Pentecostalism in Kerala
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Pentecostalism is a renewal movement within Protestant Christianity that places special emphasis on a direct personal relationship with God and experience of
God In monotheism, monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator deity, creator, and principal object of Faith#Religious views, faith.Richard Swinburne, Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Ted Honderich, Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Ox ...
through the
baptism with the Holy Spirit In Christian theology, baptism with the Holy Spirit, also called baptism in the Holy Spirit or baptism in the Holy Ghost, has been interpreted by different Christian denominations and traditions in a variety of ways due to differences in the doc ...
. For Christians, this event commemorates the descent of the
Holy Spirit In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is the divine force, quality, and influence of God over the Universe or over his creatures. In Nicene Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is the third person of the Trinity. In Islam, the Holy Spirit acts as ...
upon the followers of
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 ...
, as described in the second chapter of the
Book of Acts The Acts of the Apostles ( grc-koi, Πράξεις Ἀποστόλων, ''Práxeis Apostólōn''; la, Actūs Apostolōrum) is the fifth book of the New Testament; it tells of the founding of the Christian Church and the spread of its message ...
.
Pentecostalism Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement
was established in
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 ...
, India at the start of the 20th century.


History

Indigenous Pentecostalism in India first emerged from the Syrian Christian community in the state of Kerala. Christianity in Kerala claims its origin in AD 52 when the
Apostle Thomas Thomas the Apostle ( arc, 𐡀𐡌𐡅𐡕𐡌, hbo, תוֹמא הקדוש or תוֹמָא שליחא (''Toma HaKadosh'' "Thomas the Holy" or ''Toma Shlikha'' "Thomas the Messenger/Apostle" in Hebrew-Aramaic), syc, ܬܐܘܡܐ, , meaning "twi ...
arrived and preached the gospel to
Jews 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 ...
. In addition, there were evidences of migrations of Christians from Syria in the fourth century and the eighth century to Kerala. 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 Bangalore in 1909 and preached in a convention in Kerala. 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. In 1913 Pastor Robert F. Cook also came to India as a missionary. He came to Kerala and began his ministry there in 1914. By 1923, Cook had established 36 churches in Kerala, known collectively as the South India
Church of God (Full Gospel) in India {{Infobox Christian denomination , name = Church Of God (Full Gospel) in India (COG) , image = Church of God Emblem.svg , imagewidth = 140px , caption = Cross with wave of the Holy Spirit , abbreviation = COG in India , main_classification = Prote ...
. Pastor K. E. Abraham, who was associated with Pastor Cook until 1930, was baptized in the Holy Spirit in 1923, an event considered as the foundation for the establishment of the India Pentecostal Church of God. In 1930, Pastor K.E Abraham who believed that local Keralite churches must be independent from foreign organizations for effective evangelization within India, split from Pastor Cook and formed the South India Pentecostal Church of God. He later changed the name of the church to India Pentecostal Church of God. In addition to the work begun by Abraham, Pentecostalism grew rapidly in Kerala through the ministries of the
Ceylon Pentecostal Mission The Pentecostal Mission (TPM) or New Testament Church (NTC) in the United States or Universal Pentecostal Church (UPC) in the United Kingdom is a Pentecostal denomination which was founded in Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in 1923. The intern ...
(CPM), the
Church of God (Cleveland) The Church of God, with headquarters in Cleveland, Tennessee, United States, is a Holiness Pentecostal Christian denomination. The Church of God's publishing house is Pathway Press. History Origins (1886–1902) R. G. Spurling (1857–1935), ...
, and the
Assemblies of God The Assemblies of God (AG), officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 144 autonomous self-governing national groupings of churches that together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination."Assemblies of God". ...
.


