The Kerala Brethren are a significant subset of the

Open Brethren The Open Brethren, sometimes called Christian Brethren, are a group of Evangelical Christian churches that arose in the late 1820s as part of the Assembly Movement within the Plymouth Brethren tradition. They originated in Ireland before spreadi ...

movement. In the South

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

State State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

, four Syrian Christian ( Nasrani) men who came from traditional churches were

baptised Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost inv ...

in 1898, and many of the Kerala Brethren consider this event to have been the start of their movement. Some 600 of the 2,200 Brethren assemblies (as their churches are generally called) in India are located in Kerala.

Characteristics

The Brethren have no central hierarchy or governing body. They see themselves as an informal network of like-minded autonomous local churches, not as a denomination in the organizational sense. Common support for itinerant preachers, publications,

seminaries A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...

, and missions agencies, however, often leads to a high degree of cooperation among Brethren assemblies, and among Kerala's Christians, the Brethren are noted for their strong sense of identity. The Brethren assemblies in Kerala are also known as "verpaatu sabhakal" due to their heavy emphasis on separation from the world for greater devotion to

Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

. This emphasis on separation, although common among the Brethren throughout India and in some streams of the Brethren internationally, is particularly pronounced in Kerala.

History

Many Indian Christians believe that the Apostle

Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the Ap ...

brought the Christian message to

in 52AD. In the words of an Indian hymn, ''"...It was his mission to espouse India to the One-Begotten...."'' Some Indian Brethren disclaim their missionary origins, instead making a case for historical continuity with the First-Century converts of the Apostle Thomas, claiming that for several centuries Christians on the

Malabar coast The Malabar Coast is the southwestern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Geographically, it comprises the wettest regions of southern India, as the Western Ghats intercept the moisture-laden monsoon rains, especially on their westward-facing m ...

(modern Kerala) followed what Brethren believe to have been the

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...

model of church organization and worship, with no clergy, and that clericalism began to creep in only after 345 AD, when seventy-two families belonging to seven

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

clans followed

Thomas of Cana Thomas of Cana (Malayalam: Knāi Thoma or Tomman Kinān, Syriac: Knā'nāya Thoma) was a Syrian merchant magnate who arrived to the Chera Dynasties capital city of Kodungallur between 345 A.D. and 811 A.D. Thoma brought with him Jewish-Christ ...

from

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

Kodungalloor Kodungallur (; also Cranganore, Portuguese: Cranganor; formerly known as Mahodayapuram, Shingly, Vanchi, Muchiri, Muyirikkode, and Muziris) is a historically significant town situated on the banks of river Periyar on the Malabar Coast in Thr ...

, which is now in Kerala. Thomas of Cana, they claim, brought in

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

s and

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Churc ...

s, changing the practices of the Kerala Christians. This interpretation of history is not widely shared by non-Brethren Christians, however. The modern Brethren movement was introduced into India in 1833 by

Anthony Norris Groves Anthony Norris Groves (1 February 1795 – 20 May 1853) was an English Protestant missionary, who has been called the "father of faith missions". He launched the first Protestant mission to Arabic-speaking Muslims, and settled in Baghdad, and la ...

, a dentist turned missionary who was one of the original

Plymouth Brethren The Plymouth Brethren or Assemblies of Brethren are a low church and non-conformist Christian movement whose history can be traced back to Dublin, Ireland, in the mid to late 1820s, where they originated from Anglicanism. The group emphasizes ...

pioneers in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. The Brethren movement began to take root in Kerala when Mathai Upadeshi, who had been an (

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

)

CMS CMS may refer to: Computing * Call management system * CMS-2 (programming language), used by the United States Navy * Code Morphing Software, a technology used by Transmeta * Collection management system for a museum collection * Color managem ...

evangelist from

Tirunelveli Tirunelveli (, ta, திருநெல்வேலி, translit=Tirunelveli) also known as Nellai ( ta, நெல்லை, translit=Nellai) and historically (during British rule) as Tinnevelly, is a major city in the Indian state of Tami ...

