Podcast Summary

Podcast: New Books Network

Episode: In the Footsteps of St. Thomas (with Bishop Daniel Timotheos): Spreading the Gospel in the Indian Ocean World
Host: Chris Odiniec (featuring Bishop Daniel Timotheos)
Date: November 26, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode explores the story, vision, and missionary approach of the Believers Eastern Church, led by Bishop Daniel Timotheos. It highlights the church’s deep historical roots tied to St. Thomas the Apostle and its remarkable, rapidly growing evangelistic work across Africa and Asia. The conversation examines the difference between Western and indigenous missions, stresses the necessity of planting self-sustaining churches, and shares moving stories of faith from the field.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Context and Roots of the Believers Eastern Church

• St. Thomas’ Mission to India: Bishop Daniel roots his church’s mission back to the Apostle Thomas, who arrived in India in AD 52.

  • “He landed on the Kerala coast... planted about seven churches along the coast... went east and began to share Christ with the royal family... he ended up being speared to death and martyred for the faith.” (11:09–11:54, Bishop Daniel)
  • St. Thomas' martyrdom is commemorated in his church’s iconography, representing him with a spear rather than a cross.

• Church Origins:

  • The Believers Eastern Church differs from historic Indian denominations, like the Malankara Syriac Church; it began as a missions movement under Bishop Daniel’s father, later formalized as a church with apostolic succession.
  • The church is fundamentally “missions-minded,” aiming to reach the unreached with local, indigenous missionaries rather than foreign ones (08:40–09:59).

2. Transition from Missions Movement to Orthodox Church

• Organic Growth:
  • The church’s approach was initially just evangelistic and did not focus on church planting, but “when people’s lives were being turned towards Christ, we didn’t know where to send them… there was nothing there… so, okay, I guess we need to establish something.”
  • “We probably had, you know, 6,000, 7,000 churches before we even thought we should probably name this thing.” (30:43–31:19, Bishop Daniel)
• Apostolic Succession and Structure:
  • Consecration took place through an Anglican bishop, but the aim was independent Orthodox continuity, not Anglican identity.
  • “He was not consecrated to be an Anglican bishop... The understanding was much, much more than just, hey, we need a gathering for a Bible study...” (14:04, Bishop Daniel)

3. The Global Scope and Model of Mission

• GFA World: (formerly Gospel for Asia, renamed as they expanded into Africa)

  • Currently active in at least 16 nations with 12,000 parishes and around 5 million members (10:55–11:09).
  • They focus especially on the “10/40 window”—latitudes 10 to 40—home to the highest percentage of unreached people (17:36–18:38).

• Indigenous Leadership:

  • Emphasizes training and sending local missionaries who share language, culture, and context.
  • “Our national missionaries are people from their own country, who know the language, who like the bugs, who like the climate, already know the language, live at the level of people... They are some of the greatest, greatest ones to bring the message of Christ to their own people.” (09:26–10:01, Bishop Daniel)

• Non-Colonial Approach:

  • The missions movement is not “an outside imposition, some kind of colonial experience, but a local initiative. Compatriot to compatriot, neighbor to neighbor.” (03:22, Chris Odiniec)

4. Growth, Providences, and Stories from the Field

• Explosive Growth:

  • “The miracle here is the explosive rate of growth that you have seen... maybe I saw it on Wikipedia, but it said... three and a half million already, it’s gone to 16 and 5 million.” (20:16–20:33, Chris Odiniec)
  • Bishop Daniel attributes this to God’s work: “You would probably say, well, it’s not me, it’s Christ in me.” (20:38)

• Practical and Miraculous Encounters:

  • Stories range from a 102-year-old woman hearing the Gospel for the first time and finding faith (23:19), to a water buffalo healed after prayer, leading to a village’s conversion (23:51–24:33), to deliverance from demonic possession symbolized by black threads on crosses (25:42).
    • “Literally, whatever you see in the Book of Acts is happening.” (24:33, Bishop Daniel)
  • A moving anecdote is shared about a suicidal cancer patient healed after reading a Gospel tract, who later became a missionary himself (25:43–26:22).

• The Role of Prayer and Small Gestures:

  • Bishop Daniel observes, drawing on Mother Teresa, “If you can’t feed the hundred, at least feed the one… you become Christ to that person, and you’ve done a similar thing.” (22:20–23:16)
  • “Every prayer can make a difference. Every gift can make a difference.” (22:20, Bishop Daniel)
  • Host suggests keeping a world map at home to prompt prayer for global issues (19:47).

