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We preach Christ crucified

Christian Revival Fellowship

Christian Revival Fellowship (CRF) is an Interdenominational religious and charitable trust where like-minded believers of various Episcopal Churches unite together to carry out God’s work, above and beyond the barriers of denomination or sect, transcending the distinctions of church and community, driven purely by sheer passion for the gospel. The motto of the Fellowship is “We preach Christ crucified” as said in 1 Corinthians 1:23. This fellowship draws its inspiration and strength from its founder-president, late Prof. M. Y. Yohannan (1937-2022), former principal of St. Peter’s College, Kolenchery. CRF continues to proclaim the crucified Christ, as originally envisaged by the Founder President even after the demise of the great leader, with the deep-rooted faith in Jesus Christ.

During his time, he has constructed a prayer hall adjacent to his residence at Kadayiruppu. Main meetings of CRF are conducted in this prayer hall. His three sons Dr. Isac John, Mr. Joseph John & Mr. Thomas John and the family are actively involved in the fellowship activities, fulfilling their beloved father’s dream. The main activities of the fellowship are regular gospel meetings on every second Saturdays, Bible class on Fridays.TV programs, youth meetings, ladies meeting, children’s Bible class etc. CRF meetings are conducted in Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, Mangalore, Coimbatore and in various cities abroad across US, Canada, UK, Ireland, various countries in Europe, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, UAE, Australia, New Zealand etc. Regular monthly meetings are conducted at about 50 locations in Kerala.

The office of CRF is at Kadayiruppu near Kolenchery in Ernakulam District, Kerala.

Our History

It was the spiritual revival that took place among the Syrian Christians of Kerala during 1973 that heralded the activities of Christian Revival Fellowship (CRF). A pioneering movement known as ‘Swamedhaya Suvishesha Sangham’ ('Voluntary Gospel Society') centered in Kolenchery had already been around and active. This missionary movement begun in 1950 had thrived under the leadership of Most Rev. Valayil V.C. Gheevarghese Corepiscopa and Prof. Rev. Fr. K.O. Thomas, a former academic in the History Department of C.M.S College, Kottayam. Prof. M. Y. Yohannan had been the General Secretary of ‘Swamedhaya Suvishesha Sangham’. Shri N T Abraham, Prof. Yohannan’s close friend and senior at St. Mary’s Orthodox Syrian Church, Valamboor, was also an active member of this movement and was supporting the gospel work from the very early stages. They happen to meet a godly man, Shri. W. A. Ninan from Thiruvananthapuram, a gazetted officer retired from Kerala Secretariat. After their meeting, Shri. Ninan came to Valamboor, and his visit was an important milestone for the great spiritual revival started in and around Valamboor. This spiritual revival, in no time spread to different parts of Kerala and it became a big revival movement amidst the Christian community irrespective of denominations. Many people moved away from their past sinful ways and re-dedicated their lives to Jesus Christ. This revival later evolved as Christian Revival Fellowship. By the latter half of the nineties, the fellowship was registered as an inter-denominational religious and charitable trust under the Charitable Societies Act, in the name ‘Christian Revival Fellowship’ with Prof. Yohannan as the founder President and its registered office at Kolenchery, Kerala. Thus, CRF was established as a humble endeavour of like-minded people, who had committed their life to the service of Jesus Christ, without any distinction of caste, creed, denomination or religion. Today CRF has grown to become a vast and progressive spiritual movement represented across the five continents of the world

