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

Christianity in India
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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
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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.

Famous quotes containing the words mar and/or church:

“Striving to better, oft we mar what’s well.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)

“The church is a sort of hospital for men’s souls, and as full of quackery as the hospital for their bodies. Those who are taken into it live like pensioners in their Retreat or Sailor’s Snug Harbor, where you may see a row of religious cripples sitting outside in sunny weather.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)