Apostolic in Origin · Evangelical in Principle · Ecumenical in Outlook
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Mar Thoma Church
Explore two thousand years of faith, history, and living tradition — in plain language.
Apostolic in Origin · Evangelical in Principle · Ecumenical in Outlook
Explore two thousand years of faith, history, and living tradition — in plain language.
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From St Thomas the Apostle in AD 52 to the Coonan Cross Oath, the Reformation, and the modern global diaspora.
The Trinity, Scripture, Christology, Salvation, and Sacraments explained — an Oriental Protestant theology.
Holy Qurbana, Syriac heritage, the seven sacraments, fasts and feasts of the church calendar.
Common questions about identity, history, worship, governance, and the global church.
14 dioceses across India, New Zealand, Australia, USA, the Middle East, Europe, and beyond.
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The Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church (Malayalam: മലങ്കര മാര്ത്തോമ്മ സുറിയാനി സഭ) — commonly called the Mar Thoma Church — is a part of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church and one of the most ancient churches in the world. It is traditionally believed that St. Thomas (Mar Thoma in Syriac), the disciple of Jesus Christ, came to India in AD 52 and established the Church on the Malabar coast. Kerala was known as Malankara in those times.
The Church believes in Jesus Christ, the God incarnate for the redemption of humankind, and in the Triune God revealed by him. The Church cherishes its Oriental heritage and Episcopacy as a gift of God. The Church accepts the Holy Bible as the basis for all matters of faith and doctrine, and the Nicene Creed formulated in accordance with Holy Scripture. The Church is regarded as a 'bridge' church in the Ecumenical world.
Being rooted in the Bible, the Church maintains its Episcopal heritage and a value-oriented democratic form of administration. The Church is at present blessed by the able leadership of twelve Bishops and is headed by Most Rev. Dr. Theodosius Mar Thoma Metropolitan — the 22nd Malankara Metropolitan to occupy the Holy Apostolic Throne of St. Thomas. The Church is served by 1,184 clergy through fourteen dioceses to approximately 1.6 million people worldwide. Its headquarters is located at SCS Campus, Thiruvalla, Kerala, India.
The Church describes itself as:
The Church identifies its goal and function as:
| Founded | AD 52 (apostolic tradition) |
| Classification | Oriental Protestant |
| Membership | ~1.6 million worldwide |
| Dioceses | 14 |
| Clergy | 1,184 ordained |
| Bishops | 12 |
| Liturgy | Reformed Liturgy of St James (West Syriac Rite) |
| Languages | Malayalam, English, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Hindi |
| Headquarters | SCS Campus, Thiruvalla, Kerala, India |
| Website | marthoma.in |
| Slogan | "Lighted to Lighten" |
Every element of the Mar Thoma Church logo carries deep theological meaning
The Cross at the centre represents the centrality of Jesus Christ in the church and its mission — a proclamation that God himself came and atoned for humankind, and redemption is freely available by faith in Jesus Christ.
Placed at the heart of the Cross, the Ashoka Chakra (symbol of India) declares that life finds its ultimate salvation in Christ's atoning sacrifice — the completion of the Wheel of Life for all who follow the Bhakthi Marga in Jesus Christ.
The lamp reminds all believers to be the light of the world — to give the light of salvation to others in daily life, and to pay diligent attention to the study of the Word of God.
The Lotus represents holy living. It reminds believers to live holy despite the circumstances around them, and to exude the fragrance of God — as an offering of praise in the Indian tradition.
The motto of the Mar Thoma Church. Every believer, wherever they are, is given the light of Christ so that they can lighten others — reflecting the church's evangelistic identity.
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