P M Mathew: A Pioneer Brethren Missionary to Malabar

(1929-2003)

The Wife

Kochu proved to be a wonderful help meet in the ministry of Kunjachyan as he was known. Even though he was away from home most of the time, she managed to bring her children to the Lord and instilled in them a love for the Lord and his people. She always ensured that her guests were treated with the utmost hospitality even when the family had very little to eat. There were days when they would have to go hungry but that never lessened her fervour for the Lord.

The Ministry

Kunju began his ministry at the age of 25 by initially working in the local areas in Aymanam during which time he led late brother Samuel P John to the Lord. He used to travel with late Pallom Varghese to attend the Assembly in Kottayam. He was acquainted with late K G Thomas and V T Mathai. He could study in the Kumbanad Bible School with late V T John of Chandigarh.

The Lord used several people to help Aymanam Kunju to take ministry to several places. Once, when the three Kunjus – Kochukunju(K N Ninapillai), Kunjukunju(AT Mathew) and Kunju(P M Mathew) were ministering in Malabar they came in contact with another Kunju Alackal Kunju(A T Mathew), who took them to his home in Vallikkad. This sparked the beginning of P. M. Mathew's work in Nilambur.

P M Mathew later moved there with family and began ministering in Nilambur with full force. In the beginning they made a shed in the place of Alackal Kunju to serve as a meeting place where many servants of the Lord came and ministered the Word.

They later moved to a newer neighbourhood and by that time there were newer additions to the family – Jainamma and Georgekutty followed by twins named Jessy and Jose. Jose was a handicapped child who survived for nine years before succumbing. The family was a large one with the three eldest kids being Kunjumon, Thankamma and James.

They moved to Edakkara in 1960 where Kunju encouraged young people for the ministry. As a result, the Edakkara Assembly became the centre of Evangelistic activity and sent many servants of the Lord to various States. The author of this biography was the first commended worker from Edakkara assembly.

He adopted a pattern of ministry similar to that of the apostles seen in the book of Acts where he would select a place to minister after a season of prayer and organize a campaign with the help of other workers. They would hire a place and stay there as a team and conduct regular house visits and arrange Bible studies for a couple of weeks during which time Kunju would establish some contacts.

In the course of time as the assembly was formed, the Lord would raise able men to take care of the assembly, after which he would move on to another place. Having established the work in Nilambur he moved Kozhikode to concentrate much on northern side of Malabar. The travel to Chemberi was a tedious journey and the Lord enabled His servant to establish an assembly testimony there as well. As he was staying, he extended the ministry to Ulickal, Iritty, Mikavu and other places.

The Work

Kunju was a hard worker even before he came for the ministry. A family needs to eat after all. He used to carry manure by boat to Puthuppaly for cultivation. Even when he was in Edakkara, he used a wristwatch with him in the field as he worked in order to note the time and finish the work on time before he went out into the ministry work for the Lord. He was always active in organizing and arranging programs and even did menial jobs which others were reluctant to do.

Though he had very little education he had a good knowledge of the Word and knew quite a few languages. He learned Greek and knew a little Hebrew and could manage English and Tamil as well. He was always prepared to answer any question about his faith. He wrote many tracts and booklets and although he had several good manuscripts to publish, only one book- Kristhiya Sabha (Christian Church) in Malayalam was published. He had a melodious singing voice and the song Nin Maha Seham Yeshuve was one of his favourites.

Kunju insisted on persevering even if there was no obvious result in his ministry. Once the team went to Muthukkad for a gospel meeting for the first time and the meeting was set to take place on top of a hill, but a Mahindra Van could not carry all 15 of them. The brothers then got down and began pushing the vehicle up the hill, only to reach after it was very late and dark, and they found that almost the entire audience was drunk. They still began the meeting as planned and arranged for some Petromax lamps. But God can work miracles where we can see none and a student was saved from that very audience, and he later went on to study at NIBI and now serves the Lord in Assam.

