the Mar Thoma Church, a reformed Syrian church in 1876. The effect of this desertion and split is that the Syrian Christian community could distance themselves from the western missionary. What was important for the Syrian Christian is to protect his cultural and ecclesiastical space from invasion than spiritual revival. Spiritual revival at the cost of ethnic and ecclesiastical identity was not negotiable.

Another significant instance is the alienation of the native leaders from the western missionaries in the evangelical domain. The Christian Brethren movement gained momentum in Kerala from 1897. It also commanded a good following and the founding leaders were a German missionary by the name Nagel (originally from Basel Mission) and an Anglican missionary by the name Grayson. Sometime in the early 1920's, the Christian Brethren also faced a split. One of the native leaders P. E. Mammen advocated that the native churches should not be controlled by the foreign missionaries and began a movement for the cause of freedom of native churches. Abraham mentions that he had published a number of leaflets to promote his view that western missionaries should not have control over the native churches. However, this led to a split in the Christian Brethren. The native leaders named their group "Syrian Brethren!"

The above two incidents indicate how the consciousness of being a Syrian Christian superseded all other concerns.

Formation of the Syrian Consciousness
There are two aspects to the formation of this particular Syrian consciousness and a third historical factor that conditioned their imaging of the West. The first is the autonomy they enjoyed while being Christians belonging to the Syrian Orthodox tradition and the second being the high social status they enjoyed under the Hindu rulers. The third is the affect European colonialism had on Syrian Christian community.

Ecclesiastical Autonomy
The Syrian Christian community in Kerala belongs to the Syrian Orthodox tradition and they still maintain very lively contact with their counterparts in the Middle East, particularly with the Syrian Patriarchate of Damascus. From time immemorial, the Syrian Orthodox See in Antioch has been the spiritual head of the church with administration in the hands of the local metropolitans. The relationship with the Middle East gave them an identity and determined their historical consciousness. However, this contact with the parent church had a set back due to the advance of Islam to the Christian countries of the Middle East in the sixth century but is revived in the modern days.

Social Status
Historically, the Syrian Christian community in Kerala enjoyed high social status as well. Around the seventh century, the local rulers of Kerala (rajas) recognised Christians as a higher caste and awarded certain privileges and rights. This in fact helped Christians in Kerala to develop a sense of dignity and worth. The break up of communication with the parent church in Syria helped in developing a sense of independence promoted by the Hindu rulers. In the Indian society, which is caste-ridden, this social status was crucial and had a great impact of their collective sense of dignity.


Thus at the arrival of the Portuguese in India towards the close of the 16th century the Christians of St. Thomas were leading a life full of reminiscences of their past, and enjoying a privileged position in society and an amount of social and ecclesiastical autonomy. They had been leading a life at the core of which was an identity consciousness which, if not expressed in clear-cut formulas, was implicit in their attitude towards their traditions, their social, socio-religious and religious customs and practices, and their theological outlook.

Syrian Christians under European Colonialism
This situation changed with the arrival of Vasco da Gama in Kerala on May 21 1498. With the arrival of the Portuguese, the Syrian Christians of Kerala found themselves slipping slowly to the control of the Pope. In the year 1595, Alexis de Menezes the newly appointed Archbishop of Goa, landed in Kerala in order to submit the Church in Kerala to the control of the Roman Catholic Church.

The following statement by Menezes betrays the domination that was planned. In a letter Menezes wrote to Rome in 1597 he said his aim was to:
…to purify all the churches from the heresy and errors which they hold, giving them the pure doctrine of the Catholic faith, taking from them all the heretical books that they possess… I humbly suggest that he be instructed to extinguish little by little the Syrian language, which is not natural. His priests should learn the Latin language, because the Syriac language is a channel through which all that heresy flows. A good administrator ought to replace Syriac by Latin.

The Synod of Diamper which Menezes convened on 1599 was successful in forcing the Syrian Christians of Kerala to accept Portuguese domination. Firth points out that after the Synod, Menezes even burnt a large collection of books and documents belonging to the Syrian Church wherever he could.

This was something that the Syrian Christians who have been enjoying freedom and autonomy for more than sixteen centuries could not stand. Revolt against foreign religious domination had already began in 1595. This led to a large scale revolt in January 1653 where a multitude of Christians took an oath to fight for freedom. In the revolt that ensued many Jesuit priests were targeted. This is known as the "crooked cross" resolution where they declared themselves independent of the Roman Catholic Church.

The freedom and the social status that they enjoyed for two thousand years have helped the Christians to achieve dignity and independence. The Syrian Christian community's imaging of the Western missionary was conditioned by their experience of ecclesiastical domination under the Portuguese rulers and Catholic church. Theirs was one of ecclesiastical and theological domination from which they have delivered themselves. While the Portuguese were still the political rulers, they made their church ecclesiastically free! They imaged themselves as one who were invaded and who freed themselves from the colonial powers.

There are three important aspects of the native Pentecostal response to the western missionary.

Refusal to Reinvent the Holy Spirit
The first is their refusal to reinvent the Holy Spirit in their contexts. The native Pentecostal in these narratives makes successful attempts to snatch history from the Western historians by guarding against any move to reinvent Holy Spirit in Kerala. This he does by stressing that Pentecostal revivals regularly occurred in Kerala before Western Pentecostal missionaries arrived.

In contradiction to what a representative from the West, namely Edwin Orr, has to say about revivals in Kerala is evident. Orr is wrong in concluding that until 1896 there had been no 'Pentecostal outpourings where individuals exhibited a profound conviction of sin.' There are reports of the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in the second half of the 19th century (1872 onwards). The revival movement led by Justus Joseph (his English Christian name), a Brahmin convert to Christianity, was one of that sort. The non-Pentecostal native historian K. V. Simon has noted that in the services of this Christian movement there was revelation, dancing in the spirit etc, though he is critical of it.

Abraham begins his history of Pentecostalism in Kerala by insisting that the revivals that took place in Kerala in 1873, 1895 and 1908 have to be taken as Pentecostal revivals.

There were three powerful revivals has happened in the Malayalam speaking land during M. E. 1048, 1070, 1083 (A. D. 1873, 1895, 1908). In all these three revivals people were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in other tongues. However, those who had these experiences in those days did not realise that they were speaking in tongues as they were endowed with the Holy Spirit; they did not have sufficient knowledge of scripture in this matter.

Abraham snatches history again from the West by emphasising the Pentecostal revival had reached Kerala before the first Pentecostal missionary from the West came. This he does by an indirect reference that he had witnessed revivals before the advent of Pentecostalism in Kerala:

I too was a participant in the spiritual revival that took place among the Christians of Kerala in 1908. I was only nine then. ... I witnessed the power of God being poured out on many people and as a result of this their bodies being shaken, and they speaking with stammering lips. But I did not know what it was. However, only after been obtained the Pentecostal blessing I came to know what it really was.

We have seen earlier that he had attempted to exile the Western missionary from his own person experience of the Holy Spirit by clarifying that it is after his Pentecostal experience that he met the two Pentecostal missionaries from America.

Objection to Eurocentrism
The second aspect of their response is objecting to Eurocentrism. Reaction against the Eurocentric presentation of Pentecostal history can be dated as early as 1955 in India. This is twenty years after the foundation of the Indian Pentecostal Church. In his work The Early Years of IPC, Pastor K. E. Abraham, one of the founders of Indian Pentecostal Church (IPC), struggles to clarify that his denomination existed before the Pentecostal missionaries from the Azusa street established Pentecostal churches in India. In describing the purpose of the book, he says:

Many people think that India Pentecostal Church of God is formed after the break with Pastor Cook. This is because of their ignorance of the early history of this movement. Readers of this book will realise that this movement (Indian Pentecostal Church) has been in existence under the name "South India Pentecostal Church" and for over three years worked in co-operation with the movement that was under the leadership of Pastor Cook and since the beginning of 1930 has been de-affiliated from this alliance.

Earlier in his presidential address to the meeting of the representatives of IPC congregations in 1938 (eight years after the split) he asserted that:

Those who joined this fellowship recently may be surprised to know that it has been fifteen years since this movement started. Many think that this movement began after we left the relationship with Pastor Cook. It is not so! This movement was founded fifteen years ago by those ministers and congregations who accepted Pentecostal truth and decided to minister independently in central Travancore.

He went on to assert that: Since Mr. Cook had convinced us that he is willing to work within the framework of independence of native congregations, we associated our movement then called 'South India Pentecostal Church of God' with his movement along with the local congregations and ministers.

He lists the number of congregations of South India Pentecostal Church of God that they brought to this alliance and goes on to conclude his speech saying that,

From this it may be clear now that those who allege that Abraham and others ran away with Mr. Cook's people have not understood the reality of the matter. It may be now clear that it has been fifteen years since Indian Pentecostal Church began and has worked in association with the ministry of Cook for three and a half years.

This illustrates that the native who already had experienced the West insist on being subjects of their own history. This important aspect of the native is something that needs to be taken seriously in considering relationships between West and the East.

Rejection of Colonial Mimicry
Postcolonial scholars have shown that colonialism has produced a class of interpreters between the coloniser and the colonised. This is a class of people who are natives by birth and physical features but in taste, opinions, morals and intellect are the colonisers. Frantz Fanon uses the phrase, "black skin/white masks," to describe them and V.S.Naipaul calls them "mimic men." This concept has been developed by Homi Bhabha and others as "colonial mimicry." In colonial mimicry, the colonised pretend to have become one like those who have colonised them. V. S. Naipaul has described it as:

We pretend to be real, to be learning, to be preparing ourselves for life, we mimic men of the New World, one unknown corner of it, with all its reminders of the corruption that came so quickly to the new.

For the part of the coloniser, they want to produce men who would resemble them in their tastes and morals, while for the part of the native there is an attempt to wear the colonial mask, to be one like the coloniser. Whatever direction this process takes in producing mimic men, the coloniser is constant and the change is towards that constant centre.

Menezes has tried to produce such mimic men in the Syrian Christian community in Kerala who would speak Latin instead of Syriac and would become Roman Catholic in every way. The Crooked Cross resolution has to be understood as a refusal by a certain section of the Syrian community to become such mimic men. In this line of those who refused to do colonial mimicry stand the Syrian metropolitans and the leaders of the Syrian Brethren movement to be joined by the native Pentecostal leaders.

The Pentecostal church is flourishing in Kerala, apparently due to the growing infighting in the traditional churches.

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 6 (IANS) - "Today we are 500,000 in number and the growth appears to be tremendous in recent years. May be it is because there is growing unrest in most frontline traditional churches," said Sam Kuzhikala, media coordinator of the Indian Pentecostal Church (IPC).

"We do not run any campaign but believers on their own come to our church," Kuzhikala told IANS. The IPC was set up in 1924.

As if to assert this, the Pentecostal church is to hold an eight-day international convention at Kumbanad near Thiruvalla from January 18. Close to 100,000 devotees are expected to attend, as are 3,000 pastors.

The unrest in the traditional churches may not be of recent origin, but a sudden exodus seems to have taken place as is evident from the number of Pentecostal churches that have mushroomed in Kerala in the past five years.

"We had about 700 churches in Kerala in 1996. Today we have grown to more than 2,500. Also, close to a thousand Pentecostal churches have applied to us for affiliation. Isn't this enough to show that the once traditional churches have shrunk?" asked Kuzhikala.

Another recent phenomenon is that the majority of those coming into the Pentecostal fold are non-resident Indians settled mostly in the Middle East and the U.S.

"The basic reason for this is may be the September 11 attack that led to a general sense of anxiety among many. They realised the only way out is to come closer to God," maintained IPC supreme head Pastor T.S. Abraham.

Church spokesmen say the essential difference between the traditional and the Pentecostal churches is that while the latter believe in the full gospel doctrine of the Bible, the traditional churches are more Episcopal in nature.

Divine Feast, a Pentecostal church in Kottayam that opened just three years ago, has grown to a congregation of 8,000 in the town alone.

"I was an alcoholic and when my church ignored me, a friend brought a Divine Feast pastor to my house. In a matter of three days, I was a transformed man.

"I wanted to change but when my own church ignored me I got solace from the Pentecostal movement. Now I am a fulltime member of the new church", said another believer, declining to give his name.

Asserted Pastor Abraham: "We are not for mass conversions as propagated by our adversaries. Instead, we are into mind conversion and that has to happen inside one's own mind. If that does not happen, then their sojourn with us would be short-lived."

Traditional church leaders are not worried about the exodus.

"Our followers are with us. The trend of some leaving the church has always been there but there is no mass exodus," said Baselius Mathews Mar Thoma II, the Malankara Metropolitan now involved in a war of words with the Patriarch faction in the Orthodox church.

During 1920s in the Southern State of India called Kerala, Pentecostalism from the West had the opportunity to meet the home grown brand of Pentecostalism. This encounter has some significant lessons for Pentecostal churches and missions agencies, particularly in their relationship with native churches and organisations. This case study of the encounter between western Pentecostalism and the indigenous Pentecostalism also illustrate the use of insights from postcolonial theory and historiography.
 