, arrived in 1872. Another early preacher wa
Justhus Joseph
also known as Vidwankutty, a Tamil

Brahmin Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...

and also a CMS priest like Mathai Upadeshi. He arrived in Kerala in 1875, but his ministry declined after the failure of his

prediction A prediction (Latin ''præ-'', "before," and ''dicere'', "to say"), or forecast, is a statement about a future event or data. They are often, but not always, based upon experience or knowledge. There is no universal agreement about the exact ...

that

would

return Return may refer to: In business, economics, and finance * Return on investment (ROI), the financial gain after an expense. * Rate of return, the financial term for the profit or loss derived from an investment * Tax return, a blank document or t ...

in 1881. A second wave of growth among the Kerala Brethren started in 1894 with the arrival of V.D. David, better known in Kerala as Tamil David, and L.M. Wordsmith, the latter an

Indian Tamil Indian Tamils may refer to: * Tamil people from or living in India * Indian Tamils of Sri Lanka Indian Tamils of Sri Lanka are Tamil people of Indian origin in Sri Lanka. They are also known as Malayaga Tamilar, Hill Country Tamils, Up-Country ...

from

Colombo Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo me ...

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

. They were joined b
Herbert Handley Bird
who established assemblies in Northern Kerala. They were helped by

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...

preacher and

Keswick Convention The Keswick Convention is an annual gathering of conservative evangelical Christians in Keswick, in the English county of Cumbria. The Christian theological tradition of Keswickianism, also known as the Higher Life movement, became popularise ...

speaker

J.G. Gregson Joseph Gelson Gregson (1835–1909) was an English Baptist Missionary Society, Baptist missionary to the Indian sub-continent during the British Raj. As a British Indian Army chaplain, he worked hard to achieve total abstinence from alcohol among ...

, who visited Kerala in 1896. Although a Baptist, he was sympathetic to Brethren viewpoints and helped to found the first Brethren assembly in

Travancore The Kingdom of Travancore ( /ˈtrævənkɔːr/), also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor, was an Indian kingdom from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. At ...

, central Kerala. He also preached in

Ayroor Ayroor (also spelled Ayiroor) is a village Near Thiruvalla,located in the western part of Ranni taluk, in the Pathanamthitta district in Kerala state, India. It is bordered by hills and located near the Western Ghats. Ayroor was previously pa ...

, near

Kumbanad Kumbanad is a town located in the Koipuram Town Panchayath Along with Pullad. It is part of Thiruvalla Taluk of Pathanamthitta district in the State of Kerala. It is an important town situated on T.K. Road, equidistant from Eraviperoor and Pu ...

, paving the way for

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

missionary

Volbrecht Nagel Volbrecht Nagel (1867–1921) was a German missionary to the Malabar coast of India. Initially associated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church, he later joined the Open Brethren, and is remembered now as a pioneer of the Kerala Brethren move ...

to conduct the first Brethren "meeting" (as they usually call their services) there on 19 March 1899.

Persecution

Meanwhile, a period of persecution from the older churches had broken out in 1897. Concerned about losing members, some priests in the

Mar Thoma Syrian Church The Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church, often shortened to Mar Thoma Church, and known also as the Reformed Syrian ChurchS. N. Sadasivan. A Social History of India'. APH Publishing; 2000. . p. 442. and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar ...

spoke out against the Brethren movement. P.C. John, a young Mar Thoma Christian influenced by Brethren ideas, was physically assaulted by his priest. John and his cousin, P.E. Mammen, who was a Mar Thoma priest, subsequently left that church and joined the Brethren. The Brethren further strengthened by continued defections from the Mar Thoma Church.

K.V. Simon Mahakavi Kunnampurathu Varghese Simon (7 February 1883 – 1944) was a Malayalam Christian poet from Kerala, India. He was also a musician, a teacher, a reformer, a writer, a Bible scholar and apologist. Simon authored around three hundred hy ...

was

excommunicated Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to end or at least regulate the communion of a member of a congregation with other members of the religious institution who are in normal communion with each other. The purpose ...

from the Mar Thoma Church in Edayaranmula for undergoing and practicing

believer's baptism Believer's baptism or adult baptism (occasionally called credobaptism, from the Latin word meaning "I believe") is the practice of baptizing those who are able to make a conscious profession of faith, as contrasted to the practice of baptizing ...