The Man

Kunju was a man who rarely worried about his material needs and fully trusted in the Lord to provide what was necessary for the ministry.

Once when his son James expressed an interest in going to the US after completing his theological studies, Kunju said that he would have preferred James working for the Lord in some Indian village than going to earn money in the States.

He was self-effacing and encouraged others in every possible way he could even when it involved dipping into his own pocket. Once when he was on a visit to Alwar, he met a couple of students from Nilambur who were admitted in NIBI and needed some money for their study materials which he took out of his own pocket. He also encouraged fellow brethren saying that “You are involved in the great task of preparing many Spurgeon’s and Moody’s”.

He once expressed an interest in selling his property in Edakarra which was carried out by his eldest son Kunjumon, and a large part of the proceeds went to helping needy brethren. He purchased a printing press with the intention of printing literature for the ministry and later his book, Kristhiya Sabha in Malayalam.

Meanwhile he had the privilege of visiting the States for some time in 1982. The financial help he got from the churches there was used to purchase a jeep for the ministry which proved extremely helpful while travelling to far off places to spread the gospel.

He was able to establish a reading room and a library for the public at Mikavu. Several teams from NIBI worked with him in these places. The Lord used his servant to complete the work He had entrusted to him, which he did it to the best of his ability.

The Home Call

Having completed his earthly duty, Aymanam Kunju went to be with the Lord on November 19, 2003.

His mortal remains were brought to Edakkara Assembly and later it was taken to Mikavu. He was buried in the presence of a great company of saints from all parts of Kerala.

Brother Paul Thomas said at his funeral that had P. M. Mathew not come to Malabar, we may not have these many assemblies and workers working for the Lord.

Mathuchayan, as he was known, travelled throughout the hills and valleys, villages after villages of Malabar, encountered various receptions from his friends and foes, faced the ups and downs of life, suffered hardships without any complaint, always preferred to give than to receive, travelled far and wide preaching the gospel, practiced what he preached and believed in the Lord with all his heart.

– T J Joseph

This article originally appeared in the Harvest Times magazine's July 2016 issue.

The Wife

Kochu proved to be a wonderful help meet in the ministry of Kunjachyan as he was known. Even though he was away from home most of the time, she managed to bring her children to the Lord and instilled in them a love for the Lord and his people. She always ensured that her guests were treated with the utmost hospitality even when the family had very little to eat. There were days when they would have to go hungry but that never lessened her fervour for the Lord.

The Ministry

Kunju began his ministry at the age of 25 by initially working in the local areas in Aymanam during which time he led late brother Samuel P John to the Lord. He used to travel with late Pallom Varghese to attend the Assembly in Kottayam. He was acquainted with late K G Thomas and V T Mathai. He could study in the Kumbanad Bible School with late V T John of Chandigarh.

The Lord used several people to help Aymanam Kunju to take ministry to several places. Once, when the three Kunjus – Kochukunju(K N Ninapillai), Kunjukunju(AT Mathew) and Kunju(P M Mathew) were ministering in Malabar they came in contact with another Kunju Alackal Kunju(A T Mathew), who took them to his home in Vallikkad. This sparked the beginning of P. M. Mathew's work in Nilambur.

P M Mathew later moved there with family and began ministering in Nilambur with full force. In the beginning they made a shed in the place of Alackal Kunju to serve as a meeting place where many servants of the Lord came and ministered the Word.

They later moved to a newer neighbourhood and by that time there were newer additions to the family – Jainamma and Georgekutty followed by twins named Jessy and Jose. Jose was a handicapped child who survived for nine years before succumbing. The family was a large one with the three eldest kids being Kunjumon, Thankamma and James.

They moved to Edakkara in 1960 where Kunju encouraged young people for the ministry. As a result, the Edakkara Assembly became the centre of Evangelistic activity and sent many servants of the Lord to various States. The author of this biography was the first commended worker from Edakkara assembly.