Formation of the Syrian Consciousness
There are two aspects to the formation of this particular Syrian consciousness and a third historical factor that conditioned their imaging of the West. The first is the autonomy they enjoyed while being Christians belonging to the Syrian Orthodox tradition and the second being the high social status they enjoyed under the Hindu rulers. The third is the affect European colonialism had on Syrian Christian community.
Ecclesiastical Autonomy
The Syrian Christian community in Kerala belongs to the Syrian Orthodox tradition and they still maintain very lively contact with their counterparts in the Middle East, particularly with the Syrian Patriarchate of Damascus. From time immemorial, the Syrian Orthodox See in Antioch has been the spiritual head of the church with administration in the hands of the local metropolitans. The relationship with the Middle East gave them an identity and determined their historical consciousness. However, this contact with the parent church had a set back due to the advance of Islam to the Christian countries of the Middle East in the sixth century but is revived in the modern days.
Social Status
Historically, the Syrian Christian community in Kerala enjoyed high social status as well. Around the seventh century, the local rulers of Kerala (rajas) recognised Christians as a higher caste and awarded certain privileges and rights. This in fact helped Christians in Kerala to develop a sense of dignity and worth. The break up of communication with the parent church in Syria helped in developing a sense of independence promoted by the Hindu rulers.[21] In the Indian society, which is caste-ridden, this social status was crucial and had a great impact of their collective sense of dignity.
 
Thus at the arrival of the Portuguese in India towards the close of the 16th century the Christians of St. Thomas were leading a life full of reminiscences of their past, and enjoying a privileged position in society and an amount of social and ecclesiastical autonomy. They had been leading a life at the core of which was an identity consciousness which, if not expressed in clear-cut formulas, was implicit in their attitude towards their traditions, their social, socio-religious and religious customs and practices, and their theological outlook.
 

Syrian Christians under European Colonialism
This situation changed with the arrival of Vasco da Gama in Kerala on May 21 1498. With the arrival of the Portuguese, the Syrian Christians of Kerala found themselves slipping slowly to the control of the Pope. In the year 1595, Alexis de Menezes the newly appointed Archbishop of Goa, landed in Kerala in order to submit the Church in Kerala to the control of the Roman Catholic Church.
The following statement by Menezes betrays the domination that was planned. In a letter Menezes wrote to Rome in 1597 he said his aim was to:

…to purify all the churches from the heresy and errors which they hold, giving them the pure doctrine of the Catholic faith, taking from them all the heretical books that they possess… I humbly suggest that he be instructed to extinguish little by little the Syrian language, which is not natural. His priests should learn the Latin language, because the Syriac language is a channel through which all that heresy flows. A good administrator ought to replace Syriac by Latin.


The Synod of Diamper which Menezes convened on 1599 was successful in forcing the Syrian Christians of Kerala to accept Portuguese domination. Firth points out that after the Synod, Menezes even burnt a large collection of books and documents belonging to the Syrian Church wherever he could.

This was something that the Syrian Christians who have been enjoying freedom and autonomy for more than sixteen centuries could not stand. Revolt against foreign religious domination had already began in 1595. This led to a large scale revolt in January 1653 where a multitude of Christians took an oath to fight for freedom. In the revolt that ensued many Jesuit priests were targeted. This is known as the "crooked cross" resolution where they declared themselves independent of the Roman Catholic Church.

The freedom and the social status that they enjoyed for two thousand years have helped the Christians to achieve dignity and independence. The Syrian Christian community's imaging of the Western missionary was conditioned by their experience of ecclesiastical domination under the Portuguese rulers and Catholic church. Theirs was one of ecclesiastical and theological domination from which they have delivered themselves. While the Portuguese were still the political rulers, they made their church ecclesiastically free! They imaged themselves as one who were invaded and who freed themselves from the colonial powers.
There are three important aspects of the native Pentecostal response to the western missionary.

Refusal to Reinvent the Holy Spirit
The first is their refusal to reinvent the Holy Spirit in their contexts. The native Pentecostal in these narratives makes successful attempts to snatch history from the Western historians by guarding against any move to reinvent Holy Spirit in Kerala. This he does by stressing that Pentecostal revivals regularly occurred in Kerala before Western Pentecostal missionaries arrived.
In contradiction to what a representative from the West, namely Edwin Orr, has to say about revivals in Kerala is evident. Orr is wrong in concluding that until 1896 there had been no 'Pentecostal outpourings where individuals exhibited a profound conviction of sin.'[26] There are reports of the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in the second half of the 19th century (1872 onwards). The revival movement led by Justus Joseph (his English Christian name), a Brahmin convert to Christianity, was one of that sort. The non-Pentecostal native historian K. V. Simon has noted that in the services of this Christian movement there was revelation, dancing in the spirit etc, though he is critical of it.

Abraham begins his history of Pentecostalism in Kerala by insisting that the revivals that took place in Kerala in 1873, 1895 and 1908 have to be taken as Pentecostal revivals.

There were three powerful revivals has happened in the Malayalam speaking land during M. E. 1048, 1070, 1083 (A. D. 1873, 1895, 1908).
In all these three revivals people were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in other tongues. However, those who had these experiences in those days did not realise that they were speaking in tongues as they were endowed with the Holy Spirit; they did not have sufficient knowledge of scripture in this matter.


Abraham snatches history again from the West by emphasising the Pentecostal revival had reached Kerala before the first Pentecostal missionary from the West came. This he does by an indirect reference that he had witnessed revivals before the advent of Pentecostalism in Kerala:

I too was a participant in the spiritual revival that took place among the Christians of Kerala in 1908. I was only nine then. ... I witnessed the power of God being poured out on many people and as a result of this their bodies being shaken, and they speaking with stammering lips. But I did not know what it was. However, only after been obtained the Pentecostal blessing I came to know what it really was.

We have seen earlier that he had attempted to exile the Western missionary from his own person experience of the Holy Spirit by clarifying that it is after his Pentecostal experience that he met the two Pentecostal missionaries from America.
Objection to Eurocentrism
The second aspect of their response is objecting to Eurocentrism. Reaction against the Eurocentric presentation of Pentecostal history can be dated as early as 1955 in India. This is twenty years after the foundation of the Indian Pentecostal Church. In his work The Early Years of IPC, Pastor K. E. Abraham, one of the founders of Indian Pentecostal Church (IPC), struggles to clarify that his denomination existed before the Pentecostal missionaries from the Azusa street established Pentecostal churches in India. In describing the purpose of the book, he says:

Many people think that India Pentecostal Church of God is formed after the break with Pastor Cook. This is because of their ignorance of the early history of this movement. Readers of this book will realise that this movement (Indian Pentecostal Church) has been in existence under the name "South India Pentecostal Church" and for over three years worked in co-operation with the movement that was under the leadership of Pastor Cook and since the beginning of 1930 has been de-affiliated from this alliance.

Earlier in his presidential address to the meeting of the representatives of IPC congregations in 1938 (eight years after the split) he asserted that:

Those who joined this fellowship recently may be surprised to know that it has been fifteen years since this movement started. Many think that this movement began after we left the relationship with Pastor Cook. It is not so! This movement was founded fifteen years ago by those ministers and congregations who accepted Pentecostal truth and decided to minister independently in central Travancore.

Since Mr. Cook had convinced us that he is willing to work within the framework of independence of native congregations, we associated our movement then called 'South India Pentecostal Church of God' with his movement along with the local congregations and ministers.

He lists the number of congregations of South India Pentecostal Church of God that they brought to this alliance and goes on to conclude his speech saying that,

From this it may be clear now that those who allege that Abraham and others ran away with Mr. Cook's people have not understood the reality of the matter. It may be now clear that it has been fifteen years since Indian Pentecostal Church began and has worked in association with the ministry of Cook for three and a half years.

This illustrates that the native who already had experienced the West insist on being subjects of their own history. This important aspect of the native is something that needs to be taken seriously in considering relationships between West and the East.

The third aspect of this response I would call the rejection of colonial mimicry. Postcolonial scholars have shown that colonialism has produced a class of interpreters between the coloniser and the colonised. This is a class of people who are natives by birth and physical features but in taste, opinions, morals and intellect are the colonisers. Frantz Fanon uses the phrase, "black skin/white masks," to describe them and V.S.Naipaul calls them "mimic men." This concept has been developed by Homi Bhabha and others as "colonial mimicry." In colonial mimicry, the colonised pretend to have become one like those who have colonised them. V. S. Naipaul has described it as:

We pretend to be real, to be learning, to be preparing ourselves for life, we mimic men of the New World, one unknown corner of it, with all its reminders of the corruption that came so quickly to the new.

For the part of the coloniser, they want to produce men who would resemble them in their tastes and morals, while for the part of the native there is an attempt to wear the colonial mask, to be one like the coloniser. Whatever direction this process takes in producing mimic men, the coloniser is constant and the change is towards that constant centre.
Menezes has tried to produce such mimic men in the Syrian Christian community in Kerala who would speak Latin instead of Syriac and would become Roman Catholic in every way. The Crooked Cross resolution has to be understood as a refusal by a certain section of the Syrian community to become such mimic men. In this line of those who refused to do colonial mimicry stand the Syrian metropolitans and the leaders of the Syrian Brethren movement to be joined by the native Pentecostal leaders.

Conclusion

Pentecostal scholars from the non-Western countries need to explore ways in which they can write the natives back into history and give them their due place. I must also say that even in the West, where historiography is mainly the venture of historians belonging to historical churches, Pentecostal historians need to engage in reconstructing the history of the Christian church from the edges.
In the light of the present study, I submit that there is a great need to understand the historical consciousness of the native. We need to ask what sort of historical memories do they carry and form their consciousness of themselves and the Other.

Pentecostal historians need also to understand the language of domination and control in the contact zones of Pentecostalism. There are already rhetoric and discourse in place in almost all countries which are developed as a results of their experience of colonialism. In trying to communicate the gospel, it is important to understand how the native looks at the Other. In India at least, Christianity and colonialism are considered synonymous by those who advocate the Hindutva Ideology. Hindutva reasons that Christianity was brought to India by the colonial powers beginning with Roman Catholic missionaries who followed the trails of the Portuguese and finally the Anglican missionaries during the British Raj in India. They allege that the message and method of missionary work of the native Indian church is in continuity with that of the colonial missionaries. For them, the native missionary is just another mimic man of the colonialism.

The Holy Spirit has been in work all over the world. We need to continue to do research on non-western Christian traditions to understand how they understood the work of the Holy Spirit and how this would help us to better communicate the full gospel truth. I hope scholars from other countries and cultures would find in this example from India, though preliminary in nature, a stimulus for similar explorations.


 Pentecostal scholars from the non-Western countries need to explore ways in which they can write the natives back into history and give them their due place. I must also say that even in the West, where historiography is mainly the venture of historians belonging to historical churches, Pentecostal historians need to engage in reconstructing the history of the Christian church from the edges.


Pentecostal historians need also to understand the language of domination and control in the contact zones of Pentecostalism. There are already rhetoric and discourse in place in almost all countries which are developed as a results of their experience of colonialism. In trying to communicate the gospel, it is important to understand how the native looks at the Other. In India at least, Christianity and colonialism are considered synonymous by those who advocate the Hindutva Ideology. Hindutva reasons that Christianity was brought to India by the colonial powers beginning with Roman Catholic missionaries who followed the trails of the Portuguese and finally the Anglican missionaries during the British Raj in India. They allege that the message and method of missionary work of the native Indian church is in continuity with that of the colonial missionaries. For them, the native missionary is just another mimic man of the colonialism.

The Holy Spirit has been in work all over the world. We need to continue to do research on non-western Christian traditions to understand how they understood the work of the Holy Spirit and how this would help us to better communicate the full gospel truth. I hope scholars from other countries and cultures would find in this example from India, though preliminary in nature, a stimulus for similar explorations.

India Pentecostal Church of God


The Indian Pentecostal Church of God (IPC) is the largest indigenous Pentecostal movement in India, with its headquarters at Hebron, Kumbanad, Kerala, India. The movement was established in 1924 and registered on December 9, 1935 at Eluru, Andhra Pradesh, under the Government of India.

Pastor K. C. John now serves as the General President and Rev T. Valson Abraham as the General Secretary of IPC. The not-for-profit organization has about 7,500 churches located in over 25 regions and states around the world. However, the state of Kerala, India has the greatest number of IPC churches: nearly 4,500 local congregations.


History


Reformation and revival

The process of reformation and the experience of revival continued and even coincided at times with the Topeka Revival in 1901, the Mukthi Mission Poona Revival in 1905, the Azusa Street Revival in 1906, and several more. Two important and prominent revivals took place in Kerala, one in 1873 and the other in 1895. A similar revival took place at the Mukti Mission of Pandita Ramabai, Pune, India later in 1905.


Pentecostal pioneers in Kerala

In 1909, the missionary George Berg preached in a meeting in Kottarakara and Adoor, two large towns in India. Reverend Thomas Barret ministered in Coonoor soon after and Pentecostalism began to spread in the southern region of India. As a result, several Pentecostal congregations were formed in Kerala that year.

Four years later, Reverend Robert F. Cook came to Kerala to conduct further mission work. Pastor K E Abraham, a key figure in the forming of IPC, devoted his life for mission work through the ministry of Reverend Cook.

Pastor K.E. Abraham was born in 1st March 1899, in Puthencav, near Chenganoor, in Kerala, India. His parents were members of the Syrian Orthodox Jacobite Church. At the age of 7 he was sent to a Marthomite Sunday School. From his young age he was saved and lived as a Son of God. In 1914, he dedicated his life to gospel work in a meeting conducted by Moothamplackal Kochukunju Upadesi. In 1915 after he passed his 7th class, he was appointed as a schoolteacher. He also began his gospel work at the same time. He was baptized in water on 27 February 1916 at the age of 17, and separated from the Jacobite Church. That same year, K.E. Abraham and later Mrs. K.E. Abraham resigned their teaching jobs.

