Dr. Matthew Thomas is Chairman of the Fellowship Churches of India, a movement founded in 1966 and connecting over 1100 churches throughout the nation of India. The churches exist and operate individually and independently, yet integrally with the Fellowship.

As the work from Itarsi continued to spread all over India, Dr. Kurien Thomas, felt the need to form a Fellowship to exchange ideas and uplift each other. So, at the 1966 Annual Convention of the Itarsi Church, the Christian leaders united to form the Fellowship, with Dr. Kurien Thomas unanimously elected as its first Chairman. The Fellowship was registered with the Indian Government in 1969 and had the following objectives:

To share God’s love and hope to all of India. To establish independent Churches. To develop a network where each of its members help and encourage one another.

The headquarters of the Fellowship is at Itarsi from where connection, support, and coordination is ministered to the Fellowship Churches throughout the nation. The Itarsi Church also hosts an Annual Fellowship Conference for the empowerment of its leaders. The chief features of the Conference are a Leadership Seminar, Women’s Seminar, as well as, Youth and Children’s events.