Our History

It was the spiritual revival that took place among the Syrian Christians of Kerala during 1973 that heralded the activities of Christian Revival Fellowship (CRF). A pioneering movement known as ‘Swamedhaya Suvishesha Sangham’ ('Voluntary Gospel Society') centered in Kolenchery had already been around and active. This missionary movement begun in 1950 had thrived under the leadership of Most Rev. Valayil V.C. Gheevarghese Corepiscopa and Prof. Rev. Fr. K.O. Thomas, a former academic in the History Department of C.M.S College, Kottayam. Prof. M. Y. Yohannan had been the General Secretary of ‘Swamedhaya Suvishesha Sangham’. Shri N T Abraham, Prof. Yohannan’s close friend and senior at St. Mary’s Orthodox Syrian Church, Valamboor, was also an active member of this movement and was supporting the gospel work from the very early stages. They happen to meet a godly man, Shri. W. A. Ninan from Thiruvananthapuram, a gazetted officer retired from Kerala Secretariat. After their meeting, Shri. Ninan came to Valamboor, and his visit was an important milestone for the great spiritual revival started in and around Valamboor. This spiritual revival, in no time spread to different parts of Kerala and it became a big revival movement amidst the Christian community irrespective of denominations. Many people moved away from their past sinful ways and re-dedicated their lives to Jesus Christ. This revival later evolved as Christian Revival Fellowship. By the latter half of the nineties, the fellowship was registered as an inter-denominational religious and charitable trust under the Charitable Societies Act, in the name ‘Christian Revival Fellowship’ with Prof. Yohannan as the founder President and its registered office at Kolenchery, Kerala. Thus, CRF was established as a humble endeavour of like-minded people, who had committed their life to the service of Jesus Christ, without any distinction of caste, creed, denomination or religion. Today CRF has grown to become a vast and progressive spiritual movement represented across the five continents of the world

Remaining faithful to one’s own church while experiencing redemption of sins through Christ, leading a peaceful, sinless and holy life in this world, and attaining everlasting peace in eternity.
The need of the hour is not religious conversion, but conversion of mind; not a change of one’s church or denomination, but transformation of the heart.
The repentance of the repented.
To pain with the pain of the pained.
Never use spiritual ministry for financial benefits.
Lack of money will never impede the ministry of the Gospel, but a lack of holy men definitely will.
It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.
In everything we strive to do, we will seek guidance from the Holy Spirit.

Activities

The motive behind all of our activities is to save souls. The work of this fellowship has been able to restore thousands of disturbed families from different walks of life to a normal and peaceful state of living - families who were hurtling down the path of ruin due to chaos, violence and suicidal tendencies brought on by the bondages of alcoholism and drug abuse. This fellowship is a humble endeavour to instill the love of God, underpinned with the need for a holy life in human hearts and to prepare scores of people for the Second Coming of Christ. Various activities including gospel messages through Television, gospel meetings both in India and abroad, charitable activities, youth fellowships, women's meetings, Bible class for children and family visits are organized under the auspices of this fellowship. Prof. Yohannan has penned one hundred and fifty spiritual books and they are a wonderful treasure for generations of believers. He has also composed twenty-two Christian songs. ‘Amruthadhara’, the fellowship’s choir, liven up our meetings with soul-stirring divine music.

Activities

The motive behind all of our activities is to save souls. The work of this fellowship has been able to restore thousands of disturbed families from different walks of life to a normal and peaceful state of living - families who were hurtling down the path of ruin due to chaos, violence and suicidal tendencies brought on by the bondages of alcoholism and drug abuse. This fellowship is a humble endeavour to instill the love of God, underpinned with the need for a holy life in human hearts and to prepare scores of people for the Second Coming of Christ. Various activities including gospel messages through Television, gospel meetings both in India and abroad, charitable activities, youth fellowships, women's meetings, Bible class for children and family visits are organized under the auspices of this fellowship. Prof. Yohannan has penned one hundred and fifty spiritual books and they are a wonderful treasure for generations of believers. He has also composed twenty-two Christian songs. ‘Amruthadhara’, the fellowship’s choir, liven up our meetings with soul-stirring divine music.

