In 1925 Mrs. Lois Timothy, an elderly lady, started a prayer fellowship at her house in Muttacaud, a place near Kovalam in Thiruvananthapuram (also called Trivandrum), capital of the Indian state of Kerala. This congregation soon transformed itself into a small neighborhood church. By 1940, Mr. T Stephen -- Mrs. Timothy's fifth son and a school teacher by profession -- was actively involved in the church's activities and this ministry gradually spread to over 50 neighborhoods in the surrounding regions.
The Holy Spirit's counsel came to the congregation in 1946 addressing it as Zion Sangam (in Malayalam meaning fellowship of Zion), and the church began to be known by the same name.
The Holy Spirit manifested powerfully during those days and Johnson, Frederick, Margaret and Pushpabai -- Mrs. Timothy's eldest and youngest sons, and two daughters -- came to the Lord. During the same period, a native soothsayer from Palappur, Mr. K.N. Stephen met the Lord. He destroyed the altar and temple where he worshiped the native gods and built a church at the same place. Mr. T. Stephen and Mr. K.N. Stephen joined hands together and began preaching the Lord. The ministry was characterized by powerful spiritual manifestations and after every meeting a small group of people will repent of their sins and meet the Lord, be filled with the Holy Spirit, get baptized and form a holy fellowship. And in a short span of time there rose more than 70 churches and fellowships in the southern parts of Kerala and the adjacent state of Tamil Nadu.
The two Stephens later separated and Pastor T. Stephen went as a missionary to Madras (now Chennai). In 1962, he established a church in Chennai and registered it under the name 'International Zion Assembly'. The original churches in Muttacaud, Manoor, Ottasekharamangalam and Venganoor were also part of International Zion Assembly.