5. The Church’s Missional Philosophy

• Blueprint of Acts:

  • Missions are incomplete without church planting: “If you have church planting and you are planting churches in the historical understanding where the sacraments are served and people are grounded in the faith, you have permanency. Because then those churches continue to do missions.” (36:22–36:53, Bishop Daniel)
  • “The Book of Acts is our blueprint.” (36:53)

• From Temporary to Permanent:

  • The church seeks not to create fleeting movements or compounds but to perpetuate a living, community-rooted faith.

6. Challenges and Opportunities

• Closed and Restricted Countries:
  • Many target nations, especially in the “1040 window,” do not allow foreign missionaries, increasing reliance on nationals (17:36–18:10).
  • Not all countries can be named for safety reasons (21:01–21:13).
• Necessity of Contextual Faith:
  • A context-bound gospel: “Let people do it their way, right? Don’t try to bring outside or cultural things into it.” (20:38)
• Responsibility of the West:
  • Bishop Daniel calls those in the West to gratefulness for religious freedoms, with responsibility to pray, give, and support missions (27:50–28:27).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the Root of the Mission (St. Thomas in India)

“My father's community, the St. Thomas Christians there have 2,000 years of Christian history... you can still go and see some of the places where St. Thomas actually established the churches.”
— Bishop Daniel Timotheos (05:57–06:33)

On Indigenization

“They want their own people to know what they've experienced themselves.”
— Bishop Daniel (03:47 / 18:19)
“Our national missionaries... know the language, live at the level of people. They are some of the greatest, greatest ones..."
— Bishop Daniel (09:26–09:48)

On the Urgency and Opportunity of Mission

“The opportunity outweighs the need. Everything can make a difference. Every prayer can make a difference. Every gift can make a difference. Why? Because you are bringing the love of Christ to people who still are waiting to hear about Christ for the very first time.”
— Bishop Daniel (22:20–22:48)

On Book of Acts and Church Planting

“The Book of Acts is our blueprint. Missionaries were sent out, Paul was sent out… then they would establish these churches, and those churches would send out more missionaries and continue it. The church is the only thing in the very heart of God.”
— Bishop Daniel (36:53–37:12)

On the Realities of Faith in the Field

“I've driven for 400 miles, not seen a single church… you have this reality that most… don't have access to the Christian faith like we think.”
— Bishop Daniel (09:38–10:01) “A typical response will be something like this: ‘My friends are here, my family's here. Your friend Jesus is not here. Check the next village down that road and maybe you'll find your friend Jesus.’”
— Bishop Daniel (08:12–08:26)

On the Humble But Enduring Impact

“If you can't feed the hundred, at least feed the one.”
— Mother Teresa quote relayed by Bishop Daniel (22:20–22:30)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:13] – The "world ABC" model of global evangelism
• [05:57] – Origins of Believers Eastern Church & St. Thomas’ legacy
• [09:26] – Differences between Christian saturation in the West and mission fields
• [11:09] – St. Thomas’ martyrdom in India
• [14:02] – The unique identity of the Believers Eastern Church & apostolic succession
• [17:36] – The “10/40 window” and focus on restricted/unreached peoples
• [21:01] – Challenges naming project countries due to restrictions
• [23:19] – Stories: 102-year-old woman’s conversion, water buffalo healing, deliverance symbols
• [25:42] – The cross with black threads: sign of deliverance from demonic oppression
• [30:19] – Early diasporic experience and formative years in Texas
• [33:04] – Strategy for reaching both unreached and “reached” nations
• [36:53] – Theological grounding: “The Book of Acts is our blueprint”
• [39:07] – Closing blessing and prayer

Tone & Style Notes

The conversation is sincere, passionate, often anecdotal, peppered with gentle humor and vivid storytelling, and remains theologically grounded with an Orthodox emphasis on historical roots.

Conclusion & Blessing

The episode concludes with Bishop Daniel’s prayerful blessing for listeners, missionaries, and their families—emphasizing gratitude, a call to mission, and hope rooted in Christ.

“Take eternity and stamp it on our eyes… Not to waste on ourselves, but to be lived out, burned out for your glory… Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us sinners.”
— Bishop Daniel Timotheos (39:07)