Mar Thoma Church

Mar Thoma Church


Mar Thoma Syrian Church

Logo of the Mar Thoma Syrian Church
Founder St. Thomas The Apostle.
Independence Apostolic Era
Recognition Independent Hierarchical Church
Primate His Grace The Most Rev. Dr. Joseph Mar Thoma Metropolitan
Headquarters Tiruvalla, Kerala, India
Territory Universal
Possessions Australia, Canada, Germany, Middle East (Gulf Region), Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, United States, United Kingdom, Switzerland.
Language Malayalam, English, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Syriac (Western).
Adherents 1061940 (worldwide)
Website www.marthoma.in
Part of a series on
Christianity
in India
Background
  • Saint Thomas Christians (Nasrani)
  • Synod of Diamper
  • Coonan Cross Oath
  • Saint Thomas Christian churches
  • Malankara (historical)
People
  • St. Thomas the Apostle
  • St. Francis Xavier
  • St. Gonsalo Garcia
  • Devasahayam Pillai
  • St. Alphonsa Muttathupadam
  • Thomas of Cana
  • Alexis de Menezes
  • Mother Teresa
  • Palackal Thoma Malpan
  • Mar Augustine Kandathil
  • Mar Sabor and Mar Proth
  • Marthoma Metrans
  • Mar Gregorios of Parumala
  • Mar Baselios Eldho
  • Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar
  • Mar Kuriakose Elias Chavara
  • Mar Varghese Payyappilly Palakkappilly
  • Mar Joseph C. Panjikaran
  • Palakunnathu Abraham Malpan
  • Mathews Mar Athanasius of Palakunnathu
  • Mar Geevarghese Dionysius
  • William Carey
Denominations
  • Saint Thomas Christian Churches:
  • Chaldean Syrian
  • Jacobite Syrian
  • Malankara Orthodox Syrian
  • Malabar Independent Syrian
  • Mar Thoma Syrian
  • St. Thomas Evangelical
  • Syro-Malabar Catholic
  • Syro-Malankara Catholic
  • Latin Church:
  • Cathlic Church
  • Protestant denominations:
  • Andhra Evangelical Lutheran
  • Church of North India
  • Church of South India
  • Garo Baptist
  • IPC
  • CGI
  • North Bank Baptist Christian
  • Northern Evangelical Lutheran
  • Presbyterian
  • The Pentecostal Mission
  • Seventh-day Adventist
  • True Jesus
  • United Evangelical Lutheran
Indian Christianity portal

The Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar (or the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church, Malayalam: Malankara Mar Thoma Suryani Sabha) also known as the Mar Thoma Church is a Christian denomination based in the state of Kerala in southwestern India. It has an entirely different identity when compared to other Churches in India. Most Christian Churches around the world are divided into Western or Eastern traditions. Eastern Churches are again divided into many traditions, one of which is Syriac tradition. Syriac tradition comprises West Syrian Rite and East Syrian Rite. Mar Thoma Syrian Church adheres to the West Syrian Rite tradition and bases its teachings in accordance with Biblical teachings. It is one of the Saint Thomas Christian churches tracing its origins to the evangelistic activity of Thomas the Apostle in the 1st century.

The Mar Thoma Church defines itself as "Apostolic in origin, Universal in nature, Biblical in faith, Evangelical in principle, Ecumenical in outlook, Oriental in worship, Democratic in function, Episcopal in character" and is a Reformed Church.

Until the beginning of 20th century Marthomites lived in a few districts of Central Travancore and Kunnamkulam in Kerala. Since that time it has spread with the 20th-century Indian diaspora to North America, Europe, the Middle East, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, and currently has around one million members worldwide. Their mother tongue is Malayalam, the language of Kerala.

Read more about Mar Thoma Church:  Definitions, Administration, Portuguese Period, Dutch Period, British Period, Cleansing of The Church – Reformation, Marthoma Metropolitans, Liturgy, Places of Worship, Organizations, Ecumenical Relations, See Also

Famous quotes containing the words mar and/or church:

    “Marriage is distinctly and repeatedly excluded from heaven. Is this because it is thought likely to mar the general felicity?”
    —Samuel Butler (1835–1902)

    “Jesus: Senor, the widow Gomez delivered a son this morning, a boy.
    Guthrie McCabe: Bully for the widow Gomez.
    Jesus: But Senor, it has been more than a year ago since Senor Antonio Gomez has been buried in the church house.
    McCabe: Well, there’s some men y’a just can’t trust to stay where you put ‘em.”
    —Frank S. Nugent (1908–1965)