Notable communities

*
Indian Pentecostal Church of God The Indian Pentecostal Church of God (IPC) is the largest Pentecostal Christian Denomination in India. It has over ten thousand congregations around the world. Its organisational headquarters is at Hebronpuram, Kumbanad, Kerala, India. IPC chu ...
(IPC) * Assemblies of God in India (AG) *
Church of God (Full Gospel) in India {{Infobox Christian denomination , name = Church Of God (Full Gospel) in India (COG) , image = Church of God Emblem.svg , imagewidth = 140px , caption = Cross with wave of the Holy Spirit , abbreviation = COG in India , main_classification = Prote ...
(COG) *
The Pentecostal Mission The Pentecostal Mission (TPM) or New Testament Church (NTC) in the United States or Universal Pentecostal Church (UPC) in the United Kingdom is a Pentecostal denomination which was founded in Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in 1923. The intern ...
(TPM) * Glorious Church Of God (Malayam Daiva Sabha) * Sharon Fellowship Church (SFC) * New India Church of God (NICOG) * New India Bible Church (NIBC) * World Mission Evangelism Church of God (WME) * The Apostolic Ministries International (TAMI) * Suvartha Center Church (SCC) * Malankara Christian Church (MCC) *Church Of God Full Gospel In India Kerala Region * Karisma Fire Ministries


