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The Mar Thoma Syrian Church
Christian Churches throughout the world are generally divided as follows:
1. The Roman Catholic Church
2. The Eastern Orthodox Churches
3. The Lesser Eastern Churches
4. The Protestant Churches
The Mar Thoma Church is one of the historic Churches of Christendom and belongs to the family the Lesser Eastern Churches.The Mar Thoma Church retains its essential Character of the Eastern Church in its liturgy and mode of worship, its ceremonies, rituals and traditions. It also maintains friendly contacts with some of the Protestant Churches.
The Mar Thoma Church is a part of the Ancient Syrian Church of Malabar, founded in AD 52 as a result of the missionary efforts of St. Thomas, the Apostle.
The Mar Thoma Church which began in Kerala is now grown into a church with Parishes all around the Globe. The Head Quarters of the Church is in Thiruvalla, Kerala, India.
The Mar Thoma Church has 9,00,000 members,708 clergy and 1062 parishes including congregations divided into 11 dioceses.The church has a democratic pattern of administration with a representative assembly(Prathinidhi Mandalam),an executive council and an Episcopal Synod.
The Church has been active in the field of education and owns 8 colleges,6 Higher Secondary Schools,9 High Schools,15 UP Schools,117 Primary Schools and one Training School.There are several schools and other educational institutions owned and managed by individual parishes. The Mar Thoma Church have three technical institutions.
The Mar Thoma Church has 30 social welfare institutions, 9 destitute homes,5 Hospitals,4 Camp centres and 3 Study centres.
The Mar Thoma Theological Seminary and 7 other institutes cater to the theological education of both clergy and the laity.
The religious education of the children is looked after by Sunday School Samajam and the work among the youth is carried on by the Yuvajana Sakhyam.
The famous Maramon Convention held annually for the last 104 years is a source of great spiritual power and inspiration for innumerable people.
As members of the Mar Thoma Church, let us humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God so that He may exalt us in due time and use us for His glory for the extension of His Kingdom in India and abroad.
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Our Earlier Metropolitans
Mathews Mar Athanasius - 1843 to 1877
Thomas Mar Athanasius - 1877 to 1893
Titus I Marthoma - 1893 to 1910
Titus II Mar Thoma - 1910 to 1944
Abraham Mar Thoma - 1943 to 1947
Juhanon Mar Thoma - 1947 to 1976
Mathews Mar Athanasius Episcopa - 1937 to 1973
Thomas Mar Athanaius Suffragan Metropolitan - 1953 to 1984
Easow Mar Timotheos Episcopa - 1975 to 1988
Alexander Mar Thoma - 1976 to 2000
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