The Bible teaches that there is only one God and that baptism should be done in the
name of the Lord Jesus Christ. This doctrine was introduced to India in the first century
by the Apostle Thomas, who was one of the 12 disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Unfortunately, he died as a martyr and his tomb is located in Santhome, Chennai. He
preached first in Kerala and then in Tamil Nadu. However, the truth remained
obscured from the 3rd century until the 19th century.
In 1945, the United Pentecostal Church International was formed with its
headquarters based in St. Louis, USA. Four years later, in 1949, Rev. Ellis L Scism and his
wife Sis. Marjorie Scism was sent to India as missionaries. They first arrived in Madras
(now Chennai), then moved to Kodaikanal, before finally settling in Adoor, Kerala.
Before the Scism reached Kerala, Sis. Elizabeth Simmat who was from the USA had
come to India in 1942 as a missionary from the Pentecostal Assembly of the World
(PAW). She had started just a few churches in Kerala around Kanakapalam in the
Ranny and Erumeli area and the Adoor area with the help of Pastor Kottanthara
Koshy and Pastor T. M. Matthew. Ellis L Scism arrived in Adoor and started working
with a group of around 300 Pentecostal believers in southern India. They had been
converted under the Ministry of Elizabeth Simmat, a Pentecostal Assemblies of the
World (PAW) Missionary, who had worked under the first oneness missionary to India
Dorothy “Mother” McCarty
Mother McCarty had accepted the oneness message and the baptism in Jesus' name
not long after arriving in India in 1909 as a Trinitarian Pentecostal missionary.
The George Neilsen family, sent by the Apostolic Church of Pentecost of Canada had
arrived in South India before the Scism family and proved to be great friends and a
great assistant to the Scisms after their arrival. Missionary Lilian Anderson, who had
travelled from Seattle to India by ship with the Scism family, joined the Neilsens in their
work. PAW work was merged with the UPC, having Sis. Simmat gave the entire
responsibility to Brother E.L. Scism & Sis. Scism. The work continued to grow afterward.
During the first Christmas in India, the Neilsens invited the Scism Family to join them
for the holiday in Kottayam. It was a welcome interlude of fellowship with their new
friends, along with Lillian Anderson and a new young missionary couple from Canada,
George and Margaret Shalm. The Shalms would become lifelong friends. After their
initial years of working with the Apostolic Church of Pentecost of Canada, during
which time they established a growing work in another major city in Southern India,
the Shalms would later affiliate with the United Pentecostal Church International and
started to establish UPC work in the state of Tamil Nadu.
Pastor T.M. Matthew, Pastor M. Joseph, Pastor T. Samuel, and some of the pastors who
helped Bro.E.L.Scism to start new churches in Kerala. Scism’s children were at Kodai
School for education and Bro. E.L. Scism went to Assam, Aizawl, and started the work
under the leadership of Bro.Zachamolva and Bro.Lethansung. In those days, he had
travelled by train up to Calcutta, and from there on by river(boat). His visits to
Northeast India have produced a good result. His work in Northeast India spread to
hilly states such as Manipur, Aizawl, Assam, and Meghalaya. In the meantime,
Bro.E.L.Scism fell sick several times, having undergone many surgeries.
The work was later divided into two units - India and Northeast India. During that time,
Bro. Scism worked hard to form the organization and created a constitution. This
constitution was effective for both units. After ordination, Bro. E.L. Scism became the
First General Superintendent of both India and Northeast India units. In 1956, with the
financial help of Sis. Simmat, Rev.E.L Scism brought the Mission compound with the
Bungalow therein at Adoor and made their permanent stay there. In 1957, the
ambition of Rev.E.L Scism was fulfilled by the establishment of UPC Bible college in the
Mission compound at Adoor in which students from both the units trained. In early
1959, Bro Harry E.Scism (the son of Bro.E.L.Scism )and his wife Andreine H.Scism went
to North India for language study at Zandere. After the language studies, Bro and Sis
Harry were engaged in the North India Ministry having their stay at 89, Malaviya
Nagar, Bhopal. This is how they started the work in Madhya Pradesh at Intekeri(1961)
Indore and Ujjain were the main places.
During this time on 30th September 1961, The church was registered as a religious and
Charitable Society. At the registrar's office at Madurai under the Societies Act of the
Government of Tamil Nadu with the headquarters at Kodaikanal and became the
Registered Church in India. Under the Register Title, "The United Pentecostal Church in
India". When Rev E. L. Scism was seriously ill, Ellis Scism and Marjorie Scism left India
Seventeen years later, the national UPC had grown to 250 ministers and thirty
thousand believers.
Pastor E.P. David, Pastor T. C. Joseph and his brothers Yovel and Samuel. Pastor Job
Sasthri, Pastor Samuel, Pastor C. M. John and some other brothers along with
Sis.D.Rachael (Sothram Rachael), K. Rachael, and some other women ministered with
Ellis E Scism (founder of UPC India) in Kerala. Pastor T Samuel, Bro.Timothy & Preetha
Timothy, Pastor Solomon Isaac in Delhi and Madhya Pradesh. Pastor Salins and
Pastor Aaron Maben in Karnataka and Maharashtra. Pastor M. B. Jeyaraj in Andhra.
Pastor V. Jeyaraj, Pastor D. Paulraj, Nesamani Amma, Anandthamma, and
Nesamma are also pioneer workers along with missionaries in Tamil Nadu along with
Rev. George Shalm. As the Churches grew and converts learned too little and
supported their local churches financially, even in their poverty, solid works developed
and Pastors were able to live by their labor in the gospel. There were many such
faithful believers in the Early ages among both Leaders and followers and more so as
the work grew and matured.
Bro. Harry took over as a general superintendent, then became the R.F.S. Bro & Sis
George Shalm became the Superintendent. and they continued till 1972. After the
shalms left India, Pastor M Joseph was appointed as the General Superintendent of
the India unit and resided at Kodaikanal from 1972 onwards. He continued till 1975.
After Pr.M Joseph, Pr.Solomon Issac, Pr.Victor Hobday, Pr.P.George, Pr.P.K.Chaudhary
and Pr.V.P.Mathew and Pr.D.Jothi Raja Singh was holding the office of the General
Superintendent. From 2022 onwards Pr. D. George is the current General
Superintendent.