Population


Christian Denominations in Kerala, 2011

Source: Religious Denominations of Kerala


Pentecostal Youth Associations


Lifestyle

In classical Pentecostalism, the baptism with the Holy Spirit is understood to be a separate and distinct experience occurring sometime after regeneration. Influenced by the
Holiness movement The Holiness movement is a Christian movement that emerged chiefly within 19th-century Methodism, and to a lesser extent other traditions such as Quakerism, Anabaptism, and Restorationism. The movement is historically distinguished by its emph ...
, baptism with the Holy Spirit was regarded by the first Pentecostals as being the third work of grace, following the
new birth Born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelicalism, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is distinctly and sepa ...
(first work of grace) and
entire sanctification Christian perfection is the name given to theological concepts within some sects of Christianity that purport to describe a process of achieving spiritual maturity or perfection. The ultimate goal of this process is union with God characterized by ...
(
second work of grace According to some Christian traditions, a second work of grace (also second blessing) is a transforming interaction with God which may occur in the life of an individual Christian. The defining characteristics of the second work of grace are tha ...
).
John Wesley John Wesley (; 2 March 1791) was an English people, English cleric, Christian theology, theologian, and Evangelism, evangelist who was a leader of a Christian revival, revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. The soci ...
, the founder of the
Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...
movement, taught that there were two distinct phases in the Christian experience. In the first work of grace, the
new birth Born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelicalism, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is distinctly and sepa ...
, the believer received forgiveness and became a Christian. During the second work of grace,
sanctification Sanctification (or in its verb form, sanctify) literally means "to set apart for special use or purpose", that is, to make holy or sacred (compare la, sanctus). Therefore, sanctification refers to the state or process of being set apart, i.e. " ...
, the believer was purified and made
holy Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...
. Wesley taught both that sanctification could be an instantaneous experience, and that it could be a gradual process. Early Methodists wore
plain dress Plain dress is a practice among some religious groups, primarily some Christian churches in which people dress in clothes of traditional modest design, sturdy fabric, and conservative cut. It is intended to show acceptance of traditional gender ...
, with Methodist clergy condemning "high headdresses, ruffles, laces, gold, and 'costly apparel' in general". John Wesley recommended that Methodists annually read his thoughts ''On Dress''; in that sermon, John Wesley expressed his desire for Methodists: "Let me see, before I die, a Methodist congregation, full as plain dressed as a
Quaker Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...
congregation". The 1858 Discipline of the
Wesleyan Methodist Connection The Wesleyan Methodist Church was a Methodist denomination in the United States organized on May 13, 1841. It was composed of ministers and laypeople who withdrew from the Methodist Episcopal Church because of disagreements regarding slavery, ...
thus stated that "we would ... ejoin on all who fear God plain dress".
Outward Holiness Outward holiness, or external holiness, is a Wesleyan–Arminian doctrine emphasizing modest dress and sober speech. It is a testimony of a Christian believer's regeneration, done in obedience to God. The doctrine is prevalent among denominations ...
, or External Holiness, is a
Wesleyan-Arminian Wesleyan theology, otherwise known as Wesleyan–Arminian theology, or Methodist theology, is a theological tradition in Protestant Christianity based upon the ministry of the 18th-century evangelical reformer brothers John Wesley and Charles W ...
doctrine emphasizing modest dress and sober speech. The doctrine was prevalent during the revival movements for the early Lutheran
Pietists Pietism (), also known as Pietistic Lutheranism, is a movement within Lutheranism that combines its emphasis on biblical doctrine with an emphasis on individual piety and living a holy Christianity, Christian life, including a social concern for ...
and Methodists, and during the
Holiness Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...
and
Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement
movements. Some Christian denominations within the Wesleyan-Arminian theological tradition, such as some Methodist, Holiness, and Pentecostal denominations continue to observe outward holiness. The standards are: * Modest and
plain dress Plain dress is a practice among some religious groups, primarily some Christian churches in which people dress in clothes of traditional modest design, sturdy fabric, and conservative cut. It is intended to show acceptance of traditional gender ...
, which is defined as loose covering from the neck to below the knee in all normal body postures; women often wear a
Christian headcovering Christian head covering, also known as Christian veiling, is the traditional practice of women covering their head in a variety of Christian denominations. Some Christian women, based on historic Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox, Catholic, L ...
. This would also include the strict prohibition of
mixed bathing Mixed bathing is the sharing of a pool, beach or other place by swimmers of both sexes. Mixed bathing usually refers to swimming or other water-based recreational activities in public or semi-public facilities, such as hotel or holiday resort pool ...
. *Moderate or no use of jewelry or ornaments of gold, silver, and jewels for personal adornment; some denominations will only allow the use of a wedding band or ring while others proscribe it too. *A distinction of the sexes in clothing, forbidding such style as trousers and
pant suit A pantsuit, also known as a trouser suit outside the United States, is a woman's suit of clothing consisting of pants and a matching or coordinating coat or jacket. Formerly, the prevailing fashion for women included some form of a coat, pa ...
s for women unless required by work or public service. *Christian men are to wear their hair short and Christian women must never cut or remove their hair, wearing it long in order to have a definitive distinction of male and female sexes. As a continuation, in Kerala many Traditional Pentecostal denominations do not wear ornaments depending upon the denomination they are part of. However Dr. Valsan Abraham who is the current president of IPC Church has mentioned that removing ornaments is not a part of Biblical doctrine but the forefathers of IPC CHURCH had decided to have a simple lifestyle and the practice of removing ornaments has never ever recorded in the constitution of IPC and in the statement of faith. Most of the Independent churches in Kerala do not have a practice of removing ornaments. At the turn of the century, more and more traditional churches are moving away from the practice of mandating compulsory removal of ornaments and classifying it as a personal choice of believers.


Pentecostal Institutions in Kerala

List of some main institutions are :- * India Bible College & Seminary, Kumbanad * MT Zion Bible Seminary, Mulakuzha * Faith Theological Seminary, Manakkala * Bethel Bible College, Punalur * Sharon Bible College, Thiruvalla * Shalom Bible College, Vadavathoor * IPC Kottayam Theological Seminary, Puthuppally * Rhema Bible Seminary, Nallur, Palakkad. Accredited by ATA * Calicut Theological College - Kozhikode * Asian Bible College - Kochi * Trinity Bible College Kozhikode, Waynad


Pentecost Media

Media plays a leading role to spread Pentecostalism in Kerala through Television Channels, Radio Channels, Newspapers/Magazines and Social Media.


