“Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past.

Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you.

When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided all mankind, he set up boundaries for the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel” (Deuteronomy 32:7)

The quotation above is a part of the song, Moses sung to the hearing of the Assembly of Israel. Here he says to look back to your past and see how wonderfully had the LORD kept his people among the nations and within the boundaries HE had set for them. Yes, our LORD do make space for His people whoever they are and wherever they are, sojourners or natives are they, to stand for His glory and to worship Him. As Psalmist says “He has caused his wonderful works to be remembered” (psalms 111:4), we as Kuwait parish of STECI, has every moment of our 50 years of journey in Kuwait to be remembered of HIS wonderful works.

At the formation of St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India on 26th January 1961 at Thiruvalla, a small group in Kuwait wished to uphold the evangelical faith and the stewardship of sound doctrines. They gathered at the residence of Late Mr. P.J. George to confirm their fellowship with the new church. Though this gathering did not last long for the lack of facilities, they were altogether known as “Evangelical group”, among other Christians in Kuwait. In early days regular gatherings were not possible since there were no facilities like today and no much denominational worships among Christians from Kerala. Those desired believers gathered under the umbrella of Kuwait Town Malayalee Christian Congregation (KTMCC), an interdenominational congregation formed by the Malayalee believers to worship together in their own tongue. Our Evangelical group members were very active in KTMCC and became one of the constituent Churches of KTMCC along with Marthoma, CSI, Brethren and Pentecostal Churches.

We started officially as a parish in Kuwait on 26th August 1965 when about ten evangelical members then working in Kuwait gathered at the Vestry of the National Evangelical Church in Kuwait (NECK). This gathering was initiated and encouraged by one of our church-fathers, Late Mr. K.A. Abraham (Kurudamannil Alumkal, Oonnakavu, Ranny) the first General Secretary of Pathiopadesa Samathi. Mr. Abraham had visited Kuwait on his way back from ICCC plenary congress in Geneva. He was the Convener for Organization, Publicity & Development of the Church in its early years. The early members gathered together to form the parish were Messrs P.J George (Trivandrum), A.J. Thomas (Chengannur), M. Jacob & T. John Mathew (known as Vettiyar Brothers), P. Thomas Jacob, P.T. Thomas & P.T. Mathew (known as Ayroor Brothers), Samuel Kurien (Tiruvalla), V.M. Samuel (Kuzikala) and K.M. Varghese (Edyaranmula). As nominated by Late Mr. K.A. Abraham, we were accepted as “Kuwait Town Parish” on 22nd September 1965 by the Sabha Council. With the hurdles they faced to gather together, worships those days were limited to once in a month in the houses of our members. Few members of other denominations worshiped in KTMCC, also took part in our early worships out of cordial relations they had with us and one of such first meetings was graced by our then presiding Bishop Most Rev. K.N. Oommen upon his visit in 1966.

When American Mission Hospital ceased their operation in Kuwait late 1967, the Hospital building was made available for Christian activities and we were able to secure a place for worship there. This increased our gatherings twice in a month. In 1970, the hospital building was taken over by the Government of Kuwait and the present compound and facilities were made available to National Evangelical Church in Kuwait (NECK). We too moved to the Activities Building (formerly Nurses quarters) in NECK compound where we could gradually assemble for our regular worships every week.

With the unpleasant differences and divisions among the Church leaders in late 1960s, two fractions also formed in Kuwait as STECI and STECI (Fellowship). Regular worships continued as two parishes till 1995 when a move for reconciliation between both churches at center paved the way for a partial unity. Those who supported the move in Kuwait joined with STECI in 1995. By this time we had regular worship services on Tuesdays at Activity building and later at Diwaniya and prayer meetings on Fridays at Room No.4 of the Activity Building and later at the Hall of Hope of NECK. Services of STECI (Fellowship) were held at Diwaniya on Sundays.

In 2007 the Holy Spirit of reconciliation inspired the leaders of both the churches at center and a merger took place on 25th December 2007. This glorious moment in the history of our church was shared on the same day in Kuwait when both parishes joined hands to stand together in this land for the faith our fathers upheld.

The invasion of Kuwait on August 2nd, 1990 forced all of us to leave Kuwait. It lasted for seven months and Kuwait was liberated on 26th February 1991. We resumed our worship in liberated Kuwait on 17th September 1991 with very few members. Gradually with the returning our members and families after liberation and with joining of many new members, we are now one of largest parishes of St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India, with almost 120 members, and their families. As we grew, Lord was there to provide us with adequate facilities to worship from time to time and now both our services on Tuesdays and Fridays are held in the South Tent of NECK.

Until 1989 we had occasional visits of few dignitaries leaders and presbyters of our church. With the formation of Gulf Parish Conference in 1989, we were able to avail services of our visiting presbyters twice in a year. The need for a mutual fellowship and co-operation among the parishes was inspired in the heart of Late Very Rev. P.T. Chandapillai, the vicar general and patron of GPC. Accordingly the leaders from the parishes in Gulf got together to host the first Gulf parishes conference in Dubai. We Kuwait parish also had the privilege of hosting the 9th Gulf Parishes Conference in Kuwait from 26th to 27th November 2003. Under the arrangements of GPC many of our presbyters could visit Gulf and we could avail their ministries in Kuwait as well. We were also graced with the visits of our Bishops at various occasions – Most Rev. K.N. Oommen (1966), Rt. Rev. Dr. T.C. Cherian (1980, 90, 97 & 2013), Rt, Rev. Dr. M.K. Koshy (1996 & 2006), Rt. Rev. A. I. Alexander (2008), Rt. Rev. Dr. Thomas Abraham (2009) and Most Rev. Dr. C. V. Mathew (2010).

 

As members increased we felt the need of a vicar for the parish and from 2003 onwards we have the services of resident vicars. The first vicar of the parish, Rev. P.M. Joseph, joined us on 4th November 2003. Achen’s tenure was till April 2006. Thereafter we were blessed with the ministries of our vicars, Rev. Shaji Alexander (2006-2009), Rev. Prakash Mathew (2009-2012) and Rev. Achenkunju George (2012-2015). From May 2015 we have Rev. Saji Abraham as our present vicar.

Our parish celebrated her 40th anniversary on 3rd November 2006. Our Bishop Rt. Rev. Dr. M.K. Koshy blessed the occasion. Rev. P.T. Mathew, on his Gulf visit, had also participated in the event. While we are at the cross roads of 50th milestone and are about to cause the trumpet to sound the celebration of our Golden Jubilee year, the year of sharing as our theme, let us look, ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is and walk in it praising our LORD saying… “Ebenezer” … “Thus far the Lord has helped us.