The Pentecostal Mission

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, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in 1923. The international headquarters is now situated in Irumbuliyur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It now has churches in over 65 countries operating under various names. There are now millions of members in this church. It was before known as 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
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

 * 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