Thiruvananthapuram, May 9 (IANS): Kerala-based Believers Eastern Church's Metropolitan Bishop Moran Mor Athanasius Yohan, who was knocked down by a car while walking on the road in Dallas in the US on Tuesday, passed away on Wednesday after suffering a cardiac arrest, it was announced here.

After the accident, the 74-year-old was airlifted to a hospital and underwent immediate surgery.

He had reached Dallas four days back.

K.P. Yohanan, as he was known, became the founder and head of the Believers Church, based in Thiruvalla in Pathanamthitta district, in 2003. In 2017, it took the name Believers Eastern Church and he became the supreme head and was known as Metropolitan Bishop Moran Mor Athanasius Yohan.

In his early childhood, he developed an interest in the Bible and later studied theology in Dallas. In 1974, he married German national Giesla and they started the charity organisation Gospel for Asia. In the 1980s, Yohanan was known for his radio programme "Athmeeya Yatra", which centred around the Bible.

In his career as an evangelist and then as the supreme head of the Church that he founded, he set up numerous Bible Colleges and also a state-of-the-art hospital and medical college at Thiruvalla.

During the Lok Sabha polls, his church was in the news when they pledged their support to the BJP-led NDA candidates.

The synod of the church will meet shortly to decide on the funeral arrangements of the departed Metropolitan.