St. Thomas Evangelical Church
| St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India | |
|---|---|
| Founder | St. Thomas the Apostle |
| Independence | Apostolic Era |
| Recognition | Independent Episcopal Church, 1961 |
| Primate | Thiruvalla, Kerala-India |
| Polity | Historical episcopate |
| Headquarters | Thiruvalla Kerala India |
| Territory | Universal |
| Possessions | India, North America, Canada, Europe, Great Britain-London & Belfast, Middle East, Singapore |
| Members | 1,00,000 |
| Website | http://steci.org/ |
St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India (STECI) is an Evangelical, Episcopal denomination based in Kerala, India. It derives from a schism in the Mar Thoma Syrian Church in 1961, and traces its ancestry before then back almost 2,000 years. STECI holds that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant and infallible Word of God. Adherents believe that all that is necessary for salvation and living in righteousness is given in the Bible. The church is engaged in active evangelism. The headquarters of this church is at Tiruvalla, a town in the state of Kerala which is in the Southwestern part of South India.
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 Holy 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. Early leaders include Bishop Dr K N Oommen, Bishop P John Varghese, Rev P C Zacheriah, and Rev Dr T C George. K.N. Daniel was a prominent evangelical leader. Rev P I Mathai (Plavunkal Achen), Rev K O John, Rev C M Varghese, Rev P. T. Chandapillai, Rev P.T.Thomas, Mr.N.I Thomas Neduvelil Ranny, Rev K.C Paily and Rev P.A Jacob helped the church to focus on Evangelistic Mission.
Until 1961, the Church's history was deeply connected to the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church, which evolved from 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 and led to the formation of the Mar Thoma Syrian Church.
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