St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India

Saint Thomas Christian's - Divisions- History

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Christianity in India
Communities Bengali Christians Bettiah Christians East Indians Marathi Christians Meitei Christians Mizo Christians Naga Christians Punjabi Christians Saint Thomas Christians Tamil Christians Telugu Christians
People Saint Thomas the Apostle Saint Alphonsa Saint Francis Xavier Saint Gonsalo Garcia Saint Euphrasia Eluvathingal Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara Saint Mother Teresa Bl.Devasahayam Pillai Mar Sabor and Mar Proth Mar Baselios Eldho Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar Thomas of Cana Ignatius Elias III Mar Gregorios of Parumala Mar Varghese Payyappilly Palakkappilly Mar Joseph C. Panjikaran Mathews Mar Athanasius Metropolitan Mar Geevarghese Dionysius Abraham Malpan Giuseppe Maria Bernini Sadhu Sundar Singh Palackal Thoma Malpan Mar Augustine Kandathil William Carey K. C. John
Denominations Saint Thomas Christian denominations Catholic Syro-Malabar Catholic, Syro-Malankara Catholic, Latin Catholic Oriental Orthodox Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church Independent Oriential Orthodox Malabar Independent Syrian Church Church of the East Chaldean Syrian Oriental Protestant Christian Mar Thoma Syrian, St. Thomas Evangelical Protestant denominations Andhra Evangelical Lutheran, Assemblies Jehovah Shammah, Christian Revival Church, Church of North India, Church of South India, Garo Baptist, Indian Brethren, Indian Pentecostal Church of God, Church of God (Full Gospel), North Bank Baptist Christian, Northern Evangelical Lutheran, Methodist Church, Presbyterian, The Pentecostal Mission, Seventh-day Adventist, United Evangelical Lutheran
Organisations National Council of Churches in India All India Conference of Indian Christians All India Catholic Union

The St. Thomas Evangelical Church is one of several groups of Saint Thomas Christians tracing their origins to St. Thomas the Apostle who, according to their tradition, came to India in AD 52. While STECI is considered to be an episcopal church, it is at the same time deeply influenced by Evangelicalism. Until 1961, the church's history was deeply connected to the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church, and South Indian Christianity's contact with Evangelical British missionaries during British colonial times. The missionaries facilitated the translation of the Bible into Malayalam in 1811. This was the first vernacular Bible in Kerala. Further changes introduced by the influence of missionaries led to a schism within the Thomas Christians.

clergy in 1961

Church leaders include:

1. K. N. Daniel
2. Bishop K. N. Oommen
3. Bishop P. John Varughese
4. Bishop P. S. Varughese
5. Rev. P. I. Mathai (Plavunkal Achen)
6. Rev. T. C. George
7. Rev P.A. Jacob
8. Rev. K. O. John
9. Rev. A. C. Mathew
10. Rev. K. M. Ninan
11. Rev K. C. Paily
12. Rev. P. T. Thomas
13. Rev.P.C Zachariah
14. Rt. Rev.P.T. Chandapilla

• Bishop K. N. Oommen (Late)
• Bishop P. John Varughese (Late)
• Bishop P. S. Varughese (Late)
• Bishop T.C. Cherian
• Bishop M.K. Koshy
• Bishop A.I. Alexander
• Bishop C. V. Mathew
• Bishop Thomas Abraham
• Bishop Abraham Chacko