Our Ethos & Core Values

  • Remaining faithful to one’s own church while experiencing redemption of sins through Christ, leading a peaceful, sinless and holy life in this world, and attaining everlasting peace in eternity
  • The need of the hour is not religious conversion, but conversion of mind; not a change of one’s church or denomination, but transformation of the heart
  • The repentance of the repented
  • To pain with the pain of the pained
  • Never use spiritual ministry for financial benefits
  • Lack of money will never impede the ministry of the Gospel, but a lack of holy men definitely will
  • It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness
  • In everything we strive to do, we will seek guidance from the Holy Spirit

OUR OBJECTIVES

  • A serving and caring fellowship – serving one another and showing the love of Christ by bearing one another’s burdens, encouraging one another and building up one another
  • A witnessing fellowship – proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ and what God has done in our lives
  • A worshipping fellowship – worshipping God in spirit and truth through our words and deeds
  • A teaching fellowship – teaching the Word of God and the doctrines of the Christian Faith to adults and children
  • A praying fellowship – offering prayers for the needy
  • A giving fellowship – helping those in need and working to promote the Kingdom of God

OUR PRAYERS

  • Lord, help us to love Jesus to the fullest extent possible by any human on earth.
  • Lord, help us to praise Jesus to the fullest extent possible by any human on earth.
  • Lord, help us to wholly devote ourselves to glorify the name of Jesus to the fullest extent possible by any human on earth.
  • Lord give us a heart filled with love, mind filled with faith, and a body prepared to endure suffering.
  • Lord, help us to bear our crosses with joy.
  • By your grace, help us to face all crises in our life by relying on the Cross.
  • By your grace, cover us and protect us with the precious blood of Jesus Christ so that Satan does not touch us.
  • Lord, wash our sins with the holy blood of Jesus Christ.
  • Bless us, Lord, to ascend to your presence, soaring on the wings of spiritual praise.
  • Lord, help us to realize that without God, all our human efforts are futile.
  • Bless us to attain the joy of salvation and the gift of eternal life by experiencing the cleansing power of the Holy Spirit.
  • God, grant us your peace that surpasses all human understanding and guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

OUR SELF-EVALUATION

  • If you were to die today, where would you spend eternity?
  • If Jesus was in your place, would He do this?
  • Have you acquired faith in God and fear of God?
  • Have you been able to show Jesus to others through your life?
  • When your thoughts go astray, are you able to say that you have given your word to the Lord and cannot take it back, like Jephthah?
  • When the temptations of lust haunt you, are you filled with the love of God to run away from them, like Joseph?
  • When you have failures in life, are you filled with hope and remember the verse “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me?”
  • Are you confident that all sins you have committed consciously or unconsciously have been cleansed with the precious blood of Christ?
  • When the trumpet blows, will you ascend to receive the Lord along with holy men?

OUR OBJECTIVES

  • A serving and caring fellowship – serving one another and showing the love of Christ by bearing one another’s burdens, encouraging one another and building up one another
  • A witnessing fellowship – proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ and what God has done in our lives
  • A worshipping fellowship – worshipping God in spirit and truth through our words and deeds
  • A teaching fellowship – teaching the Word of God and the doctrines of the Christian Faith to adults and children
  • A praying fellowship – offering prayers for the needy
  • A giving fellowship – helping those in need and working to promote the Kingdom of God

OUR PRAYERS

  • Lord, help us to love Jesus to the fullest extent possible by any human on earth.
  • Lord, help us to praise Jesus to the fullest extent possible by any human on earth.
  • Lord, help us to wholly devote ourselves to glorify the name of Jesus to the fullest extent possible by any human on earth.
  • Lord give us a heart filled with love, mind filled with faith, and a body prepared to endure suffering.
  • Lord, help us to bear our crosses with joy.
  • By your grace, help us to face all crises in our life by relying on the Cross.
  • By your grace, cover us and protect us with the precious blood of Jesus Christ so that Satan does not touch us.
  • Lord, wash our sins with the holy blood of Jesus Christ.
  • Bless us, Lord, to ascend to your presence, soaring on the wings of spiritual praise.
  • Lord, help us to realize that without God, all our human efforts are futile.
  • Bless us to attain the joy of salvation and the gift of eternal life by experiencing the cleansing power of the Holy Spirit.
  • God, grant us your peace that surpasses all human understanding and guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

