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The Pentecostal Mission (TPM) or New Testament Church (NTC) in the United States or Universal Pentecostal Church (UPC) in the United Kingdom is a Pentecostal denomination that was founded in Colombo, British Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in 1923. The global headquarters is currently located in Irumbuliyur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It currently has churches in more than 65 countries under different names, with over 1,500 faith homes (churches) worldwide. This church now has millions of members. It was previously known as the Ceylon Pentecostal Mission (CPM).

History

The church was founded by Pastor Paul Ramankutty, who was born to Hindu parents in the district of Trichur in Kerala, India.

While in Sri Lanka, at the age of 18, he became a Christian. Later, he felt a strong call and began to preach and share the gospel in. In 1923 he founded the church with the name Ceylon Pentecostal Mission.

Later, due to the civil war in Sri Lanka, all Indian assignments which were called CPM (Ceylon Pentecostal Mission) were changed to TPM (The Pentecostal Mission). CPM headquarters is at Mattakkuliya in Colombo, Sri Lanka and TPM headquarters is at Chennai in Tamil Nadu, India. But for all purposes TPM church is known as both CPM and TPM interchangeably in many parts of the World.

School

The congregation in Sri Lanka operates a school for secular studies known as C.P.M Faith School in Wattala in Colombo. There is also Faith school known as Christian school in Yonkers, New York and in Newark, New Jersey. There is also one Christian school in Africa.

Church leadership

The church is led by a Chief Pastor (currently Pastor Abraham Mathew). In addition, there is a Deputy Chief Pastor (currently Pastor M.T. Thomas) and an Associate Deputy Chief Pastor (currently Pastor G. Jeyam).

In the United States, most of the church work was pioneered by the late Pastor Don M Spiers, who had previously worked closely with Oral Roberts. Pastor Gregg Wilson now heads the work in USA and countries around the USA. He is assisted by the sister-in-charge, Sister Lisa Billow.

Full-time ministers are expected to practice an ascetic lifestyle including celibacy, obedience to the elder pastors, and communal living (including disposal of private possessions) in faith homes. TPM churches are run by full-time ministers who are celibate and predominantly single. Married couples who enter full-time ministry can become celibate and may be sent to different locations by the TPM leadership if they so choose.

Doctrines and teachings

The doctrines of the church broadly align with trinitarian Pentecostalism.

Many other churches in south India especially in state of Kerala consider the TPM church to be a cult like church. And most of the other churches ingrain in their younger generations, a sense of untouchability to TPM believers. The Pastors and leaders of other namesake Pentecostal churches have supported development of feeling of rivalry with the TPM church.

The TPM church labeled as a cult by other rival churches have found to be unfounded and based on sense of their own failure in growth.

Magazine ministry

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Magazines are produced in several languages. The English language magazine published in India is called The Voice of Pentecost. Pilgrim's Journal is published and printed in the USA. Other English language magazines are Pentecostal Messenger from Malaysia, The Youth Herald from Singapore, Power Divine from Sri Lanka, and Trumpet of the Lord from the UK.

Church Magazines are being published in more than forty Indian languages and other foreign languages. Malayalam magazine Pentecost is one of the oldest Pentecostal magazines from Kerala. A Hindi edition of Pentecost Ki Wani published from New Delhi, a Tamil edition named Pentecost in Peroli from Irumbuliyur (Chennai), Pentecost-Chi Vaani from Mumbai, "Kadavari varshapu dwani" from Hyderabad, and Pentecost Da Sneha from Dhariwal (Punjab) are also produced.

List of chief pastors

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• Paul Ramankutty 1923 - 1945
• Alwin R. De Alwis 1945 - 1962
• Freddy Paul 1962 - 1973
• A.C. Thomas 1973 - 1976
• Jacob Rathnasingham 1976 - 1990
• V.G. Samuel 1990 - 1991
• H. Ernest Paul 1991 - 1994
• C.K. Lazarus 1994 - 1999
• P.M. Thomas 1999 - 2001
• T.U. Thomas 2001 - 2006
• F. Wilson Joseph 2006 - 2014
• Wesley Peter 2014 - 2015
• Stephen Natarajan 2015 - 2018
• Abraham Mathew 2018 to present

References

1. O'Callaghan, Laura (10 November 2018). "CHRISTIANITY CRACKDOWN: Huge crowd of 100 attacks prayer meeting". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
2. Tan-Chow, M.L. (2016). Pentecostal Theology for the Twenty-First Century: Engaging with Multi-Faith Singapore. Routledge New Critical Thinking in Religion, Theology and Biblical Studies. Taylor & Francis. p. 18. ISBN 978-1-317-08263-7. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
3. Anderson, A. (2004). An Introduction to Pentecostalism: Global Charismatic Christianity. Cambridge University Press. p. 127. ISBN 978-0-521-53280-8. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
4. Hedlund, Roger E. "Critique of Pentecostal Mission by a Friendly Evangelical" (PDF). Retrieved 15 April 2024.
5. "DoT | About". Doctrineoftruth.com. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
6. "Oral Roberts". Futurliner.com. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
7. "Basic Doctrines of Christ". PENTECOST VOICE. 28 October 2008. Archived from the original on 24 October 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2017.

• Pentecostal denominations in Asia
• Pentecostalism in India
• Christian organizations established in 1923
• 1923 establishments in Ceylon