P. T. Chandapilla

Podimannil Thomas Chandapilla (18 March 1926 – 4 December 2010) was the Vicar General of St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India. He ministered to the university students in India and the Church at large through new mission initiatives, including the founding of Jubilee Memorial Bible college at Chennai, India.

Early life Podimannil Thomas Chandapilla was the only son of a Christian preacher Chiramannil Chandaplilla Thomas and his wife Sosamma Thomas. His parents were members of the Mar Thoma Church, working in tribal areas with no regular income, trusting to God to supply their needs. Despite the family's poverty, Chandapilla was educated in Mar Thoma Boarding school and Gurukulam High School, finishing his schooling in 1942.

Training He started training as a male nurse/pharmacist at an American Presbyterian Mission Hospital about 800 miles from home, where a Presbyterian pastor inspired him and led him to commit his life to Jesus Christ as Saviour, the start of his personal Christian life. ministering to university students, with the aim of reaching India's intellectuals with the Christian gospel.

He became the First Vicar General of St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India (STECI) and also acted as President of the Board of Management of Jubilee Memorial Bible College (JMBC) in Chennai. He also served as General Secretary of the Foundation of Evangelical Churches of India.

An eloquent preacher, he was described in 1997 with the words, "He lives like Mother Teresa but thinks like John Calvin."

Partial bibliography

SERVANT by Rt Rev. P.T.Chandapilla. Pune: Select Book Publishers and Distributors, 1990.