Introduction
The
prime focus of this paper is to describe a brief history of Pentecostal
movement or Pentecostalism in India with special focus on Kerala Christian
community in the early 20th century. However, the research will also
deal with some of the important works done by the western missionary such as
Robert F Cook and George Berg. Since the sources and Pentecostal writing has
been less in the library, the research will refer website sources and this
paper would mainly focus the history rather than others issue.
1.
Origin of Pentecostalism
The
modern Pentecostalism movement was started by a charismatic revival as early as
1901 in Topeka, Kansa. However, April 1906 is generally credited as the
beginning date for the modern Pentecostal Movement. On that date at the Azusa
Street in Los Angeles, there occurred, an outbreak of speaking in tongues.
Charles Fox Parham and William J. Seymour, a white and a black respectively
were monumental figures in Pentecostalism around whom the Azusa Street revival
evolved. Parham and Seymour developed the doctrine that speaking in tongues was
the evidence of the baptism in the Spirit. Most of the scholars credited
Charles Fox Parham as the founder of the Pentecostal Movement, the founder of
the Bethel Bible College at Topeka in Kansas City. He encouraged his students
to discover the biblical teachings on baptism of the Holy Spirit and the
exercise of the spiritual gifts. From the Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles,
Pentecostalism spread rapidly around the world and began its advance toward
becoming a major force in Christendom.[1]
Since our focus is India I will left the detail history of Pentecostal movement
here, and move forward to the India Pentecostalism.
2.
Pentecostalism Movement in India
According
to Gary McGee, the eminent historian of Assemblies of God, Pentecostalism had
already established itself in India long before word of Azusa reached the
subcontinent. He validated by showing the documentary evidence that Pentecost,
with all the associated phenomena, came to Tirunelveli and Travancore (South
India) long before the Azusa revival. The powerful revival was witnessed in the
second half of the 19th century in the following years first in
1860, second in 1873 and third in 1895. People experienced the outpouring of
the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues in all these revivals though the
recipients did not know that they were experiencing Pentecostal power as taught
in the book of Acts.[2] Another
incident was witnessed in 1906 at Pandita Ramabai’s Mukti Mission in
Maharashtra, in which young women baptized by the Spirit had seen visions,
fallen into trances and spoken in tongues, began before the Azusa Street revival;
there is no indication that this was precipitated by events in Los Angeles.
According to various authorities as stated by Roger E. Hedlund, Pentecostalism
in India has its roots in Maharashtra at the Ramabai Mukti Mission. The Mukti
Mission revival was understood by Ramabai herself to be the means by which the
Holy Spirit was creating an independent Indian Christianity. However this does
not mean that the Azusa revival had no impact on Indian Pentecostalism.[3]
3.
Short History of Pentecostalism
in Kerala
Indigenous
Pentecostalism in India first emerged from the Syrian Christian community in
the state of Kerala. Its History is very much tied to the history of
Christianity in Kerala. Christianity in Kerala claims its origin in AD 52 when
the Apostle Thomas arrived and preached the gospel to Jews and the native high
caste Bhramins. In addition, there were evidences of migrations of Christians
from Syria in the fourth century and the eighth century to Kerala. However,
there was an ancient Christian community in Kerala which claimed its
ecclesiastical allegiance to the Syrian Orthodox Patriarch in the Middle East.
The community, though now divided into two factions, one in allegiance to the
Patriarchate in Damascus and one in India continues in the same ecclesiastical
and liturgical traditions. [4]
The
three stalwarts of native Pentecostalism in Kerala and host of their leaders
and laymen came from this community. Pastor K. E. Abraham co-founder and
President of Indian Pentecostal Church until 1974 were raised in order to
become a Syrian orthodox priest. Another co-founder, Pastor P. M. Samuel, and
the first President of Indian Pentecostal Church of God received training to
become an Orthodox priest in their seminary.[5]
And another founder, Pastor K. C. Cherian, was a teacher in the church-run
school and active in the church activities. The Syrian Christian community had
recorded instances of revivals since the second half of 19th century. Edwin Orr
describes how, as a result of these revivals new groups professing evangelical
faith emerged from among the Syrian Christian community. The first was the
reformed Syrian church called Mar Thoma Church and then a movement called
Viyojitha Prasthanam (literally translated as the Separatist Movement) which
can be rendered as the Holiness Movement. One stream of the Holiness movement
under the leadership of noted Malayalam poet K. V. Simon ended up in the
Christian Brethren and the other led by K. E. Abraham in Pentecostalism later..[6]
K.
