Our church is not a historical accident. At a very critical juncture in the history of the church in India, especially in the context of Kerala, Jesus Christ, the head of the universal church, has called us into being with a definite purpose. In the growing context of liberal theology, lawlessness in life style and de-sacralization of the mission of the ch teachings. Our special calling is to a life of holiness at all levels and in all relationships. Our mission is to preach the life-giving Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to all who are spiritually lost, and we have taken a special responsibility to do it in the pluralistic context of India, the second largest mission-field in the world today. To state it differently, our church is a Bible church committed to holiness in daily life and to the preaching of the Gospel. The founding fathers of our church chose our motto: “For the word of God and the testimony of Jesus” (Rev 1:9). How apt it is!
It is a great privilege to be a part of such a great movement initiated by the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord has placed his trust in us and let us honor it. We must encourage one another to discharge our God-given and joyful responsibilities. Let us spur one another to fulfil the mandate received from the Lord
The St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India (STECI) established by St. Thomas, one of the twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ, the saviour of the world is a part of the one universal and Holy Apostolic Church. STECI is an evangelical, episcopal, missionary church with headquarters in Thiruvalla, Kerala. When STECI got separated from the mother church on January 26, 1961 as a result of a reformation movement, the founders were ready to pay the price and suffer ridicule since they were convinced that they were following a vision and obeying a call from above.