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The origin of the Pentecostal movement in the very early of the 20th
century and its growth thereafter can be compared to the growth of the
mustard seed in the parable, our Lord and as we read in Mathew
13:31,32. Today the Pentecostal movement has spread its branches to
the four corners of the world.
The person whom the Lord sent to Kerala for the first time with the
Pentecostal message was Rev.George Burg from United States of America.
He was filled with the Holy Spirit in 1907 and came to places like
Kottarakara and Adoor (Kerala) in 1908 as speaker in some conventions.
In 1913 Pastor Robert Cook and his family from America came to a place
near Bangalore and started the ministry. When Mr Burg came to Kerala
in 1913, Pastor Cook also joined him. After the formation of
Assemblies of God in 1914, Mrs.Mary Chapman came as a missionary to
Madras and then in 1921 to Trivandrum for ministry.
It so happened that some of the messages regarding the infilling of
the Holy Spirit prepared and distributed by Mr.Burg as the "Midnight
Echo" and "Midnight Cry" happened to fall in to the hands of Pastor
K.E.Abraham. This encouraged him to seek for similar experience. One
Sunday the 22nd April, 1923, he had a vision of the crucified Lord and
started speaking in tongues. By January, 1924, there was a gathering
of Pentecostal believers at Mulakuzha (Kerala). They used to come
together for worship and for breaking of bread. Soon it developed into
a Pentecostal Assembly. Such assemblies sprung up at places like
Pandalam Vettiyar and Elanthoor(Kerala).
In the beginning this small groups did not have any special name. It
was the God given vision to them that the ministry should go on
independently without any domination from outside people, but with
co-operation of people of like belief everywhere. At this time
marriage had to be solemnized at Mulakuzha. This necessitated the
printing of a marriage register and giving a name of the church. The
name adopted was, "The South Indian Pentecostal Church of God."
The name of the church formed under the supervision of Pastor Cook was
the "South Indian Full Gospel Church". After a term of furlough Pastor
Cook returned to Kerala on September 3,1926. At a meeting in his house
at Mazhukir near Chenganoor on September 6,1926, it was decided that
South India Full Gospel Church and the South India Pentecostal Church
of God must be amalgamated. Thus was formed the "Malankara Pentecostal
Church of God" and Pastor Cook was the first elected President and
Pastor Abraham first vice-president. But they maintained seperate
marriage registers.
This united effort could go on only for three years. It soon become
evident that the New Testament pattern of church management could not
be realised as long as Western missions controlled the churches. This
resulted in the two groups returning to their original constituents
with their original names and records.
Pastor Abraham shifted his residence to Kumbanad. At the new station
he felt the need to pen a Bible School to train the gospel workers.
The Hebron Bible School came into being in June 1930 with just one
teacher, Pastor Abraham. Pastor P.T .Chacko joined as teacher next
year. Pastor P.M.Samuel, Kerala, co-worker of Pastor K.E.Abraham was
led by the Holy spirit to Andhra Pradesh and thus by faith came to
Vijayawada and started the ministry. Soon the ministry began
flourishing in various parts of Andhra Pradesh and subsequently spread
to Tamil Nadu.
It pleased the Lord to bless the ministry and soon several churches
were established not only in Kerala but in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka,
Andhra, etc. Subsequently there was a need to have proper organization
due to the rapid growth. As a result a meeting of the representatives
of the various churches was called on 5th June 1933, at the Kumbanad
church and in that meeting a council of ministers consisting of 12
Pastors was elected. From then on the general matters relating to the
church were decided and implemented by this body. At the meeting of
this council on 21st August 1933, the existing doctrines and rules
governing the church were put on record and the official registration
of the church took place on December 10, 1933 at the Aranmula
registrar's office. As the work grew in other parts of India, it
became necessary to give a relevant name and as per the decision of
the council the name was changed to "The Indian Pentecostal Church of
God".
The need to register the church under the Societies Act was felt so as
to facilitate the spread of the work in other areas of the country.
Accordingly in the year 1935 it was registered at Eluru in Andhra
Pradesh with No.4639 under the Societies Act XXI of 1860.
At present IPC has churches spread all over India, from Kashmir to
Kanyakumari. There are also churches in all the Gulf Countries and in
almost all the important cities of United States and Canada. |
