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Dr. Johnson C. Philip During This Period the Lord Brethren History Journal 01 Dr. Johnson C. Philip hough the Brethren Assemblies -- at least by the reckoning of some -- in the places of origin are facing a decline of sorts, the situation is totally different in the Far East, including India. In T fact the NT Pattern church in India is a vibrant one, having a large number of outreaches, with scores of new churches established every year, and this church history of Far East is incomplete without an account of the origin and growth of the Brethren Assemblies in India. The Christian faith came to India in AD 50 oriented to the gospel came up, especially when Saint Thomas the doubting disciples towards the second half of the second came here with the gospel. He received a millennium. warm welcome from Hindu kings and nobles and soon many professed faith in Christ, and an active community of Christians came into During this period the Lord existence in India in the middle of the first century AD. raised many men from the decaying church in India who This community kept growing and soon there began studying and teaching were churches all over the southern and western parts of India. This was an educated the pure word of God, denying community of people, as opposed to the the spiritual efficacy of church general illiteracy, and had business links with rituals. This eventually led to a many countries. Many non Indian Christians also moved to India and merged into this greater interest in studying mainstream, making it a culturally rich the pure word of God, and community. many began to gather in In the first millennia the church in India kept homes to search the scriptures faithful to biblical truths, but towards the -- particularly in the tiny south close of it the Roman Catholic church Indian state of Kerala. treacherously (inducement, murder, politics, deception) took control of large segments of Non Catholic churches and established themselves firmly in the Indian soil. This However, gradually ecclesiastical priesthood admixture of error with truth led to more than and religious rituals began sapping their one revival and several denominations strength and vigor. This coincided with the Sola Scriptura | Sola Fide Page 3 Brethren History Journal 01 modern missionary movement in the west, extremely communal society, these and an increasing number of missionaries conversions soon led to serious family and began coming to India. Gradually their work church problems. began replanting the seeds of gospel among Indians. During this period the Lord raised many men Soon the young believers were from the decaying church in India who began warned by their churches and studying and teaching the pure word of God, families to either renounce denying the spiritual efficacy of church rituals. This eventually led to a greater interest in their newfound faith or face studying the pure word of God, and many expulsion from the church, the began to gather in homes to search the family, and even the town -- scriptures -- particularly in the tiny south and in those days once thrown Indian state of Kerala. With the establishment of a printing press, Bible was easily available out of one's house there was (though costly) in this language. These practically no dwelling place investigations eventually lead them to the available in one's town. discovery of the doctrines of justification by faith, the priesthood of all believers, and the baptism of believers as opposed to infant baptism practices in their own churches. In a communal society the community is the The discovery led to action, and soon four dictating agency as to how people live and men who accepted Christ as savior were conduct themselves, and the individual has no baptized. Convinced of the need for believers freedom of choice in most things related to to commemorate the death of the Lord in a spiritual life, marriage rituals, and even burial. non ritualistic manner, they celebrated the The community in turn creates these strong first Lord's Supper under a tree in 1887. This is stipulations through the family unit, where reckoned by many to be technically the birth everyone is subject to the authority of the of the Brethren Assemblies in India. Just as oldest male member of the family. If this the Lord raised a group of people for Himself member stipulates that everyone should go to in the West, He also raised a group unto a certain church, none dare disobey it lest he Himself independently in the East. or she be punished or even be removed from the family. And once a person is removed Many churches were being established all from the family, he has no existence other over India by the efforts of foreign than that of a vagabond in a communal missionaries, and this helped create an society. Freedom of conscience, or freedom to atmosphere of great spiritual zeal and choose according to personal desires is not expectation in the older Indian churches. This existent in such societies, and such indeed atmosphere in turn helped this new was the society in Kerala (South India) when movement to spread the gospel and gain a the Brethren movement began here. large number of believers. India being a Sola Scriptura | Sola Fide Page 4 Brethren History Journal 01 Soon the young believers were warned by Finally believers had to sleep over the grave their churches and families to either renounce for many days after burying the child again. their newfound faith or face expulsion from the church, the family, and even the town -- and in those days once thrown out of one's Soon the young believers house there was practically no dwelling place available in one's town. Houses were not were warned by their available on rent, and it was impossible to fine churches and families to anyone in that communal society having the either renounce their courage to employ or even help these social newfound faith or face outcasts. However, all of them preferred to live on the streets with their newfound faith expulsion from the church, rather than living in their cozy homes but the family, and even the without God. town -- and in those days Many were thrown out, others were beaten once thrown out of one's and abused mercilessly, and still others were house there was practically mocked in inhuman ways. They used to throw no dwelling place available in the excreta of pigs upon believers in places like Angamally. It is the same place where an one's town. evangelist (Lonappan Upadeshi) was stripped naked of his “mundu” while he was publicly Down south, Koshy Mathunny was unable to preaching the gospel, and where those find a place to bury his young wife who was opposed to this new faith exhumed the dead- only in her thirties, and had to take the bold body of a young girl and threw it in the and unheard of step of burying her in his own courtyard of her father (Lonappan Upadeshi) compound, just a few feet behind his for his "crime" of embracing Christ, residence. Incidentally, he had purchased this compounding the pain of parents who had piece of land from some generous Hindus who not yet recovered from the pain of the gave him shelter when he was thrown out of untimely death of their beloved daughter. his house because of his newfound faith. The Lord honored the faith of the new believers, and the people added to the church kept increasing by the day. Soon there were churches all over the state of Kerala, Tamil Nadu (Madras), and Andhra Pradesh. Meanwhile some foreign missionaries who had come to India care of non Brethren missions were also won over to the New Testament truths, and they also started laboring with the people of God in India. V. V Nagel Sola Scriptura | Sola Fide Page 5 Brethren History Journal 01 Nagal, E. H. Noel and Handly Bird being some for expanding the work indigenously of them. throughout the country, and even beyond. The second generation of the Brethren had their paths cut out by the first, so they were able to advance much beyond their predecessors. This then became the time for ME Cherian establishing assemblies, para church ministries, schools, orphanages, and hospitals. Many dedicated themselves to serve the Lord, The third generation spread the flame and soon there was a large group of throughout the country because they now evangelists spreading the gospel throughout had a strong army of people to support them. the southern parts of India. The late M. E. Cherian became one of the first Indians to resign from a full-time secular job to enter full- The fourth generation brought a time Christian ministry. Though it met with lot of career-seekers from other some resistance from some foreign denominations, mostly missionaries (and particularly their wives) who castaways from there and felt it a threat that qualified local people are uncommitted to the assemblies, entering full-time ministry, Mr. Cherian was and created quite some not deterred. He became sort of a pioneer problem due mainly to hoard when he left his native place and moved to the massive but untapped social another state for cross-cultural evangelism. and financial resources that suddenly became available to them in this group. The fourth generation brought a lot of career- seekers from other denominations, mostly castaways from there and uncommitted to the assemblies, and created quite some problem due mainly to hoard the massive but untapped social and financial resources that suddenly became available to them in this KM Mathai, Bhopal group.
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