. After this event, which took place on 25 December 1915, Simon joined the Brethren movement. Sporadic persecution of the Brethren continued. Lonappan, an evangelist, and Kidangoor Thaipparambil Joseph were physically attacked in November 1921 by a mob which burned Bibles and destroyed their agricultural produce.

Brethren unity

1929 was a significant year, when a small group of Viyojitha assemblies that stemmed from the work of

came into fellowship with the wider

Indian Brethren The Indian Brethren are a Christian Evangelical premillennial religious movement. Although they have some distinct characteristics, they have a lot in common, in both doctrine and practice, with the international Open Brethren movement, with wh ...

movement on 20 January. In practical terms, this meant that the Indian Brethren, who were similar in doctrine to the

movement, recognized the Viyojitha Brethren as fellow-believers who shared the same principles of church order. Edwyn Hunter Noel of the Indian Brethren was instrumental in this coming together. They were subsequently joined by the Kerala Brethren, under the encouragement of P.E. Mammen.

Conventions and conferences

There is no General Convention for Brethren Assemblies in Kerala. Local assemblies throughout Kerala often conduct their own conventions and gospel meetings.

Charitable work

In 1906,

, who had been leading the Brethren work at

Kunnamkulam Kunnamkulam is a municipal town situated in the Thrissur District of Kerala in India, spread over an area of 34.18 km2. It is an old commercial town, with an ancient history, famous for its printing and book binding industry. In the past, t ...

Thrissur Thrissur (), formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarters of the Thrissur district in Kerala, India. It is the third largest urban agglomeration in Kerala after Kochi and Kozhikode, and t ...

District on the

Malabar Coast The Malabar Coast is the southwestern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Geographically, it comprises the wettest regions of southern India, as the Western Ghats intercept the moisture-laden monsoon rains, especially on their westward-facing m ...

, purchased 75 acres of land and started a school and orphanage in Nellikkunnu,

. Tiruvalla Medical Mission (TMM) Hospitals have since been established at

Tiruvalla Thiruvalla, alternately spelled Tiruvalla, is a town in Kerala and the Headquarters of the Taluk of the same name located in Pathanamthitta district in the State of Kerala, India. The town is spread over an area of . It lies on the banks of ...

, Manthamaruthy, &

Vazhoor Vazhoor is a town in Kottayam district in the state of Kerala, India.It is a village, panchayat and block with headquarters at Kodungoor on NH183. Basically an agrarian community inhabits this part, whose income depends on rubber cultivation ...

and the College of Nursing at Tiruvalla.

Schools/colleges

* Brethren Bible School,

* Brethren Bible Institute, Pathanamthitta (Offering B.Th., M.B.S., M.Div. & M.Th.) www.bbipta.com, bbi@bbiindia.org * Brethren English Medium High School,

. * Clarence High School,

Bangalore Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...

* Noel Memorial High School & UP School,

. * Noel Memorial High School & UP School, Kariamplave. * Noel Memorial U P School,

Kalanjoor Kalanjoor is a village located in Pathanamthitta district state of Kerala, India. The place is 22 km away from district headquarters. As a part of Konni assembly constituency and Pathanamthitta (Lok Sabha constituency). Kalanjoor is also a pa ...

, * Noel Memorial Upper Primary School, Keekozhur, * Noel Memorial Upper Primary School, Edayaranmula, * Noel Memorial Upper Primary School,

Kangazha Kangazha is a panchayath and village in the Changanacherry Taluk of the Kottayam District of Kerala State in India. It is located 21 kilometers east of Kottayam and 10 kilometers north of Karukachal. It lies midway between the back ...

, * Noel memorial LP Chethackal,

Ranny Ranni or Ranny is a town in the Pathanamthitta district of Kerala, India, and the 16th largest ''taluk'' (administrative division) in Kerala, located on both sides of the Pamba River.It Is Located 30 km From Thiruvalla Railway Station & NH 183 i ...

, * Noel Memorial Lower Primary School, anakappalam * Noel Memorial Lower Primary School, hrikkannamangal (Kottarakkara) * Noel Memorial Lower Primary School (N.M.L.P.S), Vilangara,

Kottarakkara Kottarakkara (IAST: Koṭṭārakkara), also transliterated as ''Kottarakara'', is a town and municipality in the Kollam district of the Kerala, India. The town is close to Kollam Port, which has a rich history linked to the early medieval per ...

