Founder St. Thomas the Apostle Polity Historical episcopate | Independence Apostolic Era | |
Recognition Independent Episcopal Church, 1961 Primate Thiruvalla, Kerala-India Headquarters Thiruvalla Kerala India | ||
St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India (STECI) is an Evangelical, Episcopal denomination based in Kerala, India. It derives from a schism in the Mar Thoma Syrian Church in 1961, and traces its ancestry before then back almost 2,000 years. STECI holds that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant and infallible Word of God. Adherents believe that all that is necessary for salvation and living in righteousness is given in the Bible. The church is engaged in active evangelism. The headquarters of this church is at Tiruvalla, a town in the state of Kerala which is the part of South India.
Contents
History
St. Thomas Evangelical Church is one of several groups of Saint Thomas Christians tracing their origins to St. Thomas the Apostle who, according to tradition, came to India in AD 52. While STECI is considered to be an episcopal church, it is the same time deeply influenced by Evangelicalism. Early leaders include Bishop Dr K N Oommen, Bishop P John Varghese, Rev P C Zacheriah, Rev Dr T C George, K.N. Daniel was the prominent evangelical leader.
Rev P I Mathai (Plavunkal Achen), Rev K O John, Rev C M Varghese, Rev P. T. Chandapillai, Rev P.T.Thomas, Mr.N.I Thomas Neduvelil Ranny, Rev K.C Paily and Rev P.A Jacob had helped the church to focus on the mission.
Up to 1961, the church's history is deeply connected to the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church, which evolved from South Indian Christianity's contact with evangelical British missionaries during the British colonial times. The missionaries facilitated the translation of the Bible into Malayalam in 1811. This was the first vernacular Bible in Kerala. Further changes introduced by the influence of missionaries led to a schism within the Thomas Christians and led to the formation of Mar Thoma Syrian Church.
Schism
Internal struggles in reformation ideologies between progressive and traditionalist groups in Mar Thoma Syrian Church led to a further schism. The St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India was formally inaugurated on January 26, 1961. Over thirty thousand people drawn from all the different Christian denominations gathered together at Bishop Abraham Nagar at Thiruvalla, in Kerala to form the new denomination. On October 22nd. 1961 which was a Sunday around ~8pm or so the name "Saint Thomas Evangelical Church of India" was chosen at a prayer gathering (for the purpose of choosing a name) In Alleppey, Kerala, South India at the residence of Rev. Dr. K.M. Ninan.
The Consecration of the Bishops – Ordination by Presbyters
After the inauguration service, two ministers of the new Church, viz: Rev. K.N. Oommen, Rev. P. John Varghese, were consecrated as Bishops. The Bishops were consecrated by the laying on of hands by presbyters an age-old church tradition of the native Malankara sabha and of that the old Church of Alexandria (1 Timothy 4:14), thus discontinuing the apostolic succession in its traditional understanding and demurring from high church attributes of its former self and born as a church inclusive to everyone and on the path of true reformation.
Identity
Prominent leaders
The prominent leaders of the new church included Bishop K. N. Oommen, Bishop P. John Varughese, Rev. P. I. Mathai (Plavunkal Achen), Rev. P. C. Zachariah, K. N. Daniel, Bishop P. S. Varughese, Rev. C. M. Varghese, A. G. Mathew, Mr. K. Abraham, K. S. Joseph, Rev. K. O. John, Rev. A. C. Mathew, Rev. P. T. Thomas, Rev. T. C. George, Rev K.C Paily, Mr. K. A. Abraham, Rev. K. M. Ninan, Rev P.A.Jacob etc.
Bishops
* Bishop Most Rev Dr C V Mathew (Presiding Bishop of the Church)