In the late 1920s, Pastor K. E. Abraham, Pastor P. M. Samuel, Pastor K. C. Cherian, and many others decided to unite the various and independent Pentecostal churches into an organization. This soon created a large Pentecostal denomination very much like the international Assemblies of God.


Origin and growth

To further spread Pentecostalism, Pastor K. E. Abraham, founded a bible college called IPC Hebron Bible College designed to educate and equip young converts so they may be able to grow into prominent ministers and mission workers.

In 1935, Pastors K. E. Abraham and P. T. Chacko toured North India and finally reached Eluru on the east coast of Andra Pradesh; Pastor P. M. Samuel, after his own tour of Tamilnad, met them at Eluru. There the Indian Pentecostal Church of God was registered with the Government of India under the Societies Act XXI of 1860 on December 9, 1935.

Pastor P. M. Samuel from Andhra Pradesh was chosen as the first President, Pastor K. C. Cherian who had moved to Karnataka as the Vice-President, and Pastor P. T. Chacko representing Travancore as the Secretary of IPC.


Post-registration and expansion

From the Indian state of Travancore, Pastor P. T. Chacko moved to Eluru and then to Secunderabad, Pastor P. M. Samuel to Vijayawada; Pastor M. K. Chacko to Delhi; Pastor K. J. Samuel to Lahore; Pastor Kurian Thomas to Itarsi; Pastor P. J. Daniel to Allahabad.

From 1939 onwards Pastor K. E. Abraham held the office of the President, until he died in December, 1974. With his powerful preaching and sacrificial commitment, IPC and Pentecostalism grew in various regions in India.

Pastor Abraham was succeeded by Pastor P. M. Samuel and then Pastor T. G. Oommen followed by Pastor P. L. Paramjyothi. When Pastor Paramjyothi died in 1996, Pastor K. M. Joseph, the Vice President assumed office as President at the decision of the General Council, followed by Pastor T. S. Abraham. Now Pastor K. C. John has been elected as the General President of IPC (2006-present).


IPC Headquarters

Pastor K. C. Oommen sacrificially gave his house and property as a free will offering to this movement. John Ayyapillai, father of Pastor P. J. Daniel and Pastor P. J. Thomas donated 10 acres of their land to the church. It was sold and the money was spent to build "the Bungalow" as part of IPC Headquarters at Kumbanadu.



At present, the Indian Pentecostal Church of God has nearly 2,500 local churches planted outside of India.


Europe Region

When the late Pastor George Varghese, the then General Secretary of IPC visited New York City, he convened a meeting of the pastors in the region on October 28, 1988, and formed a pastor’s fellowship with now late Pastor A C George as the convener. Since then, the pastors used to meet on a regular basis for prayer and fellowship.

In the early nineties, Pastors A. C. George, K. V. Kurian, John Daniel and Bro. M. A. George met several times at the India Christian Assembly auditorium to discuss the formation of an IPC North American Council and an Eastern Region Council. Later on, Pastor Sunny Philip and Bro. Roy Vakathanam also joined these discussions, which ultimately led to the formation of the IPC Eastern Region.

The primary objective behind forming these councils was to promote unity among the IPC churches in North America and to start new congregations wherever possible and thereby increasing the number of member churches all over America and Canada. The secondary objective was to start a theological seminary in Kerala, India, of higher academic and spiritual standard owned by the Church, financed and administered by pastors and believers in joint partnership.

Accordingly, all the IPC churches in North America were invited for a joint meeting to make a final decision on these councils and a meeting was held at IPC, Queens Village, New York. More than 40 members from across America and Canada attended the meeting, and thus the IPC North American Council was formed, with Pastor K. V. Kurian appointed as the President, Pastor Joy Abraham as the Secretary, Bro. M. A. George as the Joint Secretary, Bro. George Mathai as the Treasurer and one member from each member church as a council member. Thereafter, the IPC Eastern Region Council was formed, with Pastor A. C. George as the President, Pastor John C. Daniel as the Vice-President, Professor T. C. Mathew as the Secretary, Bro. M. A. George as the Treasurer, Bro. Varghese Pinakulam as the Joint Secretary, and one member from each member church serving as a council member. There were 10 member churches at the time of the region’s formation. This council served for three years and the membership started growing each year.

At the annual general body meeting held on May 29, 1994, a resolution proposing that the tenure of the new council should be for two years was passed. The new council was elected with Pastor A. C. George as the President, Pastor K. V. Abraham as the Vice President, Bro. M. A. George as the Secretary, Bro. George Kuruvilla as the Joint Secretary, Bro. George Varghese as the Treasurer, and one council member from each church. Several new churches joined the region during this time, including churches from Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee. At the end of the second term the number of churches in the Eastern Region grew to twenty-eight.

In January 1993, the Eastern Region Council and North American Council sent Pastor A. C. George and Bro. M. A. George to the IPC General Council meeting at Kumbanad to seek approval for both Councils and the IPC Theological Seminary. The matter was presented to the General Council and after prolonged discussions the General Council unanimously approved all proposals.

This year, as we commemorate the 15th anniversary of the IPC Eastern Region Council, I remember the services of the late Pastors K. V. Kurian and A. C. George for their tireless services to IPC Eastern Region and the IPC Churches of North America. I consider it a great privilege and honor to have worked with these great men of God in the building up of many IPC churches in North America.


Conventions and Conferences


The Kumbanadu Convention

On the third week of January of every year, one of the largest Pentecostal gatherings in the world, known as the Kumbanadu Convention, is held at Hebronpuram, Kumbanadu, on the Thiruvalla - Kozhencherry road, in the Pathanamthitta district of Kerala, South India. On April 1 to 5, 1925 the first common convention of the south Indian Pentecostal churches was held in Ranny and is considered the first General Convention of IPC. From 1931 on, the annual IPC General Conventions are held at Kumbanadu.


North American Family Conference

As more and more IPC churches developed in the United States and Canada, there was a need of an annual convention like India's Kumbanadu Convention. Therefore, in 1998, a group of visionary IPC North American leaders, pastors, and representatives got together in a church in New York called India Pentecostal Assembly. The chairman of the meeting, Pastor T S Abraham, Louie Chicago and other leaders finally made the decision upon the approval of the majority to begin a national conference for IPC churches of the United States and Canada and named it IPC North American Family Conference (IPC NAFC).


Eastern Region

The first annual convention of the Eastern Region was held at Susan B. Anthony High School, New York from September 13 to 15, 1991. Pastor P K Chacko and George Oommen were the guest speaker. The second annual convention was held at Francis Lewis High School from August 20 to 23, 1992. Pastors P. M. Philip, T. S. Abraham, K. M. Joseph, and Dr Idi Cheria Ninan were the guest speakers. The third annual convention was held at Francis Lewis High School from October 22 to 24, 1993. Pastor Abraham Samuel, from Andra Pradresh, the scheduled speaker for the convention, suddenly became ill at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Pastor M. A. Varghese spoke at the convention instead. He died during his return trip to India. Eastern Region officials had the privilege to see him off before he left America.

Every year, usually in October, there's an annual IPC Eastern Region convention that takes place in the tri-state area.


Midwest Region

Every year the Midwest Region, conducts their regional conference during the Labor Day weekend. This region also conducts yearly minister's conference and other meeting. The Midwest region consists mainly with Dallas, Houston, and Oklahoma.


Branches and Subsidiaries


The Pentecostal Young People's Association

The Pentecostal Young People's Association (PYPA), the youth wing and subsidiary association of IPC. Its main aim is to spiritually teach and ultimately train youth to be better Christians. With its motto "Saved to Serve", PYPA aims at attracting youth to the association and equip them for life.


Women's Fellowship

Under the supervision of the Eastern Region council, IPC Women’s was formed on November 13, 1991 at a combined fellowship meeting of the minister’s council, the Eastern Region council, and the representatives of the sisters from participating churches. The meeting adopted the guidelines for the conduct of the fellowship.

In 2006, a women's fellowship was created in the Mid-west region, as well. There was a separate service for women and men during the Midwest regional convention in Oklahoma City. The current Ladies' Coordinator is Sis. Susie Varghese (Dallas, Texas).




Zion Kahalam

In 1936, at the invitation of the Swedish Pentecostal Churches, Pastor K C Cherian and Pastor K E Abraham visited Sweden and other Scandinavian and European countries for about two years as representatives of the Indian Christian community, enriching the movement in various aspects. During this trip a printing press was acquired for the church. Zion Kahalam, a Malayalam monthly, was published by Pastor K. E. Abraham for the church from Kumbanadu. Bro.Moni.Karikam currently serves as the Chief Editor, and Bro.Godson Poomoottil Varghese who currently serves as the manager.



History of Pentecostalism in India
Introduction


During 1920s in the Southern State of India called Kerala, Pentecostalism from the West had the opportunity to meet the home grown brand of Pentecostalism. This encounter has some significant lessons for Pentecostal churches and missions agencies, particularly in their relationship with native churches and organisations. This case study of the encounter between western Pentecostalism and the indigenous Pentecostalism also illustrate the use of insights from postcolonial theory and historiography.
Postcolonialism
A postcolonial approach to historiography is different from traditional approaches in its content and as well as its perspective. A postcolonial approach has a distaste for grand narratives instead it believes in locality and historical particularity. Those who use this approach try to construct more limited and specific accounts of particular events and incidents, stressing the fact that each episode has a local and particular colour. This approach thus ensures a place for those who are not given their due place in history.
A postcolonial approach to history is also different in its perspectives. A postcolonial approach to history is considered as "history from below" or "voices from the edges". It tries to reconstruct history from the perspective of those who are left out by traditional histories or those who were not given their due place in history. This is what qualifies the Subaltern Studies project to be called a postcolonial approach.
Another important dimension is that it provides categories to understand relationships between dominant groups and the subalterns, those who have placed themselves at the centre of history and those who are pushed to the periphery.
Postcolonialism and Pentecostal Studies
What relevance does the postcolonial approach have to Pentecostal studies?
First of all, it would help us to recover Pentecostal history which has not found a place in the grand narratives. Pentecostalism is (still) the religion of the subalterns in most parts of the world; they are not the subjects of their history. It remains an undisputed fact that in the grand narratives that the historians belonging to the historical churches created, Pentecostalism has not been given due recognition. The elitist historiography presented by the groups that are dominant either by their place in history or political or economic advantage, Pentecostalism and especially Pentecostalism in the non-western cultures did not get the due place.
Secondly, it promises a deeper appreciation of the work of the Holy Spirit irrespective of the limits of time and space. The work of the Holy Spirit is universal and it is not limited to any place or time. The postcolonial historiography does help us to look at particular historical events from the perspectives of the natives. Pentecostal histories that are Euro-centric in nature describes Pentecostal history beginning with the Topeka revival and gaining momentum at the Azusa Street Mission and spreading all over the world. The following quotation illustrates this attitude. While introducing the article on how Pentecostalism came to city of Calcutta in India, the editor comments:

Pentecostal church history has revealed that a common thread runs from Azusa Street through contemporary pentecostal denominations and their missionary expansion.


Such a conviction does not allow us to explore the possibilities of the work of the Holy Spirit in the rest of the world and the ways in which people in various parts of the world responded to its manifestation.
Thirdly, it helps us to explore voices from the contact zones of West and East or the intersection of their spaces. Pentecostalism in the present forms made its appearance either in the last phase of European colonialism or at the dawn of the emergence of new nation states. In other words, Pentecostal missionaries entered the territories which had been colonial contact zones for centuries. How did the natives respond, what sort of resistance and acceptance did they receive from these natives who have already been through political, economic and sometimes even ecclesiastical domination? This would help us to learn some useful lessons for enriching relationship between East and West. "As East is far from the West…" the Psalmist says, but on Pentecost, East and West were made to meet each other through the confession "One God, One Baptism and One Spirit." However, did the confession and experience of the third person of the trinity erase their historical memories? What happens when East and West so far from each other as far as political, economic, social and ecclesiastical spaces meet is for us to explore.
I claim no authority or command over Postcolonial theory and does not endorse it as beyond limitations, but only try to explore its use for Pentecostal studies.

