Message from the Diocesan Bishop
“… you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” – 1 Peter 2.9 Dear friends in Christ,
I greet you all. Our church is celebrating the 175th year of reformation that took place in the Malankara Church. Among the various church denominations we have around us, the Mar Thoma Church has a unique identity. The Mar Thoma Church is apostolic in origin, universal in nature, biblical in faith, evangelical in principle, ecumenical in outlook, oriental in worship, democratic in function and Episcopal in character. As members of this church, we are part of the ‘One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.’ As such, we can join St. Peter in saying “we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God…” (1 Pet 2.9).
Our Sabha constitution declares that this Church, in conformity with the faith of the Christian church in all ages, believes in Jesus Christ, God incarnate for the redemption of humankind, and in the Triune God revealed by Him, who is himself one in that Trinity. This Church accepts as its goal and function the following:
• to be the repository of the divine doctrines revealed by Jesus Christ and proclaimed by His Apostles;
• to maintain these doctrines in their purity;
• to promote the spiritual life of its members through the administration of sacraments and by the ministry of the Word;
• to make disciples of all nations by the proclamation of the Gospel to all the world; and
• through the administration of Holy Baptism in the name of the Triune God.
The Mar Thoma Christians in North America and Europe have organized since 1982 when the Late Thomas Mar Athanasius, Suffragan Metropolitan with the help of the then Metropolitan and the Episcopal Synod paved way to the formation of the First Zonal Council in 1982. The Old Testament and the New Testament in the Holy Bible clearly reveal that God’s purposes about humans are
not limited to redemption of individuals but intent to form a people. Gen 12. 1-3. After Pentecost, the apostles witnessed the formation of a new multinational and multi-ethnic church (Acts 2. 14-42; 15.6-29). The Mar Thoma Church in North America and Europe consists of people who are not only immigrants but also citizens of the respective countries, thereby making the church multinational and multi-ethnic. We ought to remember that by the grace of God, members are added as living stones to become a spiritual house, the body of Christ. This character of the church testifies not only to the universality of gospel message but also to the global and cosmic extent of the coming reign of Christ (Eph 1.10). Church as a corporate body finds expression in the regular worship service. The members gather together to worship God, who is worthy of worship, to recognize that they are called out and sanctified as the people of God to do the ministry and carry out the mission. The worship of the Mar Thoma Church gives importance to the liturgy of the Word of God (Holy Bible) and the liturgy of the sacraments. The availability of the Holy Bible in the vernacular language made it possible to reform the liturgy on biblical basis. Even today, this is important. Another characteristic of reformation is that the Church stands for worshiping in the language of the people. We, as a diocese, recently had the opportunity to look into this matter during the Institute on Liturgy held at Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia, and New York under the leadership of Rev. Dr. George Mathew.
Reformation emphasized the significance of living the gospel and putting into practice the divine vision God has given to the church. This vision is not a closed entity. We need the purity of heart to listen to God and the openness to be guided by the Holy Spirit, everywhere and at all times. It is the practice of the Church to come together for worship, study the Word of God, to share the spiritual experiences, rejoice in the gift of salvation, and witness the Lord by caring in divine love and sharing resources that God has given His children. It is wrong to be exclusive (introvert), isolated from the community, insulated from the rest of the world and to have ‘a holier than thou’ attitude. Our Sabha constitution says: ‘The church affirms that the people of God are sent all over the world and that they partake in the salvation work of God, to unite everything in Jesus Christ, through the ministry of reconciliation, begun in Jesus Christ. The church receives the power of the Holy Spirit, which enables the church to fulfill the redemptive work of God, who directs and controls the events in history.’ As a result, reformation brought the church to the forefront of ecumenical relations
and equipped it to fight against the social evils in all places, wherever God has placed us.
Reformation is a continuous process of a renewal based on vision. This requires continuity in our study of the Word of God and search through worship, prayer and meditation. What is the challenge before us? We are a growing diocese of a global Church. The 21st century seems to be ‘fast-forward.’ The nature of the social order today is complex, multifaceted and ever changing. Post modernity demands a new mapping of the church from God’s perspective. To help in this endeavor let me pose some questions:
1. What are the unique contributions of the Mar Thoma immigrants towards the enhancement of American/Canadian/European culture? (Or any other country or continent)
2. What lessons did the immigrant community learn from the history and culture of the land to which members of the Mar Thoma Christians migrated?
