Indian Brethren

The Indian Brethren are a Christian Evangelical

Indian Brethren
premillennial[4] religious movement. Although they have some
distinct characteristics, they have a lot in common, in both Classification Protestant
doctrine and practice, with the international Open Brethren Orientation Plymouth
movement, with whom nearly all of them are historically Brethren
affiliated.[5]
Polity Congregationalist
The Brethren in India, as in most other countries, do not Region India
usually regard themselves as a denomination in the usually
Origin 1833
understood sense, but rather as a largely informal network of
like-minded autonomous local churches. They remain linked Congregations 1929[1]
mostly through common support of missionaries, area Members 449,550
conferences, youth ministries, and the work of itinerant (including
preachers, who are usually called evangelists. The Brethren do children)[1]
not ordain clergy, and each local church, called an assembly, is
led by a number of Elders. Ministers 1300 (not
ordained, but
preaching full-
Origins of the Brethren movement in time)[2]
India Missionaries 250[3]
Tertiary institutions 11[2]
The Plymouth Brethren was introduced into India in 1833 by
Anthony Norris Groves, a dentist by profession who was one
of the Plymouth Brethren pioneers in the United Kingdom. His ministry centred in the Godavari delta area
of Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

John Arulappan followed Groves and lived "by faith" as a full-time worker. Through Arulappan's ministry,
a revival broke out in Thirunelveli (Nellai) in Tamil Nadu, and many congregations were formed. Tamil
David and Handley Bird followed in their footsteps and conducted revival meetings throughout Southern
India in the late 1890s.

Some Indian Brethren disclaim the missionary connection, instead making a case for continuity with an
unbroken line of Christians going back to what they believe were evangelistic endeavours of the Apostle
Thomas in the First Century. One Brethren website states :

Because Indian Brethren often used the title Plymouth Brethren they are often erroneously
identified as the fruits of people from Plymouth who laboured in India. This is a false
identification. The Brethren movement in India came up quite independently of the movement
in Plymouth, and both movements recognized each other as a counterpart mainly because of
identical doctrines and practices and not because one gave birth to the other.[6]

Indian Brethren characteristics

Brethren Assemblies in India, as elsewhere, are extremely diverse, although the majority tend to be towards
the conservative end of the spectrum. Nevertheless, they are having many of the same internal debates
known among Brethren elsewhere. Contentious issues include whether assemblies should appoint pastors
(a practice Brethren have traditionally rejected, but which has gained popularity in some parts of the
Brethren world), whether to retain the absolute congregational autonomy that has long characterized the
Brethren movement, or whether to adopt a more centralized system to safeguard against what some
preachers perceive as heresies, whether to allow women to participate audibly in worship (traditionally,
they do not), and whether and to what extent they should cooperate with non-Brethren Christians, and if so,
under what conditions.[7] Some assemblies will welcome a visitor from a non-Brethren church to partake of
The Lord's Supper, while others have a more restrictive policy. Other issues being debated include the
Charismatic movement (which some assemblies have embraced, although most high-profile Brethren
leaders, such as Johnson Philip, Principal of Brethren Theological College at Cochin University,
Kerala,[8] are opposed).[9] Yet another bone of contention in some circles has been the relationship between
Indian Brethren assemblies and workers and foreign organizations and missionaries, particularly when
foreign funds are involved.[5]

Kerala Brethren
The Kerala Brethren are an important steam within the wider Indian Brethren movement, with some
distinctive characteristics of its own. In 1872, the Brethren movement was spearheaded in Kerala by Mathai
Upadeshi, a disciple of John Arulappan, who took the baton from Groves. In December 1894, a well-
known gospel preacher, Tamil David visited Kerala and preached on assurance on salvation, winning many
converts.

J.G. Gregson, a Baptist preacher from England delivered sermons in the Convention at Maramon, Kerala.
His Bible classes inspired several people in Kerala. In 1896 Gregson began preaching in Ayroor,
Kumbanad. Preaching from the Book of Romans, he taught that through baptism a believer identifies with
the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and becomes a disciple of Christ. P.E. Mammen
(Kumbanattu Achen, a Priest of the Mar Thoma Syrian Church) attended these meetings and was
subsequently baptised in Kunnamkulam by missionary Handley Bird. He went on to leave the Mar Thoma
Church and become a Brethren preacher

On March 9, 1899, following the example of the Brethren pioneers in Dublin, Ireland, four men met at the
home of Kuttiyil Mathai, Kumbanad, to celebrate Holy Communion, or The Lord's Supper, as Brethren
usually call it, without a priest. They were P.E. Mammen, his brother P.E. John, P.C. John, and P.C.
Chacko, Melathethil. There were a few others who also attended the service but did not participate. The
Brethren movement was subsequently spread by the work of missionaries and evangelists like Volbrecht
Nagel, Handley Bird, E.H. Noel, Mahakavi K.V. Simon, M E Cherian,T.K.Samuel, K.G. Thomas and P.C.
John.

Statistics
As an informal network rather than an organization, the Indian Brethren have no central headquarters, and
there is no universally accepted definition of what constitutes a "Brethren" assembly. This complicates the
gathering of statistics.[2] Most assemblies that regard themselves as Brethren will "recognize" similar
assemblies which regard themselves as such, however. Aggressive evangelism has resulted in the founding
of many undocumented assemblies, further compounding the problem of statistics. The evangelical
publication Operation World estimates 135,000 adult believers in 1929 assemblies throughout India
(449,550 if children are included).[1] Some other estimates put the number more than twice as high. Internal
Brethren sources say that the number of assemblies has increased to 2200 (including 1200 in Andhra
Pradesh and 600 in Kerala) and the number of adult believers in fellowship to 200,000, since Operation
World was published in 2010.

