Talluru Thomas Gabriel[7] (born December 15, 1837;[2] died January 1, 1875[2][6]) was the founder[8][9] of the Canadian Baptist Mission[6] in India.

Thomas Gabriel was born in Machilipatnam[2] and grew up at Narasapur and Rajahmundry where he studied at the Lutheran School.

[6] In addition to Thomas Gabriel's employment, he was active[10] in his new-found Christian faith.

[citation needed] Gabriel gave up[11] his job at the Telegraphs Department in 1869 to take up an ecclesiastical assignment with the Godavari Delta Mission but it was short-lived as he quit it in 1870 and got into business[6] in Kakinada to support himself after having exhausted all his money for the sake of the gospel.

[2] A chance stopover in Ramayapatnam at the Ramayapatnam Baptist Theoogical Seminary made Gabriel to appeal to the Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec[12] through[13] John McLaurin to take up the Mission in northern coastal regions and thus led to the founding of the Canadian Baptist Mission in 1874[2] at Kakinada[14] with the arrival of John McLaurin[15] who came from Ramayapatnam to Kakinada by sea.