P.J.Cherian is President of Association For the Preservation of the Saint Thomas Christian Heritage-

 New Church Organisation Correlates  Pattanam  Archaeological evidence and Biblical records with P.J.Cherian as President 

The Orthodox Church has been upholding the belief that St’Thomas landed at Muziris   Accordingly the   Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East organized a local forum –Association For the Preservation of the Saint Thomas Christian Heritage-(APSTCH) for implementing the St’Thomas  Syrian historiography . It was formed in March 2008 with Dr. Mar Aprem as honarary president Dr.  P.J.Cherian-KCHR director - as president, Rev. Fr. Ignatius Payyappilly, Director Catholic Art Museum and Ernakulam Archdioccesan Archives as secretary, and Dr. Susan Thomas senior lecturer, dept of history, Sri Sankara University, Kalady was nominated treasurer.

 Such a body  did not exist before Pattanam excavations.The entire scheme which was absent before pattanam excavation thus  received a stimulus with the unearthing of the site since Cherian unearthed what they needed to substantiate the St’Thomas documents. In  articles on Pattanam excavation, P.J.Cherian  and his associate Shajan k.Paul propogated that Pattanam is ancient Muziris.P.J.Cherian also gave a public lecture about  Pattanam and its importance with St’Thomas   at Serampore theology seminary jointly convened by the Senate of Serampore  and Interfaith Co-elation for Peace, Delhi