OUR SELF-EVALUATION

  • If you were to die today, where would you spend eternity?
  • If Jesus was in your place, would He do this?
  • Have you acquired faith in God and fear of God?
  • Have you been able to show Jesus to others through your life?
  • When your thoughts go astray, are you able to say that you have given your word to the Lord and cannot take it back, like Jephthah?
  • When the temptations of lust haunt you, are you filled with the love of God to run away from them, like Joseph?
  • When you have failures in life, are you filled with hope and remember the verse “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me?”
  • Are you confident that all sins you have committed consciously or unconsciously have been cleansed with the precious blood of Christ?
  • When the trumpet blows, will you ascend to receive the Lord along with holy men?

PROF.M.Y.YOHANNAN

PROF.M.Y.YOHANNAN

Prof. M. Y. Yohannan is a renowned evangelist and author who devoted his whole life to the preaching of the Gospel. From the very early age of 17 till he reached that beautiful shore to be with his master, Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in Jan 2022, Prof. Yohannan worked tirelessly for spreading the word of God for 68 years. He has established a unique identity among Christian fellowships and gospel ministries through his unique style of preaching and distinct perspective. Prof. M. Y. Yohannan is the founder president of Christian Revival Fellowship. He has ministered to millions of people from all walks of life through radio, television, and print media.

Prof. Yohannan was born to Yoyakki and Mariamma, in the Mechankara family at Kadayiruppu, near Kolenchery. It was a family in which five deaths took place one after the other. Three of his siblings had died before he was born. He lost his father at the age of one and his elder brother when he was two years old. The death of his father and brother brought responsibilities on his shoulders and he was weighed down under the burdens of tending for the family, along with farming responsibilities! He dedicated his life to Christ at the age of seventeen after listening to the Word of God at a gospel meeting held at his parish church – St. Mary’s Church, Valamboor.

During his nine-year tenure as a teacher at Rajarshi Memorial High School, Vadavucode, he took B.A. and M.A. degrees as a private candidate, securing first rank from Kerala University, and later his B.Ed. degree from Moothakunnam Training College again as a university rank holder. In 1964, when St Peter’s College, Kolenchery was established, he became a lecturer and head of the department of Malayalam there. He spent thirty-one years teaching at St. Peter’s College and served a further two years as the principal of the college.

Prof. M. Y. Yohannan preached the Gospel across Kerala for many years; later went further afield to other different parts of the world with the gospel. His sermons fully manifest and retain the ideology that one can experience the remission of sins and sanctification of heart without changing caste, creed, denomination or religion. He considered the writing of spiritual books as a God given mission. He delved into the depths of the Word of God, whilst waiting patiently for God’s flow of thoughts, opening his heart to be enlightened by the Holy Spirit. The concepts, insights and viewpoints which overflow in his books were inspired by the Spirit of God.

The Gospel messages he delivered, the books he wrote and the songs he composed were done with the sole aim of glorifying the mighty name of God; so that everyone might know Jesus Christ as the redeemer of sinners, attain the likeness of Jesus, and thereby gain eternal life.

Even in his old age, Prof. M. Y. Yohannan was engrossed in the activities of the fellowship by leading Gospel meetings, Bible classes and prayer meetings. He got wholehearted support from his wife Smt. Alice Yohannan and their four children in all his Gospel work. He breathed his last in the Lord on 2nd Jan 2022, to be blessed and to take rest from his labours as said in Revelations 14:13. Similar to what God said to Daniel in chapter 12 verse 13, Prof. M. Y. Yohannan was faithful to the end; passed away peacefully but will rise to receive his reward at the end of time.

Link to Prof. M. Y. Yohannan funeral – Part 1 and Part 2.