Timeline: How Christianity
became established in India
AD52:
Legend has it that Christianity is introduced by the arrival of the Apostle
Thomas.
200: The Orthodox tradition is introduced in the south.
345: A bishop is sent from Jerusalem to India.
530: A traveller reports Christian communities in the south and in Ceylon.
1514: Pope Leo X grants Portugal the right to establish missions. Subsequently Portuguese Jesuits work actively to convert both non-Christians and Orthodox Christians to Roman Catholicism.
1793: The Baptist Missionary Society (BMS) missionary William Carey arrives at Serampore, marking the start of the modern era of Protestant missions. Within 30 years, he is followed by missionaries of the London Missionary Society (LMS) , Church Mission Society (CMS), the Methodists and Scottish Presbyterians.
1806: Baptist missionaries at Serampore and friends at Calcutta agree to form a Committee for Correspondence with the British & Foreign Bible Society.
1810 onwards: US-based mission organisations start work: Congregationalists (1810), Presbyterians (1834), Baptists (1836), Lutherans (1840s) and Methodists (1856).
1811: The Auxiliary Bible Society of Calcutta is founded.
1813: The Auxiliary Bible Society of Bombay is founded.
1839: The German Gossner Mission sends missionaries to India.
1887: Scandinavian Lutherans arrive.
(SR25/4 - 04.01) [PHOTOS]