The closely related Assemblies Jehovah Shammah were founded by evangelist Bakht Singh and are
organized largely on Brethren principles with adaptations to Indian culture. Despite some differences from
the older Brethren movement that was the fruit of British missionary efforts (such as his encouragement for
women to take part audibly in worship), many Indian and foreign Brethren "recognize" the Assemblies
Jehovah Shammah as a subset of the Open Brethren movement, albeit one that developed independently.
Statistically, they are counted separately. Operation World claims 910 Assemblies Jehovah Shammah with
310,000 affiliates, 95,000 of them adults.[1]

Hospital
Tiruvalla Medical Mission Hospital (Thiruvalla)

Bible schools
Brethren Bible Institute, Pathanamthitta (Offering B.Th., M.B.S., M.Div. & M.Th.)
www.bbipta.com
Bethany Bible School, Kumbanad.
Gospel Training Centre, Perumbavoor
Gujarath Brethren Bible Institute, Gujarat.
Hope Academy of Theology and Sciences, Bhopal (http://www.hatsindia.in/)
Brethren Bible Training Institute, West Bengal.
Stewards Bible College, Tamil Nadu.
Madurai Bible College, Madurai.
North India Bible Institute, Alwar, Rajasthan
Sathyam Theological Seminary, [Thiruvalla
Rehoboth Theological Institute, Thrissur.
V. Nagel Bible School, Kunnamkulam.[10]
Brethren Bible School Malabar, 9495181788
Highrange Brethren Institute

9447511013

Orphanages
Bethesda Boys Home, Irinjalakkuda
Bird's Memorial Children's Home, Chennai
Daya Vihar Orphanage, Thiruvalla
Rehoboth Girls Orphanage, Thrissur

See also
Tiruvalla Medical Mission Hospital
Kerala Brethren
 Open Brethren
Plymouth Brethren

References
1. Mandryk, Jason (2010), Operation World, Biblica Publishing, p. 408
2. McQuoid, Stephen. "A Great Way to do Church" (http://www.partnershipuk.org/php/view_per
sp.php?docid=15). Perspectives. www.partnershipuk.org. p. 22. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
3. The 'Brethren' movement - a briefing note (https://web.archive.org/web/20130201050358/htt
p://www.partnershipuk.org/qwicsitePro2/php/docsview.php?docid=1659), Jan 2013, p. 23,
archived from the original (http://www.partnershipuk.org/qwicsitePro2/php/docsview.php?do
cid=1659) on 1 February 2013, retrieved 12 Feb 2013
4. "What Brethren believe _ KeralaBrethren.net" (http://www.keralabrethren.net/webelieve_en
g.asp). www.keralabrethren.net.
5. Johnson C. Philip. "The Brethren Movement in India" (http://www.biblebeliever.co.za/Brethre
n%20Assemblys/Brethren%20Information/Brethren%20Movement%20in%20Indiar.htm).
Retrieved 2015-05-28.
6. "Brethren Assemblies FAQ" (http://www.biblebeliever.co.za/Brethren%20Assemblys/Brethre
n%20Information/FAQ.htm#27.). Retrieved 2015-05-28.
7. "Brethren Assemblies FAQ" (http://www.biblebeliever.co.za/Brethren%20Assemblys/Brethre
n%20Information/FAQ.htm#27.). Retrieved 2015-05-28.
8. "Bible Schools" (http://www.gospelmi.org/page_to_print.cfm/bible-schools). Gospel Missions
of India. Retrieved 2015-05-25.
9. Dr Johnson C. Philip. "The Brethren Movement in India" (http://www.biblebeliever.co.za/Bret
hren%20Assemblys/Brethren%20Information/Brethren%20Movement%20in%20Indiar.htm#
Doctrinal). Retrieved 2015-05-25.
10. Brethren Bible Institute http://www.bbipta.com (http://www.bbipta.com). {{cite web}}:
Missing or empty |title= (help)

External links
Tiruvalla Medical Mission Hospital
www.tmmhospital.org
Indian Brethren Assembly, Bronx New York ( First assembly in US of Kerala origin (https://w
eb.archive.org/web/20150801172055/http://indianbrethrenassembly.com/)
Kerala Brethren Assembly (http://keralabrethrenassembly.com/)
Discussion Forum Brethren Assembly (http://keralabrethrenassembly.com/phpbb)
Statement of Kerala Brethren beliefs (http://www.keralabrethren.net/webelieve_eng.asp)
Brethren India Forums (http://www.brethren.in/)
Kerala Brethren discussion forum (http://www.keralabrethren.net/)
IBF Conference (http://www.ibfus.org/)
FIBA Conference (http://www.fibana.com/)
https://web.archive.org/web/20120617115907/http://www.philabrethrenassembly.com/home/
Church in Philadelphia, PA for Brethren from India living in the US
https://web.archive.org/web/20060803050636/http://www.indianbrethren.co.uk/ Christian
Web Site for Brethren from India Living in UK
https://archive.today/20130118171115/http://www.brethrenassembly.com/IndiaBreth1.htm
 Bahrain Brethren (http://www.bahrainbrethren.com/) A site exclusively for the brethren and by
the brethren.
Brethren Assembly (https://web.archive.org/web/20150502113642/http://www.ebrethrenasse
mbly.com/) Plymouth Brethren Assembly, Bangalore, India.
http://www.bbipta.com/
http://www.bethanychapeltoronto.com
Hope Academy of Theology and Sciences, Bhopal (http://www.hatsindia.in/)

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