Short History of Pentecostalism in Kerala


Indigenous Pentecostalism in India first emerged from the Syrian Christian community in the state of Kerala. Its History is very much tied to the history of Christianity in Kerala. Christianity in Kerala claims its origin in AD 52 when the Apostle Thomas arrived and preached the gospel to Jews and the native high caste Bhramins.[6] In addition, there were evidences of migrations of Christians from Syria in the fourth century and the eighth century to Kerala.[7] However, there was an ancient Christian community in Kerala which claimed its ecclesiastical allegiance to the Syrian Orthodox Patriarch in the Middle East. The community, though now divided into two factions, one in allegiance to the Patriarchate in Damascus and one in India continues in the same ecclesiastical and liturgical traditions.
The three stalwarts of native Pentecostalism in Kerala and host of their leaders and laymen came from this community. Pastor K. E. Abraham co-founder and President of Indian Pentecostal Church until 1974 was raised in order to become an Syrian orthodox priest. Another co-founder, Pastor P. M. Samuel, and the first President of Indian Pentecostal Church of God received training to become an Orthodox priest in their seminary. And another founder, Pastor K. C. Cherian, was a teacher in the church-run school and active in the church activities.
The Syrian Christian community had recorded instances of revivals since the second half of 19th century. Edwin Orr describes how, as a result of these revivals new groups professing evangelical faith emerged from among the Syrian Christian community.[8] The first was the reformed Syrian church called Mar Thoma Church and then a movement called Viyojitha Prasthanam (literally translated as the Separatist Movement) which can be rendered as the Holiness Movement. One stream of the Holiness movement under the leadership of noted Malayalam poet K. V. Simon ended up in the Christian Brethren and the other led by K. E. Abraham in Pentecostalism later.
K. E. Abraham, a leader in the Holiness movement who had been in alliance with Church of God (Anderson) was baptised in the Holy Spirit in April 20, 1923 in a meeting held by some native believers who believed in the baptism of Holy Spirit and tarried for it. This is a turning point in the history of Syrian Christians in Kerala. The following years saw a great number of prominent Syrian Christian leaders embracing Pentecostal faith. K. C. Cherian, another school teacher and a former colleague of K.E. Abraham joined the folds of Pentecostals in November 1924. P. T. Chacko became a Pentecostal believer in 1925 while he was a college student.
Pastor K. E. Abraham was leading a denomination called Independent Separatist (Holiness) Church since 1918 but was deserted by most of his followers for his doctrinal position on the Holy Spirit. He founded the South India Pentecostal Church of God with the "faithful remnant" of his group who stood with him. In 1924 the Syrian Christian leaders who have been working independent of each other formed what was known as the South India Pentecostal Church of God (SIPCG). This can be considered as the first indigenous Pentecostal denomination in India, now known as the Indian Pentecostal Church of God.
Arrival of Western Pentecostalism
The Pentecostal message from the West arrived in Kerala in 1909 through the visit of George Berg. This American missionary of German descent arrived in Banglore in 1909 and preached in a Brethren convention in Kerala.[9] Berg visited Kerala again in 1910 but he had to confront tremendous opposition from the Brethren missionaries forcing him to organise meeting on his own. Berg's third visit to Kerala was in 1911 in the company of an Indian missionary called Charles Cummins, and two Brethren expatriate missionaries Aldwinkle, Bouncil, et. al who received the baptism in the Holy Spirit in the meetings of Thomas Barrett. However, the first Pentecostal congregation was formed through the efforts of Berg in Kerala only in 1911. This was among first generation Christians. Berg was the first missionary to reach out to the natives who did not speak English. Otherwise, Pentecostal (foreign) mission was limited to people of foreign origin who spoke English.
The next key player is Robert F. Cook who came to India in 1912 following the trails of Berg. Some of the congregations that Berg had founded joined the mission of R.F. Cook. At this stage, Cook was assisted by the former colleagues of Berg who were expatriate missionaries. Cook was able to establish many churches particularly among the low caste Hindus and Christians in Kerala. During his early days of mission work in India, Cook was an independent. Later R.F. Cook had become a missionary affiliated with the Assemblies of God in U.S.A. Until 1926 R. F. Cook was leading a new Pentecostal denomination by the name South India Full Gospel Church (SIFGC).
Next in the line was Ms. Mary Chapman who came to India as the missionary of Assemblies of God in the US in 1915. However, she was not involved in Kerala actively until 1921 since she stayed in Madras and only did itinerary work in South Kerala.
The work of western missionaries was mainly evangelistic. They reached out the non-Christian (mainly low caste Hindus) and Christians who are the products of Western missionary efforts during the colonial period. However, their impact on Syrian Orthodox Christians was very low.
Their influence on the Spiritual formation of the leaders of the native movements was also very minimal. Pastor K. E. Abraham co-founder of Indian Pentecostal leaders and the first to receive baptism in the Holy Spirit describes the two leading figures of Western Pentecostalism, namely Ms. Chapman and Rev. Cook only after he received Pentecostal experience.
The Meeting of East and West
In 1923, there were three important Pentecostal movements in Kerala, the indigenous movement by the name, South India Pentecostal Church of God, Assemblies of God under the leadership of Mary Chapman and South India Full Gospel Church under the leadership of R. F. Cook. In 1926, South India Pentecostal Church of God and South India Full Gospel Church merged to form, Malankara Pentecostal Church with R. F. Cook as President and K. E. Abraham as Vice-President. However, this did not last long; in 1930 January 30, Malankara Pentecostal Church of God was split to SIPCG and SIFCG again.
This split was a rebellion of sort and a very adventurous decision. The native leaders were very much dependent upon the financial support that was extended by the western missionary. Financial and spiritual support from the western missionary was very crucial because as they embraced Pentecostal faith, they were ostracised by their own community and also had to relinquish their own ancestral property. Though, penniless and socially and economically vulnerable the native leaders did take a decision to part ways with the western missionary.
The native leaders’ version of the conflict is reflected in various articles, leaflets and the autobiography of Pastor. K. E. Abraham. The native leaders described their experience of the western missionaries as "being under the yoke of slavery", and "surrendering the freedom", and their work as "building for money" in the manner of "those who are employed by the state." Their denial of financial support was described as refusing to drink "the milk of the white cow". In clarifying their position expressions like "autonomy of native churches" and "independence" etc were common.

Response of Indigenous Pentecostalism


I would like to examine three important sources that reflect the relationship and attitude of the native Pentecostal leaders towards the western Pentecostal missionary. The first is a speech made by Pastor K. E. Abraham in 1938 to a meeting of the representative of IPC Congregations. The second is a short history of Pentecostalism titled, "Early Years of I. P. C." and the third is the autobiography written by K. E. Abraham.
The "Early Years of I. P. C." was written by K. E. Abraham in 1955. Whether he realised it or not it was published on the 25th anniversary of the native Pentecostal leaders parting way with the missionaries from Azusa street! The purpose of this narrative is very clearly stated in the introduction as:

The purpose of the publication of this book is that, those who have come to the Pentecostal fellowship recently and those youngsters who belong to the second generation of Pentecost must know about the details of early days Pentecostal ministry.

K. E. Abraham, the co-founder of the Indian Pentecostal Church of God, was the first to come up with an autobiography as well. Published in 1965 and entitled Humble Servant of Jesus Christ, it gives useful insights into how the native perceives himself and the alien.Though it is an autobiography, he claims that it is the history of the denomination that he headed: "My history, it is also the history of India Pentecostal Church of God."
There are three important aspects of the natives' response to the western missionary in these narratives.
Insurgencies and consciousness
I follow the lead of Ranajit Guha in exploring the reasons for such responses. In his studies on peasant insurgencies in India, Guha has pointed out that the reasons for rebellion should not be sought in external factors but in the consciousness of the native. He goes on to say that there are six elementary aspects of this consciousness: negation, ambiguity, modality, solidarity, transmission and territoriality. The fourth of these namely solidarity which I would like to pay special attention to is explained by Chatterjee as the,



…the self-definition of the insurgent peasant, his awareness of belonging to a collectivity that was separate from and opposed to his enemies, lay in the aspect of solidarity.… Often it was expressed in terms of ethnicity or kinship or some such affinal category. Sometimes one can read in it the awareness of a class.


Chatterjee also suggests that this consciousness must have a history which he describes as,

Their experience of varying forms of subordination, and of resistance, their attempts to cope with changing forms material and ideological life both in their everyday existence and in those flashes of open rebellion, must leave their imprint on consciousness as a process of learning and development.

It is thus important to explore the history of this consciousness of the native leaders in order to understand this particular historical incident.
Consciousness of the Pentecostal Leaders
One important aspect of this consciousness of the native is the fact that they are Syrian. This Syrianness is evident in various auto-ethnographic remarks found in these narratives, especially in the autobiography of Pastor K. E. Abraham. It is evident in his description of his birth, education, marriage of his brother and his own. In all these the leaders of native Pentecostalism imaged themselves as Syrian Christians. The Syrian historical consciousness is evident in his comment on this issue where he draws on the analogy of the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and the Syrian Orthodox Church:

Everybody knows that the Syrian community in Malankara was absorbed in the Roman Church for about fifty years in the seventeenth century and it came to its former state through the crooked cross resolution by rejecting the relationship to the Roman church. This does not mean that the Malankara church was founded after the resolution of crooked cross. Similarly, Indian Pentecostal Church of God had allied with the movement led by pastor Cook for a period of three years.


This Syrian consciousness of the native has influenced their imaging of the missionary; a fact of which the missionaries from the West were totally uninformed.
Assertion of Syrianness
The Syrian church always had an openness to the brethren from overseas. However, they did not allow the brethren from overseas to invade their cultural, social and ecclesiastical spaces. I would like to illustrate this with two examples from outside the realm of and prior to the advent of Pentecostalism in India.
As India became a British colony, evangelical missionaries from the various European countries entered the scene in Kerala. The Syrian metropolitans did encourage the missionaries to preach in their churches as long as they did not interfere with their own traditions and liturgical practices. However, they did control their activities. The cooperation with western missionaries (mainly Anglican) went on in the area of Bible translation, production of literature, and allowing missionaries to hold evangelistic and revival meetings after the regular Korbana (liturgical service) in the church. Metropolitan Mar Dionysius sought the help of Claudius Buchanan to get the Bible in Syriac to be printed. In 1806 Buchanan got 100 copies of the Syriac Bible printed. These were the first printed copies of Bible in Syriac that this community had. During this time Mar Dionysius also got the Syriac version translated into the local language, Malayalam, and got it printed by the help of Buchanan. Another metropolitan, Matthews Mar Athanasius encouraged western missionaries to visit and preach in the churches. However, this did not last long since the revival took dimensions that Syrian church could not tolerate. In 1830 the Syrian Metropolitan Chepad Mar Dionysius (1827-1856) prohibited the work of the western missionaries through an encyclical.[18] This did have its repercussions in the Syrian Christian community as a number of enlightened Syrian Christians left the Church and joined the Church Missionary Society. The major break came in about half a century later by the formation of the Mar Thoma Church, a reformed Syrian church in 1876.The effect of this desertion and split is that the Syrian Christian community could distance themselves from the western missionary. What was important for the Syrian Christian is to protect his cultural and ecclesiastical space from invasion than spiritual revival. Spiritual revival at the cost of ethnic and ecclesiastical identity was not negotiable.
Another significant instance is the alienation of the native leaders from the western missionaries in the evangelical domain. The Christian Brethren movement gained momentum in Kerala from 1897. It also commanded a good following and the founding leaders were a German missionary by the name Nagel (originally from Basel Mission) and an Anglican missionary by the name Grayson. Sometime in the early 1920's, the Christian Brethren also faced a split. One of the native leaders P. E. Mammen advocated that the native churches should not be controlled by the foreign missionaries and began a movement for the cause of freedom of native churches. Abraham mentions that he had published a number of leaflets to promote his view that western missionaries should not have control over the native churches. However, this led to a split in the Christian Brethren. The native leaders named their group "Syrian Brethren!"
The above two incidents indicate how the consciousness of being a Syrian Christian superseded all other concerns.
Formation of the Syrian Consciousness
There are two aspects to the formation of this particular Syrian consciousness and a third historical factor that conditioned their imaging of the West. The first is the autonomy they enjoyed while being Christians belonging to the Syrian Orthodox tradition and the second being the high social status they enjoyed under the Hindu rulers. The third is the affect European colonialism had on Syrian Christian community.

Ecclesiastical Autonomy
The Syrian Christian community in Kerala belongs to the Syrian Orthodox tradition and they still maintain very lively contact with their counterparts in the Middle East, particularly with the Syrian Patriarchate of Damascus. From time immemorial, the Syrian Orthodox See in Antioch has been the spiritual head of the church with administration in the hands of the local metropolitans. The relationship with the Middle East gave them an identity and determined their historical consciousness. However, this contact with the parent church had a set back due to the advance of Islam to the Christian countries of the Middle East in the sixth century but is revived in the modern days.

Social Status
Historically, the Syrian Christian community in Kerala enjoyed high social status as well. Around the seventh century, the local rulers of Kerala (rajas) recognised Christians as a higher caste and awarded certain privileges and rights. This in fact helped Christians in Kerala to develop a sense of dignity and worth. The break up of communication with the parent church in Syria helped in developing a sense of independence promoted by the Hindu rulers.
In the Indian society, which is caste-ridden, this social status was crucial and had a great impact of their collective sense of dignity.

Mundadan comments:
Thus at the arrival of the Portuguese in India towards the close of the 16th century the Christians of St. Thomas were leading a life full of reminiscences of their past, and enjoying a privileged position in society and an amount of social and ecclesiastical autonomy. They had been leading a life at the core of which was an identity consciousness which, if not expressed in clear-cut formulas, was implicit in their attitude towards their traditions, their social, socio-religious and religious customs and practices, and their theological outlook.


Syrian Christians under European Colonialism
This situation changed with the arrival of Vasco da Gama in Kerala on May 21 1498. With the arrival of the Portuguese, the Syrian Christians of Kerala found themselves slipping slowly to the control of the Pope. In the year 1595, Alexis de Menezes the newly appointed Archbishop of Goa, landed in Kerala in order to submit the Church in Kerala to the control of the Roman Catholic Church.
The following statement by Menezes betrays the domination that was planned. In a letter Menezes wrote to Rome in 1597 he said his aim was to:

…to purify all the churches from the heresy and errors which they hold, giving them the pure doctrine of the Catholic faith, taking from them all the heretical books that they possess… I humbly suggest that he be instructed to extinguish little by little the Syrian language, which is not natural. His priests should learn the Latin language, because the Syriac language is a channel through which all that heresy flows. A good administrator ought to replace Syriac by Latin.


