E-Paper
Pentecosts in Kerala granted Christian denomination status
Kerala's cabinet approved recognizing Pentecostal churches as a Christian denomination, allowing access to benefits and addressing community issues.
The Kerala cabinet on Tuesday gave in-principle approval to recognise Pentecostal churches as a Christian Church denomination, a statement from the chief minister’s office said.
The decision comes days after a delegation of Pentecostal church leaders met chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan at the latter’s official residence in Thiruvananthapuram with the same demand. The Church leaders had also handed over the same memorandum to leader of opposition VD Satheesan.
The cabinet has also decided to form a three-member committee of senior officials to examine various problems faced by communities including Pentecostal church members and Scheduled Caste Converts to Christianity (SCCC) and submit recommendations.
Though Christians by faith and prayer, various Pentecostal groups in Kerala such as Indian Pentecostal Church (IPC), Church of God, New India Church of God and Bethely Assembly are not officially recognised as a Christian denomination. Pentecostal groups differ from Catholics and other Protestant groups in doctrine, worship style and authority. While the Catholics view the Pope in Vatican as the sole authority figure, Pentecostal communities refer to the Bible. There are also differences in their beliefs, including salvation, rebirth and baptism.
Pentecostal communities collectively amount to around 4% of the Christian population in Kerala. The major Christian denominations in the state are Syro-Malabar Catholic Church (around 40%), Syro-Malankara Catholic Church (7%), Malankara Orthodox Church (8%) and Jacobite Syrian Church (8%).
With formal recognition as a Christian denomination, Pentecostal church members would receive benefits in line with other Christian groups including eligibility in state and Centrally sponsored schemes, approval for educational institutions and jobs in educational and health institutions, social welfare pensions for Sunday school teachers and representation in minority commissions.
One of the key demands of the Pentecostal churches in the memorandum submitted to the chief minister was reservation for Dalit Christians. The three-member expert committee is expected to submit its recommendation to the state government