He adopted a pattern of ministry similar to that of the apostles seen in the book of Acts where he would select a place to minister after a season of prayer and organize a campaign with the help of other workers. They would hire a place and stay there as a team and conduct regular house visits and arrange Bible studies for a couple of weeks during which time Kunju would establish some contacts.

In the course of time as the assembly was formed, the Lord would raise able men to take care of the assembly, after which he would move on to another place. Having established the work in Nilambur he moved Kozhikode to concentrate much on northern side of Malabar. The travel to Chemberi was a tedious journey and the Lord enabled His servant to establish an assembly testimony there as well. As he was staying, he extended the ministry to Ulickal, Iritty, Mikavu and other places.

The Work

Kunju was a hard worker even before he came for the ministry. A family needs to eat after all. He used to carry manure by boat to Puthuppaly for cultivation. Even when he was in Edakkara, he used a wristwatch with him in the field as he worked in order to note the time and finish the work on time before he went out into the ministry work for the Lord. He was always active in organizing and arranging programs and even did menial jobs which others were reluctant to do.

Though he had very little education he had a good knowledge of the Word and knew quite a few languages. He learned Greek and knew a little Hebrew and could manage English and Tamil as well. He was always prepared to answer any question about his faith. He wrote many tracts and booklets and although he had several good manuscripts to publish, only one book- Kristhiya Sabha (Christian Church) in Malayalam was published. He had a melodious singing voice and the song Nin Maha Seham Yeshuve was one of his favourites.

Kunju insisted on persevering even if there was no obvious result in his ministry. Once the team went to Muthukkad for a gospel meeting for the first time and the meeting was set to take place on top of a hill, but a Mahindra Van could not carry all 15 of them. The brothers then got down and began pushing the vehicle up the hill, only to reach after it was very late and dark, and they found that almost the entire audience was drunk. They still began the meeting as planned and arranged for some Petromax lamps. But God can work miracles where we can see none and a student was saved from that very audience, and he later went on to study at NIBI and now serves the Lord in Assam.

The Man

Kunju was a man who rarely worried about his material needs and fully trusted in the Lord to provide what was necessary for the ministry.

Once when his son James expressed an interest in going to the US after completing his theological studies, Kunju said that he would have preferred James working for the Lord in some Indian village than going to earn money in the States.

He was self-effacing and encouraged others in every possible way he could even when it involved dipping into his own pocket. Once when he was on a visit to Alwar, he met a couple of students from Nilambur who were admitted in NIBI and needed some money for their study materials which he took out of his own pocket. He also encouraged fellow brethren saying that “You are involved in the great task of preparing many Spurgeon’s and Moody’s”.

He once expressed an interest in selling his property in Edakarra which was carried out by his eldest son Kunjumon, and a large part of the proceeds went to helping needy brethren. He purchased a printing press with the intention of printing literature for the ministry and later his book, Kristhiya Sabha in Malayalam.

Meanwhile he had the privilege of visiting the States for some time in 1982. The financial help he got from the churches there was used to purchase a jeep for the ministry which proved extremely helpful while travelling to far off places to spread the gospel.

He was able to establish a reading room and a library for the public at Mikavu. Several teams from NIBI worked with him in these places. The Lord used his servant to complete the work He had entrusted to him, which he did it to the best of his ability.

The Home Call

Having completed his earthly duty, Aymanam Kunju went to be with the Lord on November 19, 2003.

His mortal remains were brought to Edakkara Assembly and later it was taken to Mikavu. He was buried in the presence of a great company of saints from all parts of Kerala.

Brother Paul Thomas said at his funeral that had P. M. Mathew not come to Malabar, we may not have these many assemblies and workers working for the Lord.

Mathuchayan, as he was known, travelled throughout the hills and valleys, villages after villages of Malabar, encountered various receptions from his friends and foes, faced the ups and downs of life, suffered hardships without any complaint, always preferred to give than to receive, travelled far and wide preaching the gospel, practiced what he preached and believed in the Lord with all his heart.

– T J Joseph

This article originally appeared in the Harvest Times magazine's July 2016 issue.