The Synod of Diamper which Menezes convened on 1599 was successful in forcing the Syrian Christians of Kerala to accept Portuguese domination. Firth points out that after the Synod, Menezes even burnt a large collection of books and documents belonging to the Syrian Church wherever he could.

This was something that the Syrian Christians who have been enjoying freedom and autonomy for more than sixteen centuries could not stand. Revolt against foreign religious domination had already began in 1595. This led to a large scale revolt in January 1653 where a multitude of Christians took an oath to fight for freedom. In the revolt that ensued many Jesuit priests were targeted. This is known as the "crooked cross" resolution where they declared themselves independent of the Roman

Catholic Church.
The freedom and the social status that they enjoyed for two thousand years have helped the Christians to achieve dignity and independence. The Syrian Christian community's imaging of the Western missionary was conditioned by their experience of ecclesiastical domination under the Portuguese rulers and Catholic church. Theirs was one of ecclesiastical and theological domination from which they have delivered themselves. While the Portuguese were still the political rulers, they made their church ecclesiastically free! They imaged themselves as one who were invaded and who freed themselves from the colonial powers.
There are three important aspects of the native Pentecostal response to the western missionary.

Refusal to Reinvent the Holy Spirit
The first is their refusal to reinvent the Holy Spirit in their contexts. The native Pentecostal in these narratives makes successful attempts to snatch history from the Western historians by guarding against any move to reinvent Holy Spirit in Kerala. This he does by stressing that Pentecostal revivals regularly occurred in Kerala before Western Pentecostal missionaries arrived.

In contradiction to what a representative from the West, namely Edwin Orr, has to say about revivals in Kerala is evident. Orr is wrong in concluding that until 1896 there had been no 'Pentecostal outpourings where individuals exhibited a profound conviction of sin.' There are reports of the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in the second half of the 19th century (1872 onwards). The revival movement led by Justus Joseph (his English Christian name), a Brahmin convert to Christianity, was one of that sort. The non-Pentecostal native historian K. V. Simon has noted that in the services of this Christian movement there was revelation, dancing in the spirit etc, though he is critical of it.

Abraham begins his history of Pentecostalism in Kerala by insisting that the revivals that took place in Kerala in 1873, 1895 and 1908 have to be taken as Pentecostal revivals.

There were three powerful revivals has happened in the Malayalam speaking land during M. E. 1048, 1070, 1083 (A. D. 1873, 1895, 1908). In all these three revivals people were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in other tongues. However, those who had these experiences in those days did not realise that they were speaking in tongues as they were endowed with the Holy Spirit; they did not have sufficient knowledge of scripture in this matter.


Abraham snatches history again from the West by emphasising the Pentecostal revival had reached Kerala before the first Pentecostal missionary from the West came. This he does by an indirect reference that he had witnessed revivals before the advent of Pentecostalism in Kerala:

I too was a participant in the spiritual revival that took place among the Christians of Kerala in 1908. I was only nine then. ... I witnessed the power of God being poured out on many people and as a result of this their bodies being shaken, and they speaking with stammering lips. But I did not know what it was. However, only after been obtained the Pentecostal blessing I came to know what it really was.


We have seen earlier that he had attempted to exile the Western missionary from his own person experience of the Holy Spirit by clarifying that it is after his Pentecostal experience that he met the two Pentecostal missionaries from America.

Objection to Eurocentrism
The second aspect of their response is objecting to Eurocentrism. Reaction against the Eurocentric presentation of Pentecostal history can be dated as early as 1955 in India. This is twenty years after the foundation of the Indian Pentecostal Church. In his work The Early Years of IPC, Pastor K. E. Abraham, one of the founders of Indian Pentecostal Church (IPC), struggles to clarify that his denomination existed before the Pentecostal missionaries from the Azusa street established Pentecostal churches in India. In describing the purpose of the book, he says:

Many people think that India Pentecostal Church of God is formed after the break with Pastor Cook. This is because of their ignorance of the early history of this movement. Readers of this book will realise that this movement (Indian Pentecostal Church) has been in existence under the name "South India Pentecostal Church" and for over three years worked in co-operation with the movement that was under the leadership of Pastor Cook and since the beginning of 1930 has been de-affiliated from this alliance.


Earlier in his presidential address to the meeting of the representatives of IPC congregations in 1938 (eight years after the split) he asserted that:

Those who joined this fellowship recently may be surprised to know that it has been fifteen years since this movement started. Many think that this movement began after we left the relationship with Pastor Cook. It is not so! This movement was founded fifteen years ago by those ministers and congregations who accepted Pentecostal truth and decided to minister independently in central Travancore.


He went on to assert that:

Since Mr. Cook had convinced us that he is willing to work within the framework of independence of native congregations, we associated our movement then called 'South India Pentecostal Church of God' with his movement along with the local congregations and ministers.


He lists the number of congregations of South India Pentecostal Church of God that they brought to this alliance and goes on to conclude his speech saying that,

From this it may be clear now that those who allege that Abraham and others ran away with Mr. Cook's people have not understood the reality of the matter. It may be now clear that it has been fifteen years since Indian Pentecostal Church began and has worked in association with the ministry of Cook for three and a half years.


This illustrates that the native who already had experienced the West insist on being subjects of their own history. This important aspect of the native is something that needs to be taken seriously in considering relationships between West and the East.

Rejection of Colonial Mimicry
The third aspect of this response I would call the rejection of colonial mimicry. Postcolonial scholars have shown that colonialism has produced a class of interpreters between the coloniser and the colonised. This is a class of people who are natives by birth and physical features but in taste, opinions, morals and intellect are the colonisers. Frantz Fanon uses the phrase, "black skin/white masks," to describe them and V.S.Naipaul calls them "mimic men." This concept has been developed by Homi Bhabha and others as "colonial mimicry." In colonial mimicry, the colonised pretend to have become one like those who have colonised them. V. S. Naipaul has described it as:

We pretend to be real, to be learning, to be preparing ourselves for life, we mimic men of the New World, one unknown corner of it, with all its reminders of the corruption that came so quickly to the new.


For the part of the coloniser, they want to produce men who would resemble them in their tastes and morals, while for the part of the native there is an attempt to wear the colonial mask, to be one like the coloniser. Whatever direction this process takes in producing mimic men, the coloniser is constant and the change is towards that constant centre.
Menezes has tried to produce such mimic men in the Syrian Christian community in Kerala who would speak Latin instead of Syriac and would become Roman Catholic in every way. The Crooked Cross resolution has to be understood as a refusal by a certain section of the Syrian community to become such mimic men. In this line of those who refused to do colonial mimicry stand the Syrian metropolitans and the leaders of the Syrian Brethren movement to be joined by the native Pentecostal leaders.



19th century

The history of Pentecostalism in India began in the ministry of a Brahmin woman who was converted to Christianity. Pandita Ramabai led a small but renowned group that experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the early 1900s. Her work remained limited due to the lack of training and evangelism.


20th century


Robert F. Cook and the Church of God

The Pentecostal movement experienced a great explosion in growth with the arrival of a number of foreign missionaries. Most significant among them was Robert F. Cook, from the U.S. He arrived in North India and established a few mission posts there. However, due to the lack of support, he was unable to develop his works in a significant manner. Within a few years, he came into contact with an influential plantation owner in the state of Kerala, Kalloor Chacko. Chacko convinced Cook to relocate to Thrikkannamangal and headquarter his work there. Cook, at the same time, joined with the Church of God (Cleveland). Receiving some support from Cleveland, Cook began operations from a rented house adjacent to Chacko's home. Many of the later leaders of India's Pentecostal movement joined hands with him and the work expanded by leaps and bounds. Political and doctrinal differences caused many of these leaders, and Chacko, to part company with Cook over the years. Cook relocated his headquarters to Mulakuzha. The headquarters of the Church of God in India remains there now.


Indian Pentecostal Church of God

K.E. Abraham, a pastor that had worked closely with Cook for a number of years, decided that he no longer wanted the mission work taking place in India to receive foreign funds. With that as his main reason, he split from Cook. He gathered the vast majority of the Syrian Christians to join with him in leaving Cook's 'Western' organization. With this group of people, he founded the Indian Pentecostal Church of God (IPC). This work has mushroomed to become one of the largest indigenous Pentecostal churches in the world. The organization has allowed much room for growth by allowing different types of government for the local churches. Though it is not known for scholarship, there is also great emphasis on teaching.


Sharon Fellowship

P. J. Thomas, a pastor in the IPC, got a chance to study abroad. After receiving his degree from Wheaton College, in Illinois, USA, he returned to establish a new organization. Named the Sharon Fellowship Church, it has grown phenomenally. Now it has more than 600 local churches all over India and abroad. After P. J. Thomas Rev. Dr. T. G. Koshy is the successor of this organization. It has a strong emphasis on theological scholarship. It currently has the only Pentecostal accredited seminary (Faith Theological Seminary)that offers post-graduate degrees.

In the late 1990s, under the leadership of Rev. C M Titus, former General Secretary of the Sharon Fellowship Church in India, several "Sharon" churches in the United States joined together to form the Sharon Fellowship Churches of North America. In 2005, Rev. John Thomas, son of P.J. Thomas, was elected President of the SFCNA. He was succeeded by Rev. CM Titus in 2007, who also served as President from 2001-2005.


The Pentecostal Mission

The Pentecostal Mission (TPM), formerly known as Ceylon Pentecostal Mission (CPM), is a pentecostal denomination which originated in Ceylon, now Sri Lanka. The international headquarters is now situated in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Ceylon Pentecostal Mission was founded by Hindu convert Ramankutty, later known as Pastor Paul. Pastor Paul was born to Hindu parents in the district of Trichur in Kerala. While in Sri Lanka, at the age of 18, he became a Christian and a follower of Jesus Christ. Later, he felt a strong call from the Lord for his life and began to preach and share the gospel in various parts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. In the initial stages, he had worked with other evangelists. Pastor Paul served as the founder chief pastor of this church.

This organization stands out among the Pentecostal churches because of its exclusivist teachings and organization structure. Some of the distinctives are that fulltime workers were expected to practice an ascetic life-style including celibacy, obedience to the elder pastors, communal living (including disposal of private possessions) in faith homes. Today the church is known by different names in different countries, but all stand under the name of “The Pentecostal Mission”.


Assemblies of God

The Assemblies of God has grown by leaps and bounds throughout India. With early works established in Calcutta, as well as in Kerala, the church has gone through various situations that have contributed to its growth. The district of Kerala has now been divided into two in order to better handle the growth. The AG has also established a number of reputable Bible Schools throughout India.


21st century

The Church of God in India, the Assemblies of God, the Indian Pentecostal Church, Sharon Fellowship and The Pentecostal Mission (formerly Ceylon Pentecostal Mission) are some of the largest of the myriad Pentecostal organizations in India. There are numerous groups that have been founded that are either independent or affiliated to the above mentioned mainline Pentecostal groups. With strong support from churches and charities in the USA, Europe and Australia, these groups have been able to build solid organizations with presence in almost every state of India. It must be noted that many of these groups are more Charismatic in theology and often do not conform to the foundational teachings accepted by the mainline Pentecostal churches.

Conclusion


In conclusion I should add that Pentecostal scholars from the non-Western countries need to explore ways in which they can write the natives back into history and give them their due place. I must also say that even in the West, where historiography is mainly the venture of historians belonging to historical churches, Pentecostal historians need to engage in reconstructing the history of the Christian church from the edges.
In the light of the present study, I submit that there is a great need to understand the historical consciousness of the native. We need to ask what sort of historical memories do they carry and form their consciousness of themselves and the Other.
Pentecostal historians need also to understand the language of domination and control in the contact zones of Pentecostalism. There are already rhetoric and discourse in place in almost all countries which are developed as a results of their experience of colonialism. In trying to communicate the gospel, it is important to understand how the native looks at the Other. In India at least, Christianity and colonialism are considered synonymous by those who advocate the Hindutva Ideology. Hindutva reasons that Christianity was brought to India by the colonial powers beginning with Roman Catholic missionaries who followed the trails of the Portuguese and finally the Anglican missionaries during the British Raj in India. They allege that the message and method of missionary work of the native Indian church is in continuity with that of the colonial missionaries. For them, the native missionary is just another mimic man of the colonialism.[36]
The Holy Spirit has been in work all over the world. We need to continue to do research on non-western Christian traditions to understand how they understood the work of the Holy Spirit and how this would help us to better communicate the full gospel truth. I hope scholars from other countries and cultures would find in this example from India, though preliminary in nature, a stimulus for similar explorations


IPC

About IPC

The origin of the Pentecostal movement in the very early of the 20th century and its growth thereafter can be compared to the growth of the mustard seed in the parable, our Lord and as we read in Mathew 13:31,32. Today the Pentecostal movement has spread its branches to the four corners of the world.

The person whom the Lord sent to Kerala for the first time with the Pentecostal message was Rev.George Burg from United States of America. He was filled with the Holy Spirit in 1907 and came to places like Kottarakara and Adoor (Kerala) in 1908 as speaker in some conventions. In 1913 Pastor Robert Cook and his family from America came to a place near Bangalore and started the ministry. When Mr Burg came to Kerala in 1913, Pastor Cook also joined him. After the formation of Assemblies of God in 1914, Mrs.Mary Chapman came as a missionary to Madras and then in 1921 to Trivandrum for ministry.