E. Abraham, a leader in the Holiness movement who had been in alliance with
Church of God (Anderson) was baptized in the Holy Spirit in April 20, 1923 in a
meeting held by some native believers who believed in the baptism of Holy
Spirit and tarried for it. This is a turning point in the history of Syrian
Christians in Kerala. The following
years saw a great number of prominent Syrian Christian leaders embracing
Pentecostal faith. K. C. Cherian, another school teacher and a former colleague
of K.E. Abraham joined the folds of Pentecostals in November 1924. P. T. Chacko
became a Pentecostal believer in 1925 while he was a college student. Pastor K.
E. Abraham was leading a denomination called Independent Separatist (Holiness)
Church since 1918 but was deserted by most of his followers for his doctrinal
position on the Holy Spirit. He founded the South India Pentecostal Church of
God with the "faithful remnant" of his group who stood with him. In
1924 the Syrian Christian leaders who have been working independent of each
other formed what was known as the South India Pentecostal Church of God
(SIPCG). This can be considered as the first indigenous Pentecostal
denomination in India, now known as the Indian Pentecostal Church of God.[7]
4.
Arrival of Western Missionary
Kerala
Pentecostalism is one of the powerful spiritual Christian movements that
originated, developed and spread in Kerala. Pentecostalism was established in
Kerala at the start of the 20th century. Indigenous Pentecostalism in India
first emerged from the Syrian Christian community in the state of Kerala.[8]
The fact is that the movement of Pentecostalism in Kerala was motivated by the
western missionary.
4.1. George Berg
and His Mission
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.[9]
Thereby, he is considered as the first Pentecostal missionary from the west in
the beginning of 20th century. However, Berg main mission work in
Kerela was preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and spreading the idea of
Pentecostal and experience in the Azusa street movement.
4.2. Robert F. Cook
and His Mission
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 Full Gospel Church.
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.[10] The
first task of Cook was to organize the prayer groups. In January 1914, after a
four days revival, Cook could baptize sixty three converts at Thuvayoor,
resulting the establishment of the Pentecostal church in India. Having an
Apostolic ministry, Cook established various churches in Kerala. As the church
began to grow in number, Cook established Malankara Full Gospel Church. In 1922
Cook began a home Bible School at his residence at Villakonam Bungalow,
Thrikkannamangal. This institution is considered as the first Pentecostal Bible
Study centre in South India. Meanwhile, the residence of cook was shifted from
Kottarakkara to Kallissery (1924) and subsequently to Mulakuzha (1927),
Chenganoor.[11]
As a home Bible School the study Centre had been shifted to Kallissery and
consecutively to Mulakuzha. Bertha Cook was the first principal of the school.
In December 1923, first general convention was held on the banks of river Pumba
at Arattupuzha. This convention is considered as the first General Convention
of all Pentecostal Churches in India, because at that time all the Pentecostal
missionaries and native leaders were united together under the banner of Cook’s
independent Pentecostal Organization. In 1926, Cook published the first
Pentecostal monthly named, The Full Gospel Preacher, to which Cook served as
editor and Rev. K. E Abraham as the sub-editor.[12] Robert
Cook was known as the Missionary to Dalits because his main concentration was
among the Dalits.
Conclusion
The
idea of Pentecostalism could have been found before arrival of western
missionary in India that is from the experience of Pandita Ramabai through
Mukti Mission in Maharashtra, and also the experience that seen in the movement
of Tirunelveli and Travancore in the year 1860, second in 1873 and third in
1895. However, we could mentioned that this movement does not last long in the
history of Pentecostalism in India, the root of Pentecostalism in India has
only firmed after the arrival of the missionary from Azusa street in the Kansas
City of United State. Pentecostal movement is one of the significance title in
the history of Christianity in India as well, thereby it is importance for us
to know about the history in order understand the Pentecostalism in India.
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