Resistance of Pentecostalism in Kerala

The US-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned some attacks on Christians in Kerala, generally considered a safe-haven for Christians because of the large Christian minority there. The ICC warned that the Kerala attacks would only embolden anti-Christian extremists elsewhere to attack the even more vulnerable Christians in their states. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad along with the Arya Samaj arranged the Ghar Wapsi Program and converted a few number of Christians to Hinduism in Kerala. Because Dalit Christians had belonged to SC/ST communities before conversion to Christianity, but they are denied the government's SC/ST benefits in education and job reservation. The Supreme Court ruled that a person who reconverts from Christianity to Hinduism shall be entitled to reservation benefits if his forefathers belonged to a Scheduled Caste and the community accepts him after reconversion.


International Evangelists in Kerala

*
Billy Graham William Franklin Graham Jr. (November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) was an American evangelist and an ordained Southern Baptist minister who became well known internationally in the late 1940s. He was a prominent evangelical Christi ...
American Evangelist
Billy Graham William Franklin Graham Jr. (November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) was an American evangelist and an ordained Southern Baptist minister who became well known internationally in the late 1940s. He was a prominent evangelical Christi ...
came in February 1956, conducted program in
Kottayam Kottayam () is a municipal town in the Indian state of Kerala. Flanked by the Western Ghats on the east and the Vembanad Lake and paddy fields of Kuttanad on the west. It is the district headquarters of Kottayam district, located in south-we ...
in Kerala. Most of the pentecostal Christian homes in Kerala had the wall poster with the side view picture of 36 years old Evangelist Dr. Billy Graham with the writing "God is Calling The Church”. *
Reinhard Bonnke Reinhard Bonnke (19 April 1940 – 7 December 2019) was a German-American Pentecostal evangelist, principally known for his gospel missions throughout Africa. Bonnke had been an evangelist and missionary in Africa since 1967. Early life Rei ...
German Evangelist
Reinhard Bonnke Reinhard Bonnke (19 April 1940 – 7 December 2019) was a German-American Pentecostal evangelist, principally known for his gospel missions throughout Africa. Bonnke had been an evangelist and missionary in Africa since 1967. Early life Rei ...
preached in
Kochi Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of K ...
for the CfaN Fire Conference on April 9-13, 2008.


Malayalee Evangelists outside Kerala

* MA VARGHESE Ma Varghese is the senior Pastor of Bethel AG church Bangalore. * PG VARGHESE P.G Varghese is the founder of IET Indian Evangelical Team working in North India. They have nearly planted 8000 churches across India. * ANISON SAMUEL Anison Samuel is a revival speaker, Pastor and an evangelist who has started his ministry at the age of 12. He is currently the President of The Apostolic Ministries International and the senior Pastor of Zion Apostolic church in Edmonton, Canada. The Apostolic Ministries International have around 1500 churches across the globe. * RANJIT ABRAHAM & V A THAMPY Pastor R Abraham and Pastor VA Thampy are the founders of New India Church of God. Under their leadership they have planted 3500 churches across the nation of India with orphanages and schools.


See also

*
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
*
Christianity in Kerala Christianity is the third-largest practiced religion in Kerala, accounting for 18% of the population according to the Indian census. Although a minority, the Christian population of Kerala is proportionally much larger than that of India as a who ...
*
Methodism Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's br ...
*
History of Pentecostalism in India Pentecostalism has grown in India since its introduction in the early twentieth century. Several Pentecostal missionaries who had participated in the Azusa Street Revival visited Kerala from 1909 onwards. During the 1920s the missionary Robert F. ...
*
Pentecost Pentecost (also called Whit Sunday, Whitsunday or Whitsun) is a Christianity, Christian holiday which takes place on the 50th day (the seventh Sunday) after Easter Sunday. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles in the Ne ...
*
The Pentecostal Mission The Pentecostal Mission (TPM) or New Testament Church (NTC) in the United States or Universal Pentecostal Church (UPC) in the United Kingdom is a Pentecostal denomination which was founded in Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in 1923. The intern ...
* K. C. John


References

{{Christianity in Kerala Christianity in Kerala
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 ...