3. Do we have a coherent vision for the future when we realize that as a community, we are called to reveal faith that matters and release in love the fragrance of hope and transformation?
Jesus said, ‘Seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness, all these things will be given to you as well.’ (Mt 6.33)
We are at the beginning of 2011. The first decade of the 21st century is over. It went so fast. It also reminds us that the changes are very rapid and accordingly values are changing. When we enter into the new decade what is our vision? Do we want to go forward or backwards? As children of God we need to stand firm on the strong foundation, Jesus Christ, the Living Stone or the Corner Stone, as we read in 1 Peter 2.1-9. We are called to hold on to the eternal values when the world challenges us with the worldly and transitory values. (Phil 4.8, Eph 6.10-12) Being spiritual and nurturing spirituality are quite essential to remain as a renewed spiritual house of God.
How do we plan our future as a diocese?
This diocese has completed 16 years of growth, with the leadership of a resident bishop. This is a time to celebrate the growth, to recognize that there are responsibilities to shoulder and realize that we are ‘growing to yield fruits.’ With the 65% laity and 35% clergy constituting the administrative setup of our church, we take decisions in a democratic manner to focus our attention to the future life of the diocese and develop programs for implementation.
I propose that we develop regional centers to (1) promote the growth of the diocese, (2) increase the participatory growth of various regions in the diocese, and (3) energize our membership to action. They are:
1. A Development Centre to study the heritage, faith and practices of the Mar Thoma church, including the sacraments, in various media forms, especially through the audiovisual media.
2. A Study Centre focusing on studies of issues like Diaspora mission and ministry. As part of the ministerial formation special training could be organized for theological candidates to assist those ordained Ministers going for higher education in the Diocese, and to train the budding young lay leaders to be of assistance in the parishes and prayer groups in the Diocese.
3. A Christian Education Centre
a. To assist in the revision of the Sunday School Curriculum and the VBS, and to produce study materials for Youth Fellowship and Young Families.
b. To organize workshops for Sunday School Teachers, Youth leaders and young families.
c. To organize and conduct the Lay Person Education and Development (LEAD) program and courses like Jeevamrutham.
4. An Institute for the study of the Diaspora community
a. To initiate efforts to learn and understand how various faith communities from India and elsewhere enjoy community living in the Diaspora context.
b. Develop a library focusing on various subjects like Diaspora, Ministry and Mission.
c. To initiate regional conferences, workshops and or seminars on the related topic.
d. To organize an annual lecture.
5. A Mission Centre
a. To initiate mission program like neighborhood mission and strengthen the mission among the Native Americans with the participation of the second and third generation Marthomites.
b. To organize exposure tours to Mexico, India, and other places combining Mar Thoma heritage and mission centers.
6. An Institute on Counseling to initiate and conduct counseling including various forms like online counseling, premarital counseling, and crisis counseling.
7. A Resource centre for Family living to handle the concerns and issues of families and empower the families for holistic living. Explore the possibilities of assisted living and the allied matters.
8. A Legal Guidance Centre to assist the members with regard to the legal matters pertinent to an immigrant community, such as parish registration, Visa processing, family issues, and liaison with the Consulate and government agencies.
How do we establish these centers and organize their activities? Currently, we have eight regions according to the new by-law. I suggest that each region should select a training and resource center of interest and discuss the feasibility of establishing it and organizing its activities. Each region should submit their proposal to the Diocesan Episcopa for review and comment. The Episcopa will determine if the proposal complies with our church constitution, and will offer guidance to the region for establishing that center and organizing its activities. The management plan submitted from each region should identify appropriate sources for funding and effective means of implementation and administration. This will be a collective effort in the different regions of our diocese.
I wish you all a Blessed and Happy New Year. May God bless you all.
Yours in Christ’s Ministry Geevarghese Mar Theodosius, Diocesan Episcopa
