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 Church in 1961, and traces its ancestry before then back almost 2,000 years. STECI firmly affirms that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant and infallible Word of God. All that is necessary for man's salvation and living in righteousness is given in the Bible. It further affirms that the Church has a responsibility to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all the nations of the world, especially to India. The Four Evangelists, by Jakob Jordaens Evangelism is the proclaiming of the Christian Gospel or, by extension, any other form of preaching or proselytizing. ... The word episcopal is derived from the Greek επίσκοπος, transliterated epískopos, which literally means overseer; the word, however, is used in religious contexts to refer to a bishop. ... Kerala ( (Anglicised) or (native); Malayalamകേരളം, — ) is a state on the tropical Malabar Coast of southwestern India. ... The word schism (IPA: or ), from the Greek σχίσμα, skhísma (from σχίζω, skhízō, to split), means a division or a split, usually in an organization or a movement. ... The Mar Thoma Church is a branch of the pre-16th century undivided Indian Church, and got its current identity in 1889, even though it was born much earlier. ...

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. The Nasrani Menorah or Syrian Cross also known as the Mar Thoma cross The Saint Thomas Christians are a group of Christians from the Malabar coast (now Kerala) in South India, who follow Syriac Christianity. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Jude Thomas. ... Dionysius Exiguus invented Anno Domini years to date Easter. ... For other uses, see number 52. ...

According to tradition and historical records, St. Thomas, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus, came to the coast of Kerala in south-west India and established seven churches. These churches continued to exist till the Portuguese came to India in the sixteenth century for trade and to establish colonies. Many of these ancient Christians converted to Roman Catholicism. But a remnant church continued to exist with a fraternal relationship with the Holy See of Antioch, often getting their bishops consecrated by the Patriarch of Antioch and conducting their liturgy in the Syriac language. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Jude Thomas. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... The Syriac Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church based in the Middle East with members spread throughout the world. ... Syriac ( Suryāyā) is an Eastern Aramaic language that was once spoken across much of the Fertile Crescent. ...

This was the situation the evangelical British missionaries saw when they came to Kerala in the earlier part of the 19th century. With the help of local people they translated the Bible into Malayalam, the local language. Soon reformation began in the ancient Church of St. Thomas under the leadership of Abraham Malpan, a Syriac professor at the Seminary, who is often called the 'Martin Luther' of Kerala. He removed many of the customs, practices and doctrines from the Church. The reformers separated from the ancient Church in 1879 forming the Mar Thoma Church. Malayalam (മലയാളം ) is the language spoken predominantly in the state of Kerala, in southern India. ... The Mar Thoma Church is a branch of the pre-16th century undivided Indian Church, and got its current identity in 1889, even though it was born much earlier. ...

The new reformed Church marched forward with great success until a group of young people who were trained in liberal seminaries began to think that reformation had gone too far. After the death in 1947 of Abraham Marthoma Metropolitan, who was a strong missionary minded and evangelical Bishop, the anti-reformation group gained upper hand in the hierarchy and the reformers were slowly pushed out of the Church. The reformers, under the leadership of K. N. Daniel, a renowned Church historian and Seminary professor, resisted the efforts of the anti-reformation group. An organization called Pathiopodesa Samithi (Organization for the Propagation of Sound Doctrines) was formed for the purpose of advancing the cause of reformation. A prolonged struggle ensued between the two sides. In 1961, when the reformers realized that they could not continue in the Mar Thoma Church, St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India was organized. The new Church had to leave everything behind. However, within a year, 150 parishes were established.

Parishes

North America: Bergenfield, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, New York, Philadelphia, Queens, Toronto

India: Ulhasnagar, Thiruvilla, Kalyan (E)

'Middle East: Dubai

External links

• Official site

[[Category:]]