It so happened that some of the messages regarding the infilling of the Holy Spirit prepared and distributed by Mr.Burg as the "Midnight Echo" and "Midnight Cry" happened to fall in to the hands of Pastor K.E.Abraham. This encouraged him to seek for similar experience. One Sunday the 22nd April, 1923, he had a vision of the crucified Lord and started speaking in tongues. By January, 1924, there was a gathering of Pentecostal believers at Mulakuzha (Kerala). They used to come together for worship and for breaking of bread. Soon it developed into a Pentecostal Assembly. Such assemblies sprung up at places like Pandalam Vettiyar and Elanthoor(Kerala).

In the beginning this small groups did not have any special name. It was the God given vision to them that the ministry should go on independently without any domination from outside people, but with co-operation of people of like belief everywhere. At this time marriage had to be solemnized at Mulakuzha. This necessitated the printing of a marriage register and giving a name of the church. The name adopted was, "The South Indian Pentecostal Church of God."

The name of the church formed under the supervision of Pastor Cook was the "South Indian Full Gospel Church". After a term of furlough Pastor Cook returned to Kerala on September 3,1926. At a meeting in his house at Mazhukir near Chenganoor on September 6,1926, it was decided that South India Full Gospel Church and the South India Pentecostal Church of God must be amalgamated. Thus was formed the "Malankara Pentecostal Church of God" and Pastor Cook was the first elected President and Pastor Abraham first vice-president. But they maintained seperate marriage registers.

This united effort could go on only for three years. It soon become evident that the New Testament pattern of church management could not be realised as long as Western missions controlled the churches. This resulted in the two groups returning to their original constituents with their original names and records.

Pastor Abraham shifted his residence to Kumbanad. At the new station he felt the need to pen a Bible School to train the gospel workers. The Hebron Bible School came into being in June 1930 with just one teacher, Pastor Abraham. Pastor P.T .Chacko joined as teacher next year. Pastor P.M.Samuel, Kerala, co-worker of Pastor K.E.Abraham was led by the Holy spirit to Andhra Pradesh and thus by faith came to Vijayawada and started the ministry. Soon the ministry began flourishing in various parts of Andhra Pradesh and subsequently spread to Tamil Nadu.

It pleased the Lord to bless the ministry and soon several churches were established not only in Kerala but in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra, etc. Subsequently there was a need to have proper organization due to the rapid growth. As a result a meeting of the representatives of the various churches was called on 5th June 1933, at the Kumbanad church and in that meeting a council of ministers consisting of 12 Pastors was elected. From then on the general matters relating to the church were decided and implemented by this body. At the meeting of this council on 21st August 1933, the existing doctrines and rules governing the church were put on record and the official registration of the church took place on December 10, 1933 at the Aranmula registrar's office. As the work grew in other parts of India, it became necessary to give a relevant name and as per the decision of the council the name was changed to "The Indian Pentecostal Church of God".

The need to register the church under the Societies Act was felt so as to facilitate the spread of the work in other areas of the country. Accordingly in the year 1935 it was registered at Eluru in Andhra Pradesh with No.4639 under the Societies Act XXI of 1860.

At present IPC has churches spread all over India, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. There are also churches in all the Gulf Countries and in almost all the important cities of United States and Canada.

Kerala Pentecostalism

Abraham, K. E.
1983: Yesukristhuvinte Eliya Dassan <malay.>. (Autobiography of Pastor K. E. Abraham) Kumbanadu, Kerala: K. E. Abraham Foundation.

Abraham, P. G.
2003: Caste and Christianity. A Pentecostal Perspective. Kumbazha, India: Crown Books.

Adhav, Shamsundar
1979: Pandita Ramabai. Madras, India: Christian Literature Society. (Confessing the faith in India series; 13)

Chacko, E. J.
1986: Keralathile chila swathanthra sabhakal <malay.>. (Some of the Free Churches in Kerala) Tiruvalla, Kerala: The Theological Literature Council.

Elanthoor, Achenkunju
1992: Unarvinte Jualakal (Flames of Revivals). Kottayam: PPAI.

Hedlund, Roger E.
1993: Roots of the Great Debate in Mission. Mission in Historical and Theological Perspective. Revised and Enlarged Edition. Bangalore: Theological Book Trust.

2000: Quest for Identity. India's Churches of Indigenous Origin: The "Little Tradition" in Indian Christianity. Delhi: ISPCK.

2001: Previews of Christian Indigeneity in India. In: Journal of Asian Mission. Quezon City. 3,2. (213-230)

2002: God and the Nations. A Biblical Theology of Mission in the Asian Context. Delhi: ISPCK (Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge).

Hedlund, Roger E. (ed.):
2000: Christianity is Indian. The Emergence of an Indigenous Community. New Delhi: ISPCK.

Louiskutty, C. T.
1998: Enthanu Penthecosthu? (What is Pentecostalism?). Kottayam, India: Good News Publications.

Mathew, Saju
1994: Kerala Penthecosthu Charithram (Kerala Pentecostal History). Kottayam, India: Good News Publications.

2006: Penthecosthu. Ashankakalum Pratheekshakalum (Pentecostalism. Anxieties and Expectations). 2. ed. Bilaspur, India: Margam Books.

Philip, Mammen
1992: Robert F. Cook. Vennikulam, India: Deepam Book Club.

Philip, P. M.
1999: Kristhuvil Ente Yathra. Kottayam, India: Royal Calling Books.

Philip, V. P.
2003: Bharatha Sabhaykini Irumpazhikalo? (Is it prison for the Indian Church now on?). Thiruvalla, India: Academy of Living Letters.

Samuel Kutty, T. S.
2000: The Place and Contribution of Dalits in Select Pentecostal Churches in Central Kerala from 1922 to 1972. Bangalore: ISPCK.

Samuel, K. J.
2005: Brethren Prasthanathile Viswasa Veeranmar (Heroes of faith in the Brethren Movement). Angamaly, India: Premier Bible Publications.

Snaitang, Overland L. (ed.):
2000: Churches of Indigenous Origins in Northeast India. Delhi: Published for MIIS, Mylapore by ISPCK.

Solomon Raj, Pulidindi
2003: The New Wine-Skins. The Story of the Indigenous Missions on Coastal Andhra Pradesh, India. Delhi: ISPCK (Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge).

Thollander, John
2000: He Saw a Man Named Mathews. A Brief Testimony of Thomas and Mary Mathews, Pioneer Missionaries to Rajasthan. Udaipur, India: Cross and Crown.

Thomas, Kurien
1986: God’s Trailblazer in India and Around the World. Itarsi, India: Kurien Thomas.

Thomson, Thomas Kaithamangalam
1998: Marubhoomiyil Thalarathu. Udaipur, India: Cross and Crown.

Thonnakkal, Thomas
2004: Marubhoomiyile Apostalan (The Apostle of the Desert). Udaipur, India: Cross and Crown.

Varkey, Wilson
2005: Ormayude Theerangaliloode. Trichur, India: Good Shepherd Ministries.

Verghese, Habel G.
1974: K. E. Abraham. An Apostle from Modern India. (A Brief Life Story of Rev. Dr. K. E. Abraham). Kadambanad, Kerala: The Christian Literature Service of India.

1.    The Indian Pentecostal Church of God
Address: Kumbanad, Pathanamthtta Dt., Kerala-689 547. Ph: 0473-664765.
          The Church: The Indian Pentecostal Church of God was founded by Pastor K.E.Abraham in 1924 at Mulakuzha, Chengannur.
K.C.Cherian [Vettiya],
P.M.Samule [Keekozhoor]
K.M.Zachariah [Punnakkad],
K.C.Oommen [Kumbanad] and
P.T.Varghese [Chethakkal] were his associates.
            
                       By the end of 1926, the Church had spread into Travancore, Cochin, Malabar, Madras Province, Mysore State, Hyderabad State and some places in North India.  In 1934, the regional representatives of the Church met at Kumbanad and decided to delete the word ‘South’ from the name of the Church. The Church was registered with the government of India under the Societies Act at Eluru, Andhra Pradesh. There are 3,500 IPC Churches and more than five lakhs people. General convention of the Church is held every year in January at Kumbanad.
The Founder: Pastor K.E.Abraham was born on March 1, 1899 at Mulakuzha.  At the age of 16, he was baptised in water. On completing his education at Chengannur, Abraham began his career as a school teacher.  In January 1924, Abraham began the Pentecostal work in his native place, Mulakazha. In May, 1930 he shifted his residence from Mulakazha to Kumbanad.  Next month he started the Hebron Bible School at Kumbanad.
Administration: The governing body of the Church consists of four executive and 74 members.
Officials:
President: Pastor K.K.Joseph, P.B.28, Perumbavoor, Kerala.  Ph:0484-522684;
Vice President: Pasotr D.John Sunder Rao, Zion Hall, Hyderabad, A.P.-500 029. Ph: 040-596306;
General Secretary: Pastor T.S.Abraham, Hebron, Kumbanad, Kerala 689547. Ph: 0473-664355®, 0473-668108 (O);
Treasurer Bro.Thomas Vadakekut, Bethel, Kadavanthara, Kochi, Ernakula Dt., Kerala. Ph: 0484-314389
The Church is divided into 20 regions.  Each region has its own council.
Andhra Pradesh:
President: Pastor Ch. Sudarshanam, India Pentecostal Church, Jail Road, Gollallapalem, A.P.-531 001.
Secretary: Pastor P. Noel Samuel, Zion Bible college, Gunadala, Vijaywada, A.P.-520 004.  Local Churches-660, Pastors-372.
 
 
 
2.    Assemblies of God
Address: Assemblies of God, P.B.9, Schenkottai, Tamil Nadu-627 809. Ph: 04633-33137, 34343.
General Superintendant: Dr. Y.Jayaraj;
Asst.Superintendants:
Dr.P.C.Sammuel,
Dr.T.C.George,
Rev. Kuma; Secretary:
Rev.T.J.Samuel; Treasurer:
Rev. Hanock Ghose;
Statistics: Ministers-3036, Outstations-3427, Bible Schools-65, Orphanages-14, Membrs-334165.
History: The General Council of Assemblies of God was founded in USA in 1914. Mrs.Mary Chapman, the first missionary reached India in 1915.  She stayed at Chennai and in 1921 shifted her residence to Thiruvananthapuram.  Pentecost Kahalam official publication of the Assemblies of God was started in 1925.  Bethel Bible School at Mavelikara was founded in 1927.  Mrs. Chapman dies in 1927.  The administration of the Assemblies came to the hands of Indians. The entire Assemblies in India is divided into three General Council they are: North, South and East India Assemblies of God.  These General Councils together form the Assemblies of God of India (AGI) which was formed in 1995.  There is an executive committee for the administration.
North India: 
General Superintendent: Dr.P.C.Samuel, Assemblies of god, Hardor, U.P.
Assistant Superintendent: Rev.Robert Jairaj
Secretary: Rev. Pappy Mathai, Assemblies of God, Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Lucknow-1.,U.P.
East India:
General Superintendent: Rev.Lotha, Assemblies of God, Bible College, Dimapur, Nagaland.
South India:
General Superintendent: Rev.Dr.P.C.George, P.B.8476, Banglore-560 084. Ph: 080-5462771.
Assistant Superintendent: P.S.Rajamani.
General Secretary: Rev.P.S.Philip, Bethel Bible College, Punalur, Kerala-691 305. Ph: 0475-223422
         Each General Council is autonomous and independent.  They are divided into districts.  They are further divided into regions and sections.  The local Assemblies together form a section.  Those in charge of a section are called Presbyter.  They are elected by the pastors and church representatives of that section. The South India General Council was formed in 1947.  There were three districts.  Today the South India Council ahs eight districts consisting of the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. The first Superintendent from Kerala was Pastor A.C.Samuel.  He was succeeded by C.Kunjumman, Rev.Y. Jairaj and T.C.George, Rev.C.Kunjumman was the first general secretary.  He succeeded P.D.Johnson (1980-’90), T.J.Samuel (1990-’95) and P.S.Philip (1995-).  Address: Rev. P.S.Philip, P.B.53, Punalur, Kerala-691 305, Ph: 0475-224880, 223422.
Institutions
Assemblies of God has Bible Colleges through out India.  It has got a hospital at Calcutta, 125/1 Park Street.  It has got an industrial School and twelve schools at Senkottai.
 
