Kerala Brethren - in Depth

In Depth

St. Thomas was believed to have arrived to Kerala, India in 52 A. D. He was perhaps the only Apostle who went outside the Roman Empire to preach the Gospel. He is also believed to have crossed the largest area, which includes the Parthian Empire and India.

"...It was his mission to espouse India to the One-Begotten...." – Hymns of St. Ephraem, edited by Lamy (Ephr. Hymni et Sermones, IV).

In 345 A. D., seventy-two families belonging to seven Jewish clans emigrated to Kodungalloor (Kerala, India) from Mesopotamia (Iran and Iraq) under the leadership of Thomas of Kana. Thomas of Kana came to know that the local Christians had no episcopate priesthood or hierarchical structure. So he imported bishops and deacons, and changed the lives and practices of the Kerala Christians. The historians who support organized churches think that the Indian Christians had no leadership, due to their weakness and opposition from others.

However, the truth of the matter is that Kerala Christians had been following the New Testament pattern given in the Bible. Kerala churches were independent and led by local elders only. Child baptism was introduced in India only after the sixth (6th) century A. D. The Brethren movement in England sent missionaries all over the world.

The early ages of the Brethren movement had the vision of reaching the world with the Gospel of Peace – Jesus Christ and sent missionaries worldwide. It is coined in the pages of history that Anthony Norris Groves, had come to Andhra Pradesh, South India from England. This was followed by many revival meetings in the south by Tamil David and Handley Bird in late nineties (90's) of the nineteenth (19th) century A.D.

The first Brethren assembly meeting in Travancore took place at Kumbanad on 19 March 1899 V. Nagel, the missionary from Germany was leading the flock in the Northern part of Kerala (Malabar Coast) – Kunnamkulam in Thrissur Dist and observered the Lord’s Supper according to the New Testament pattern.