Pentecostalism in Kerala


Pentecostalism is a renewal movement within Protestant Christianity that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of God through the baptism with the Holy Spirit. For Christians, this event commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the followers of Jesus Christ, as described in the second chapter of the Book of Acts.
Pentecostalism was established in Kerala 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 arrived and preached the gospel to Jews. 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 in India. 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 Church of God, and the Assemblies of God.

Notable communities

There are hundreds of other independent Non Denominational congregations throughout Kerala. Its strength varying from 100 to 10000 members. These independent groups are formed mainly due to personal missionary visions received by individuals for End time harvest.
Some of the biggest congregations are:
Ministry NameSenior PastorLocation
El- Shaddai MinistryPr. Tinu GeorgeKottarakara
Christ CentrePr. Suresh BabuThiruvananthapuram
Jesus Voice MinistryPr. Ani GeorgeThiruvalla
Blessing TodayPr. Damien AntonyErnakulam
Manu Menon MinistriesPr. Manu MenonThrissur
Heavenly FeastPr. Mathew & Pr. ThomasKottayam

Population

Christian Denominations in Kerala, 2011

CommunitiesPopulationPercentage
Syro-Malabar23459117.0
Syro-Malankara4652071.4
Latin Catholics9327332.8
Jacobite4827621.4
Orthodox4938581.5
Marthoma4050891.2
CSI2742550.8
Dalit1599820.5
Pentecost2138060.6
Other Christians3618641.1
Total Christians614126918.4

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, baptism with the Holy Spirit was regarded by the first Pentecostals as being the third work of grace, following the new birth and entire sanctification.
John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, taught that there were two distinct phases in the Christian experience. In the first work of grace, the new birth, the believer received forgiveness and became a Christian. During the second work of grace, sanctification, the believer was purified and made holy. Wesley taught both that sanctification could be an instantaneous experience, and that it could be a gradual process.
Early Methodists wore plain dress, 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 congregation". The 1858 Discipline of the Wesleyan Methodist Connection thus stated that "we would... ejoin on all who fear God plain dress".
Outward Holiness, or External Holiness, is a Wesleyan-Arminian doctrine emphasizing modest dress and sober speech. The doctrine was prevalent during the revival movements for the early Lutheran Pietists and Methodists, and during the Holiness and Pentecostal 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:
As a continuation, in Kerala many Traditional Pentecostal denominations do not wear ornaments depending upon the denomination they are part of. Many traditional Mainstream churches even to this day do not allow ornament wearing believers to partake in holy communion as well as water baptism. Most of the Independent churches in Kerala do not have a practice of removing ornaments. And some traditional churches don't allow to grow mustache. 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 :-
Media plays a leading role to spread Pentecostalism in Kerala through Television Channels, Radio Channels and Newspapers.
Television ChannelsRadio/FM ChannelsNewspapers/Magazines
Powervision TVBafa RadioGood News
Harvest TVPsalms RadioHallelujah
Trumpet TVRadio MannaBelievers Journal
Kahalam TVJesus Coming FMMarupacha
Manna TVRAFA RadioKraisthava Ezhuthupura
My Worship RadioDisciples News
Online Good News

Presence in Social Media

Resistance of Pentecostalism in Kerala

The US-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern 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

American Evangelist Billy Graham came in February 1956, conducted crusade in Kottayam which was the Christian center of Kerala and the missionary ground of Kerala. Most of the 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”.
German Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke preached in Kochi for the CfaN Fire Conference on April 9-13, 2008.

Malayalee Evengelists outside Kerala

Rev. Dr. M A Varughese is an Evangelist, revival and motivational speaker and publisher of many books. He is also the Founder and President of Bethel Gospel Team and Senior Pastor of Bethel Assembly of God Church, in Bangalore, Karnataka, India. Under the leadership of Rev. Dr. M A Varughese, Bethel Assembly of God Church is one of the largest churches in India and one of Asia's most influential churches. Every week they conduct at least 15 worship services in Bangalore city and many different places, in several languages.
P. G. Vargis and his ministry Indian Evangelical Team has birthed more than 27 church planting movements in various regions of South-East Asia.