3 .   Church of God (Full Gospel) in India
Headquarters: Church of God (Full Gospel) Cleveland, Tennessee, U.S.A.
The Church: Church of God (Full Gospel) is an international Pentecostal Church spread over 150 countries with 45 million registered members. One of the founders of the Church, J.G.Ingram came to India 1936.  Here he met Robert F.Cook of Malankara Full Gospel Church.  Cook joined the new group with 66 local Churches, 43 pastors and 2537 believers.
Christian Population: 40,000.  Total No. of Pastors: 520, Languages: English, Malayalam and Hindi.
Regions: The Church of God has spread throughout India.  Mount Zion, Mulakuzha, Alappuzha was the headquarters in the beginning.  In 1972, the Church was divided into seven autonomous regions.  Each region is under a state overseer.
The regions and their overseers:
Church of God (Full Gospel) in India, Mount Zion, Mulakazha P.o., Alappuzha Dt., Kerala-689 505. Ph: 0479-452258. Fax: 0479-451981.  Overseer: Rev.P.A.V.Sam.
Church of God  (Full Gospel)   in India,  Pakil,  Kottayam, Kerala.  Overseer: Rev. Sunny Varkey.
Church of God (Full Gospel) in India, Purushawakkom, Chennai.  Overseer: Rev.Wellesley Solomon.
Church of God (Full Gospel) in India, Central West Region, Mumbai, Overseer: Rev.A.Amathai.
Church of God (Full Gospel) in India, Central East Region, Calcutta, Overseer: Rev.K.M.Thankachan.
Church of God (Full Gospel) in India, Northern Region, Chandigarh. Overseer: Rev.N.M.Nisad.
Church of God (Full Gospel) in India, Kakinada, A.P.
                    The region headed by Rev.P.A.V.Sam is the continuation of the Malankara Full Gospel Church that joint the international movement.  The members of this Church belong to the Syrian Christians of Kerala. Those who joined the Church through the missionary efforts remain separate with a different overseer.
Convention: General convention of the Church is held at Convention Stadium, Thiruvalla, Kerala.  The convention was started in 1923 by Rev.Robert Cook.
Institutions
India Church of God Theological Seminary (I.C.T.S.), Mulakazha, Alappuzha Dt., Kerala-689 505.
Mount ion Bible College, Mulakazha, Alappuzha Dt., Kerala-689 505.
Peniel Ladies Bible School, Mulakazha, Alappuzha Dt., Kerala-689 505.
 
4.    Church of God in India
Address: Church of God in India, Kumbanad P.O., Thiruvalla, Pathanamthitta Dt., Kerala-689 547. Ph: 0473-665431.
The Church: Church of God in India, Kumbanad was founded by Robert F.Cook, an Americal Full Gospel missionary in 1914.
He baptised 63 people at Thuvayoor, Adoor, Kerala and established the Church.  Later it spread to other parts of the country.  In 1936 it was affiliated to Church of God (Full Gospel) in India.  In 1994 there was an informal split in the Church.  Church of God in India, Kumbanad remained separate. There is a legal dispute regarding this at Mavelikkara court.
The Church has 15,000 members and 125 pastors.
Convention:  The annual convention is held at Bethel ground, Kumbanad.  The first convention was held in 1923.
Head of the Church: Pastor M.A.Elias (March 31, 1948-)
Officials:
Secretary: Pastor Thomas George. Ph: 0473-692341.
Treasurer: Dr.P.Tyohannan. Ph: 0473-666299. 
Educational Director: Pastor P.G.Mathew. Ph: 0473-665431.
Evangelism Director: Pastor M.C.Mathai. Ph: 0473-342614. 
Youth and Sunday School Director: Pastor George Varghese. Ph: 0473-342614.
Administration: The Church is governed by a council of 24 members.  They are elected by the general body of the Church that meets biannually.  The international headquarters is at Cleveland, Tennessee, U.S.A.
Districts and Pastors: 
Kumbanad (Pastor P.G.Mathew. Ph: 0473-665431),
Pathanamthitta (Pastor T.M.Thomaskutty. Ph: 0473-35221),
Kottayam (Pastor V.A.Thomas),
High Range (Pastor K.C.Varghese. Ph: 0486-882285,
Pathanapuram (Pastor M.A.John. Ph: 0473-344378),
Punalur (Pastor P.G.Samuel. Ph: 0475-225132),
Adoor, (Pastor Thomas George. Ph: 0473-692341),
Ernakulam (Pastor P.C.Abraham. Ph: 0481-571436),
Thiruvananthapuram (Pastor A.V.Varghese. Ph: 0471-541859),
Neyyattinkara (Pastor John Thomas. Ph: 0471-437313),
Malabar Region (P.C.Abraham. Ph: 0481-571436). 
Outside Kerala Region (Bombay-P.C.Abraham)
Institutions
Bethel Bible Institute, Kumbanad. P.O., Thiruvalla, Pathanamthitta Dt., Kerala. Ph: 0473-665933.
Publication
Jyothimargom, Kumbanad P.O., Thiruvalla, Pathanamthitta Dt.,
 
5.    New India Church of India
Address: Bethesda Nagar, Chingavanam P.O., Kottayam Dt., Kerala-686 531. Ph: 0481-430329, 431637
The Church: New India Church of God is an indigenous New Testament church established in 1976.  Pastor Thampi is the founder president.  The Church has units in Kerala, Tamilnadu, Karnataka, Andhrapradesh, Orissa, Bengal and Nepal.
The Church has 50,000 members, 528 pastors, 42 sisters and 200 trainees.
Head of the Church: Pastor V.A.Thampy, founder of the Church was born in 1941 at Beelamperoor, Kuttanad, Alappuzha Dt., Kerala.  He had his Bible studies at Bethel Bible College, Punalur.  Then traveled all over Kerala and preached Gospel.
Officials:
President: Pastor V.A.Thampy;
Vice President: Pastor M.K.Abraham;
General Secretary: Pastor R.Abraham;
Committee Membrs: Pastor T.A.Thomas, Pastor T.M.Kuruvilla, Pastor V.O.Thomas.
Administration:  New India Church of God is divided into two regions.  Southern and Northern regions. Southern region is headed by Pastor V.A.Thampy and the Northern region by R. Abraham, General Secretary of Church.
Convention:  National Convention of the New India Church of God is held at Chingavanam, Kottayam Dt., Kerala. During the second week of January.  Northern regional convention is held in the third week of November at Regional headquarters, New Delhi.
Institutions
·        Bethesda Bible Institute, Bahadurgarh, Haryana.
·        Bethesda Bible Institute, Bhubaneswar, Orissa.
·        Bethesda Bible Institute, Nagpur, Maharashtra.
·        Bethesda Bible Institute, Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu.
·        Bethesda Bible Institute, Hyderabad, A.P.
·        Bethesda Bible Institute, Kattakkada, Trivandrum, Kerala-695 572
·        Bethesda Bible Institute, Chingavanam, Kottayam Dt., Kerala-686 531.
·        Bethesda Bible Institute, Ponda, Goa.
Schools
Bethesda Christian Academy, Hapur, U.P.
Bethesda Christian Academy, Takenpur,M.P.
Bethesda Tailoring Institute, Ballia, U.P.
Bethesda Tailoring School, Chingavanam, Kerala-686 531.
Bethesda Tailoring School, Bheemanadi, Kasargodu Dt., Kerala-671314.
Poor Home
Bethesda Destitute Home, Chingavanam, Kottayam Dt., Kerala-686 531.
 
6.    New India Bible Church
Address: New India Bible Church, P.B.2, Pallickachira Kavala P.O., Changanacherry, Kottayam Dt., Kerala-686 537. Ph: 0473-630333. Fax: 0473-630685.
The Church: New India Bible Church was founded in 1973 by Rev.Thomas Philip, Pastor Abraham Mathew and Rev. George Philip at Paippad, Kumbanad, Thiruvalla, Kerala. The Church has 125 local communities.  They are divided into 14 centers.  The strength of the Church is 8,500.
The Founder: Rev.Thomas Philip was born at Paippad on Nov.8, 1938.  A teacher by professions, he started a Sunday School at Paippad in 1969.  This centre was later developed into a Bible College.  The students from this college started a church at Kombady near Thiruvalla in 1973.  This is the beginning of New India Bible Church. He is the President of the Church and Vice-Principal of the Bible College.  He is the General secretary of Kerala Pentecost Fellowship from 1989.
Administration: New India Bible Church Council is the governing body. It has 14 members.
President: Rev.Thomas Philip, Omacheril Grace Bhavan, Thiruvalla R.S. P.O, Kerala-689 111. Ph: 0473-630544. Fax: 0473-630685.
General Secretary: Pastor N.C.Joseph, New India Bible College, Pallicakachira Kavala P.O., Changanacherry, Kottayam Dt., Kerala-686 537.
Institutions
Bible College
New India Bible College, Paippad, P.B.2, pallickachira Kavala P.O., Changanacherry, Kottayam Dt., Kerala-686 537.
Tailoring Schools
New India Tailoring School, Paippad, Changanacherry, Kottayam Dt., Kerala-686 537.
New India Tailoring School, Kumbanad, Pathanamthitta Dt., Kerala-689 547.
New India Tailoring School, Wynad, Kerala-670 001.
Social Service
Orphanage
Boy’s Haven, New India Bible Seminary, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala-695 001.
Boy’s Haven, Paippad, Changanacherry, Kottayam Dt., Kerala-686 537.
 
7.    Sharon Fellowship Church
Address: Thiruvalla, Pathanamthitta Dt., Kerala-689 101. Ph: 0473-630686. Fax: 0473-630686.
The Church: Sharon Fellowship Church was founded in 1953 by Dr.P.J.Thomas.  Following university education in India, he went abroad for higher studies and became Professor in Wheaten College, Illinois.  He returned to India and founded Sharon Bible College in 1953 to equip young people for missionary work. The Churches started by the graduates of the college came to be known as ‘Sharon Fellowship Churches’.
Pastors J.Varghese, T.K.Thomas, K.C.Cherian, P.K.Abraham, P.U.Varghese, E.C.Mathew, K.A.Abraham, Aleyamma Thomas, P.U.Susamma and Mary Mathew were founder leaders of the Church.
Head of the Church:  Dr.T.G.Koshy is the head of the Church.  He was born at Manakala, Adoor on May 26, 1933.  He had his theological studies at South Western Assemblies of God College, Dallas, Texas.  Transylvania Bible College conferred on him the degree of Doctor of Divinity.  He started the Faith Theological Seminary in 1970.
Other office bearers are:
Vice President-Pastor P.V.Eapen,
General Secretary-Pastor C.V.John,
Secretaries-Dr.T.P.Abraham, Rev.John Thomas.
Regions:  The church is divided into four regions:  Kerala, Bahya Kerala, Gulf, U.S.A.
Kerala region is divided into 14 districts and 49 sections.
Bahya Kerala region consists of five regions:  Tmil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Western India, Delhi and Punjab.
Gulf region Gulf countries form the Gulf regions.  It is under the leadership of P.C.Chandy (Bahrain) and George Mathews (Dubai).
U.S.A region comprises of all American States.  The leaders are, ,
President: Rev. C.M.Titus,
Vice President; Rev.George Ommen  ,
Secretary: Johnson Oommen 
Treasurer. Raju John
Administration:  The administration of the Church is done through a Managing Council, Ministers’ Council and General Assembly.
The Managing Council  consists of the office bears of the Church and the five other members.
The Ministers’ Council consists of 21 members. 
President-Dr.T.K.Koshy,
Vice President-P.V.Eapen, P.D.Daniel,
General Secretary-Dr.T.P.Abraham,
Secretaries-Pastor C.V.John, Pastor P.G.Jacob. 
This council is responsible for the overall administration of the churches from local level to the highest level of the Church, including Pastors’ appointment, transfer, ordination.
General Assembly consists of all the members of the Managing council, Ministers’ council, district pastors, section pastors and lay representatives from each section and pastors’ representatives from each section.
District Assembly is headed by the District Pastor, and consist of section pastors, associate pastors, local pastors and representatives of the laymen from every local church.
The fellowship has over 950 local churches, 650 was which in Kerala.  300 in other Indian states, 15 in Gulf countries and 10 in the U.S.A Total membership is over 1,90,000.
Convention: General Convention of the Church is held during the first week of December at Thiruvalla.  This is the main convention and get-together of the leaders, pastors and members of the church.
Regional convention at Manakala, Adoor is the second largest convention of the Sharon Fellowship.  It is held in the first week of January.  Pastors and delegates from North India participate in this convention.
The North Indian Churches meet during the Pooja Holidays normally at Delhi.  The pastors and members of the Sharon Fellowship in North America assemble in the first week of July. Christian Evangelical Movement (C.E.M) is the youth wing of the Sharon Fellowship Church.
Retreat Centres
Sharon Auditorium, Thiruvalla, pathanamthitta Dt., Kerala-689 101.
Faith Theological Seminary Auditorium, Manakala, adoor, Pathanamthitta Dt., Kerala-691 523.
Doulos Theological College Auditorium, Aluva, Ernakulam Dt., Kerala-683 101.
Institutions
Bible College
Faith Theological Seminary, Manakala, Adoor, Pathanamthitta Dt., Kerala-691 523.
Sharon Bible College, Thiruvalla P.O., Kerala-689 101.
Doulos Theological College, Ashokapuram P.O., Aluva, Kerala-683 101.
Calicut Theological College, Kozhikode, Kerala-673 001.
Light for India Bible College, Perumkadavila, Neyyattinkara P.O., Trivandrum.
Bethesda Bible College, Venpala, Tiruvalla, Kerala.
Harvest Theological College, Mannuthy P.O., Trichur, Kerala.
Mahaniyam Bible College, Mathaippara P.O., Kerala-689 101.
Sharon Women’s Bible College, Thiruvalla P.O., Kerala-689 101.
Faith Theological Seminary for Women, Manakala P.O., Adoor, Kerala.
Bethesda Bible College, Gomathipuram, Thirunnirvur P.O, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Faith Bible Training Centre, Rameswaram P.O., Kakinada, A.P.-533 006.
Faith Bible Training Centre, Surendranath Complex, Banchendi Nagar, Kodasing, Berampur, Orissa-760 010
Faith Bible Training Centre, No. 586, Sector 23, Faridabad, Haryana-121 005.
Western India Bible Training Centre, Mehmadbad, Gujarat-387 130.
Harvest Bible College, Mohali P.O., Punjab.
Social Services
Social Service Centres
Sharon Children’s Home, Kiliyanthara P.O., Kannur Dt., Kerala.
Charity Children’s Home, Kidanganoor P.O., Chengannoor, Kerala.
Doulos Children’s Home, T.P. Puram P.O., Vazhoor, Kottayam Dt., Kerala.
Ebenezer Children’s Home, Pennukara, Kerala.
Vocational Training
Faith Tailoring School, Manakala, Adoor, Kerala-Vocational training in sewing and embroidering is given to deserving girls.
Doulos Vocatinal Training for Women, Vazhoor and Aluva, both in Kerala.
 
