India - Kerala State

From BrethrenPedia

Also see History of the plymouth Brethren in India

The Kerala Brethren are a subgroup of the larger Christian movement known as the Plymouth Brethren. Kerala is a small state in India, where this movement started in 1898 with the baptism of four men from traditional churches. Soon this movement spread all over Kerala and India, and today there are more than 600 Brethren churches in Kerala, and almost 2200 throughout India.

India has had a Christian presence ever since Saint Thomas, the doubting disciple, brought the Christian message to this country. The middle of 1800 was a time of great spiritual awakening and revival among Indian Christians, more so for Christians in the state of Kerala. Itinerant preachers from India and abroad were warmly welcomed in revival meetings that were common in Kerala those days.

Of the preachers, VD David, popularly known as Tamil David had a great impact upon many in the Mar Thoma and Jacobite churches. Many of them left these churches to embrace a non-episcopalian type of church pattern. This movement soon became known as the Kerala Brethren.

A large number of Plymouth Brethren missionaries from England, Canada, and other Western countries started work in Kerala at the same time.