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Dr. Abraham Cheruvazhakunnel Thomas

Dr. Abraham C. Thomas was born Abraham Cheruvazhakunnel Thomas in Kerala, India on February 8, 1928. The defining accomplishment of his life is assuredly the founding of Life For India, the Karnataka Navajeevana Samithi ministry, and Devanahalli mission, commonly referred to as KNS.(1) For over four decades KNS ministries have enhanced both the spiritual and material lives of the villagers in Karnataka, spreading the Gospel's message of eternal life to thousands of impoverished inhabitants while facilitating a much improved existence for them in the here and now.

KNS became the embodiment of Dr. Thomas' lifelong commitment to the Great Commission to make disciples of all (Matthew 28:18-20), a task he was practical enough to realize could only be accomplished by also fulfilling the Great Commandment to Love all (John: 13:34-35). In "Through The Villages of Karnataka With the Gospel", Dr. Thomas gives a straightforward account of the many obstacles which had to be overcome to bring all this about.

Preparing for Service

Dr. Thomas completed his theological education at South India Biblical Seminary, Bangarapet. Finding he had an affinity for work among children, he served as a staff worker for the Children's Special Service Mission (CSSM) for ten years. Seeking to equip himself for a wider ministry, he received advanced education at Azuza Pacific University in California, and with quite some reluctance at first, he eventually answered the inner calling he felt to work with the villagers of Karnataka. He had become familiar with their dismal circumstances in his encounters with them during his preliminary studies at the Bible Institute in Kolar city, Karnataka state.

The Birth of Karnataka Navajeevana Samithi

When Dr. Thomas was ready to act on what he believed was God's purpose for him in life, it was the American charitable organization Life For India that sponsored the initial outreach expedition to Karnataka. And Life For India continued to support what eventually became an extensive KNS ministry comprising 26 KNS churches and many other facilities and programs that changed life for the better in the villages of Karnataka.

Dr. Thomas registered Karnataka Navajeevana Samithi with the registry of societies in Karnataka State, so that all business transactions associated with the ministry would be under the direction of the 15 unrelated board members of KNS. This was to preclude the personal financial involvements that sometimes cast a questionable light on other American missionary operations.

Food for Work, and for Souls

It was the projects Dr. Thomas applied for from the "Food for Work" program of the Churches' Agency for Social Action (CASA) that established the fledgling ministry's credentials with the villagers, enabling them to participate in irrigation well projects that expanded their agricultural productivity while they received wages of wheat and cooking oil.

On this foundation of goodwill Dr. Thomas built a number of creative initiatives such as the "House for Huts" program to support the villagers' material existence, while never losing sight of his primary goal of awakening them to spiritual existence in Christ. This acknowledgement of the interdependence of body and soul informed every undertaking in the fields of Karnataka.

(1) KNS mission of the Mar Thoma Church: (2) headquarters is located at SCS Campus, Thiruvalla, Kerala, India and has over a million adherents spread worldwide: (3) Mar Thoma Church:

A Christian missionary affiliated with Mar Thoma (Saint Thomas) Church in India,(2) (3),

A Life's Purpose