8.    Church of God in South India Association
Address: Ecclesia, P.B.2219, Kochi, Kerala-682 024 Ph: 0484-344586. Fax: 0484-344586
The Church: The Church of God was founded by Rev.D.S.Warner in Anderson at Indiana, U.S.A.and brought to India by Rev.A.D.Khan in 1910.
In India it is divided into two, Church of God in South and in North.  Local churches of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka comprises the Church of God in South India. The Church has 1250 local communities, 1200 pastors and about 2,20,000 followers in South India.
Head of the church: Rev.Dr.George Tharakan is the President of the Church of God in South India.  In 1963, while practicing medicine, he met Rev.Gorden Shick, a missionary representing Church of God movement in south India.  This meeting paved the way for Dr.Tharakan to take up the leadership of the movement.  In the beginning he served as pastor and the publication manager of Bodhini press, Chengannur.  He was ordained in 1976, and was elected secretary of the coordinating council of the
 
9.    Church of God in South India.
Address: Ecclesia, P.B.2219, Kochi, Kerala-682 024 Ph: 0484-344586.  Fax: 0484-344586
The Church: The Church of God was founded by Rev.D.S.Warner in anderson at Indiana, U.S.A. and brought to India by Rev..A.D.Khan in 1910.
In India it is divided into two, Church of God in South and in North.  Local Churches of Kerala,
Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka comprises the Church of God in South India.
The Church has 1250 local communities, 1200 pastors and about 2,20,000 followers in South India.
Head of the Church: Rev.Dr.George Tharakan is the President of the Church of God in South India.  In 1963, while practicing medicine, he met Rev.Gorden Shick, a missionary representing Church of god movement in South India.  This meeting paved the way for Dr.Tharakan to take up the leadership of the movement.  In the beginning he served as pastor and the publication manager of Bodhini press, Chengannur.  He was ordained in1976, and was elected secretary of the co-ordinating council of the Church of God in South India.
Administration: The territory of the Church comprises of the state of Kerala and Vilavancode taluk of Tamilnadu.  It is divided into Northern, Central and Southern regions.  The Church sends Missionaries to Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Office bearers of the Church are elected by an electoral college, which consists of 15 council members, 15 lay people and 15 pastors.
 
10.  World Missionary Evangelism of India (WME)
Address: Mount Sion, Rd.No.2, Sagar Society 67, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, A.P.-500 034. Ph: 040-3546153.
Patron: Rev.Dr.G.Kath Hart (USA)
President: Rev.Dr.Issac Kommanappally (Hyderabad).
Revenue Area: Sates of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Bihar, Orissa, Assam, Manipur, Tripura, Rajasthan and Haryana.
History: Dr.John Doughlas Sr. founded the International Pentecostal organisation, World Missionary Evangelism (WME) in 1940.  The Indian unit of WME was registered in 1969 at Hyderabad.  The India Independent Church of God founded by late Rev.C.S.Mathew at Pathanamthitta on July 12, 1947 got united with WME in 1975. The headquarters of this Church was at Kariyamplavu In Kerala.  C.S.Mathew at Pathanamthitta on July 12, 1947 got united with WME in 1975.  The headquarters of this Church was succeeded by Rev. O.M.Rajukutty.
          The Church is divided into 75 areas, each under a supervisor.  There are about 1500 ministers and 6000 congregations. WME has own church buildings at 400 places.  The total number of Christians comes around one lakh.
The WME is running 75 Doughlas memorial children’s home and 15 schools.  WME has a Leprosy Hospital at Painkulam.  WME has Bible Schools throughout India.
Radio Ministry: WME Evangelical Radio Ministry from ‘FEEBA’ Seychelles in Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi and Telugu.
Kariyamplavu Bible Convention of WME is a major celebration of the Church.  51st convention was held from January 2-10 at Kariyamplavu, Kerala, India.
 
11. Others
 
There are hundreds of other independent congregations through out Kerala. Its strength varying from 20 to 50000 members. These independent groups are formed mainly due to personal visions of individuals and some are fomed due to the dissatisfaction of the activities of the main groups.
 
   
Pentecostal Churches in India
Fellowship Centre
Gadarada,korukonda mandal,E.G Dist, Gadarada
Andhra Pradesh, 533289, India
SHALEM S, 919885473577, sgc216@yahoo.com
Ascension Ministries Inc.,
PLOT.NO.68, ARUL COLONY,ECIL POST,, Hyderabad
Andhra Pradesh, 500062, India
John Varughese, 9849370655, abf@sify.com
Baptist Church Hyderabad
Baptist Church 3-5-170 Y M C A Bs.Shanti Theatre Narayanguda, Hyderabad
Andhra Pradesh, 500029, India
Rev.Dr.G.Samuel, 040-3226663, samgollapalle@rediffmail.com
Bethel Gospel Church
Annapurna Nagar-Amberpet, Hyderabad
Andhra Pradesh, 500013, India
Rev.K.Sudhakar, 91-40-27400147, sudhakarpastor@rediffmail.com
Hill Church
poboxno1,malkajgiri, Hyderabad
Andhra Pradesh, 500047, India
Rev.eliabakka, 91-040-32329867, eliabakka@yahoo.com
 
JCGC INDIA MINISTRY
Navabharat Nagar,Near Site III,Borabanda,, Hyderabad
Andhra Pradesh, 500045, India
Nageswar koya, 4095-21562359,
 
Jesus Christ Gospel Ministires
Navabharat nagar near sit 3 borabanda, Hyderabad
Andhra Pradesh, 500018, India
K.Nageshwar, 9393344467, koyanageshwar@yahoo.com
 
Calvary Full Gospel Church
Post.Mandal. Julapally Dist, Karimnagar
Andhra Pradesh, 505525, India
Rev. Madhukar, 08728-285366 PP, gundemadhu@yahoo.com
Faith Ministries
21-338/C, BHASKARAPURAM, Machilipatnam
Andhra Pradesh, 521001, India
Rev. Venkateswara Rao, 8672 222672, factindia@hotmail.com
 
Church of Christ Rajahmundry
8-18-7 Khambham Choultry Street Rajahmundry-1 E.G.Dt, Rajahmundry
Andhra Pradesh, 533101, India
Bro.Suman Singh.G, 0091-883-2440374, sumansingh_2002@yahoo.com
leymens evangelical fellowship international
opp rly.goods shed, rajahmundry
Andhra Pradesh, 533102, India
Bro.Shedrek, 919866115977, shedrek_lefi@yahoo.com
 Bethesda Prayer Home
29-8-1A,Bethesda Homes,Chiluku Durgaiah St,Surya Rao Pet,Krishna-District, Vijayawada
Andhra Pradesh, 520 002, India
Rev.Dr.B.S.PRASAD, 9866306888, bsprasad7@yahoo.com
Calvary Church
P O BOX 779 vijayawada AP India, Vijayawada
Andhra Pradesh, 520 010, India
JOHN, 866 5546858, john1414@sify.com
web www.goodtidings.net
Disciples of Christ Mission
# 2-91, Main Road, Gummalakshmipuram, Vizianagaram, Vizianagaram
Andhra Pradesh, 535003, India
Praveen Kanti Mahanty, 08963-223261, dcmission3@hotmail.com
Plot no;19,kottaduppada, contonmentpost, Vizianagaram
Andhra Pradesh, 535003, India
REV.P.BARNABAS., 9848614060, barnbas@rediffmail.com
Telugu Baptist Church
# 18-2-12 Orus Subhasnagar, Warangal
Andhra Pradesh, 506002, India
P. John, 91-870-2430572, raja_mass@fastermail.com
Gujarat
Gujarat Assemblies of God Fellowship
T.F.1, Arpita Complex, Priyalaxmi Mills Road,Vadodara, Baroda
Gujarat, 390003, India
Marcus, 91-265-5540651, pastor@barodabibleclub.org
Indian Pentecostal Church Of God-Hebron,
Hebron, Ward 12/C, Lilashanagar, Kutch -Dt,, Gandhidham
Gujarat, 370201, India
Pastor.O.Solomon, 91-2836-231194, shibuvarghese31@rediffmail.com
Christian Assembly of God Church Gujarat
Post Box No.36, Motipura, Himatnagar
Gujarat, 383001, India
Dr.Simon T. Sakharia, 2772-229466, simon_divine@yahoo.com
Christian Fellowship Centre
40, DaCosta Square, Wheeler Rd Extn, St. Thomas Town, Bangalore
Karnataka, 560084, India
Bro. Zac Poonen, 80-25477103, cfc@cfcindia.com
Jehovah Jireh Assembly of God Church
JJAG, J.J.Church Road, Egipuram, Viveknagar Post, Bangalore,Karanataka 560047, India, Bangalore
Karnataka, 560047, India
Rev.R.J.Devadass, O:9180-25712213 - HP:91-9886379253, revdevadass@hotmail.com
KIRUPASANAM CHRUCH OF CHRIST
12th main muneshwara temple st,bandepalya,hosur main rd, bangalore
karnataka, 560068, India
Jeevanandam.R, 0091-9341304993, pastorjeeva@gmail.com
Kirupasanam Church Of Christ
Bandepalya,Hosur Main Rd Bangalore, Bangalore
Karnataka, 560068, India
JEEVANANDAM.R, 080-25733026,09341304993, blrkirupasanam@yahoo.com
 
Bethel New Life Church
P. O Box No 2, Gokak P.O, Belgaum
Karnataka, 591307, India
Babu Varghese, 91-8332-227779, babuvarghesegkk@sify.com
Calvary Gospel Centre
Calvary Gospel Centre 5,cross. chamundeshwari Extension, Gandhi nagar-TIPTUR-572201 Karnataka-INDIA, TUMKUR
KARNATAKA, 572201, India
Pastor Joy Jacob, 91-8134-253708, joytiptur@yahoo.co.in
 
Calvary Gospel Center Chamundeshwari Extension, 5Th Cross. Gandhi nagar. TIPTUR-572201, Karnataka, India. Teliphone: 91-8134-253708. E-mail: joytiptur@yahoo.co.in
Church of Christ
Mr Nagar Bombay, Bombay
Maharasta, 500335, India
Nilmate, 9849223456, cd@yahoo.com
Church of God in India
Senapati Street, Nabarangpur
Orissa, 764059, India
Rev.Pramod Nag, 0091 06858 223409, pramod_nag@yahoo.com
Karnail singh nagar Church
62-karnail singh nagar,pase -3, Model town p.o, Ludhiana
Punjab, 141002, India
Rev Kamal Rai, +919815973211, kamal_rai31@hotmail.com
Grace Fellowship
A-511, Malviya Nagar, Jaipur, Jaipur
Rajasthan, 302017, India
K.K.John, 0141-2520308, suspolite@yahoo.com
 
Arcot Luther Church -Broadway Chennai
165, Broadway Chennai- 108, Chennai
Tamil Nadu, 600113, India
Rev. J. Bavani Rajan, 25232902, bastian@alcbroadway.org
 
Bethel Prayer Assembly
3&4, Srinivasa Nagar East, Kanthanchavadi, Chennai
Tamil Nadu, 600 096, India
G. Adikesavan Daniel, 44- 55394199, pastor@indiabethel.org
C S I St. Marks Church
Camp Road Junction, Selaiyur, Tambaram , Chennai
Tamil Nadu, 600 073, India
Rev. Paul Jesudas, 044 22292707, csistmarks@yahoo.com
 
CSI St. Pauls Church
Hunters Road Choolai Chennai, Chennai
Tamil Nadu, 600112, India
Rev. Paul Francis, 044-45014060, webmaster@dailybreadinc.com

Lemans Evangelical Fellowship
9-B, Nungambakkam High Road Madras, 600 034 Tamilnadu, India, Chennai
Tamil Nadu, 600 034, India
Joshua Daniel, 0091 44 2827-2393, lefihq@vsnl.net
 
Zion Church
no 390, church street, sheik abdulla nagar alwarthirunagar, Chennai
Tamil Nadu, 600087, India
Rev.R.jesurathinam,MABS.MA.,, 044-23776845,9841484946, rjesurathinam@yahoo.co.in
Eternal life church
5/1259 Yagappa Nagar, Madurai-625020 Tamilnadu., Madurai
Tamilnadu, India, 625020, India
T.George, 0091-452-2529706, 9994227521, pastortgeorge@yahoo.co.in
Central Methodist Church
93 Brooke Street, Lal Kurti, Meerut
Uttar Pradesh, 250 001, India
Rev. Titu Peter, (0121) 2642990, dass.vijay@gmail.com
Bethel fellowship
P.B.19,Roorkee Distt- Hardwra, Roorkee
Uttranchal, 247667, India
Rev. vinod Tygai, 01332-273756, vttyagi@yahoo.co.in
 

"To err is human and to forgive is divine" "Please forgive...!!!

                                                       May Almighty God Bless You all

Fr. Johnson Punchakonam