* Noel Memorial Lower Primary School, Oottupara, * Noel Memorial Lower Primary School, Mannarathara, * Noel Memorial Lower Primary School, Sabarimankal, * Noel Memorial Lower Primary School, Uthimood, * Noel Memorial Lower Primary School, Paamala, * Noel Memorial Lower Primary School,

Pampady Pampady is a fastest growing town in Kottayam district of Kerala, Southern India. It lies midway between the backwaters of Western Kerala and the mountains of the Western Ghats. Etymology The meaning of Pampady as per Malayalam Dictionary ...

, * Noel Memorial Lower Primary School,

Mylapra Mylapra is a village in Pathanamthitta district in the Indian state of Kerala. It comes under the Mylapra Panchayath. It is on the way to the famous Hindu pilgrim center of Sabarimala. The Main Eastern Highway (Punalur– Pathanamthitta&nd ...

, * Noel Memorial Lower Primary School, Kariamplave * TMM Hospital College of Nursing,

Thiruvalla Thiruvalla, alternately spelled Tiruvalla, is a town in Kerala and the Headquarters of the Taluk of the same name located in Pathanamthitta district in the State of Kerala, India. The town is spread over an area of . It lies on the banks of ...

Hope Academy of Theology and Sciences, Bhopal
* Rehoboth Theological Institute (''RTI''), Nellikunnu, Trissur.
Madurai Bible School & College

Madurai Madurai ( , also , ) is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District. As of the 2011 census, it was the third largest Urban agglomeration in ...

Mission funds

Kerala Evangelistic Missionary (KEM) Fund

General Gospel Fund

Gospel Missions of India

Gospel Fellowship Trust of India
* Hope Assembly Workers Fund (HAWF)
Stewards Association in India

Homes for the elderly

* Brethren Mercy Trust,

* Rehoboth Old Age Home, Nellikkunnu

References and sources

Brethren Wiki
BrethrenPedia
Thiruvalla Medical MissionsKeralabrethren.net History pageBrethren institutions
* Mahaakavi K. V. Simon, ''History of the Malankara Brethren Churches (malankarayile verpaatu sabhakalute charithram)'' – republished by Sathyam Publications, Tiruvalla, Kerala, India. in Feb 1999. * Lang, G. H., ''The History and Diaries of an Indian Christian: J. C. Aroolappen'', USA, Schoettle Publishing Co., Inc., 1988

Kerala Brethren pioneers

Herbert Handley Bird

Volbrecht_Nagel
* Edwyn Hunter Noel, (son of PB historian Napoleon Noel) * Mahakavi K.V. Simon * Y. Ezekiel * Alex Souter
M.E. Cherian

* T.K. Samuel * K.V.Cheru * J.M. Davies
Silas Fox
aka "The White Fox of Andhra" *

* P.C. John Upadeshi * P.C. Joseph - Jospeh Chethackal * P.C. Joseph - Poikayil Joseph * K.G. Kurien * V.T. Mathai * M.M. John (Kumbanad) * A.A. Chacko * T.A. Kurien - Sagar * P.E. Mammen, "Kumbanattachen" - former Vicar of

and

Eraviperoor Eraviperoor is a village in Thiruvalla Taluk,Pathanamthitta district in the state of Kerala . Eraviperoor is the part of Thiruvalla Taluk in east location and is part of the Aranmula legislative assembly constituency.It Comes Under Thiruvalla ...

Marthoma parishes * Mammen Kurien * E.J. Mathew * A.T. Mathew, (

Gudalur, Nilgiris Gudalur is a municipality and taluk in Nilgiris district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Demographics Religions Languages According to 2011 census, Gudalur had a population of 49,535 with a sex-ratio of 1,032 females for every 1,000 ...

) * K.G. Thomas * Dr. Poulose Thudian * Avarachan Upadeshi * E.P. Varghese * T.T Scariah

References

External links

Kerala Brethren Assembly Kerala Brethren Assembly-Forum Kerala Brethren Kerala Brethren discussion forumbrethrenassembly.com Adelphoi News.comHope Academy of Theology and Sciences, Bhopal
{{Christianity in Kerala Christianity in Kerala Christian missions in India Plymouth Brethren Religious organizations established in 1898 1898 establishments in India