💡 Frequently Asked Questions

The Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church — commonly called the Mar Thoma Church — is an autonomous Oriental Protestant Christian church based in Kerala, India. It is traditionally believed to have been founded by St Thomas the Apostle in AD 52. It describes itself as: "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." It has approximately 1.6 million members worldwide, served by 1,184 clergy across 14 dioceses. The church's slogan is "Lighted to Lighten."

Neither, exactly — it is classified as Oriental Protestant. It is not in communion with Rome and rejects papal authority (unlike Catholic churches). It also differs from typical Protestant denominations by retaining episcopal governance, sacramental liturgy, and an Apostolic heritage going back to AD 52. The church is neither Nestorian nor Monophysite. It is in full communion with the Anglican Communion and the Church of South India, and is a member of the World Council of Churches.

Mar Thoma is Aramaic (Syriac) meaning "Saint Thomas" — Mar meaning "Lord" or "Saint," and Thoma being the Syriac form of Thomas. The name honours St Thomas the Apostle, who is traditionally believed to have founded the church in Kerala. The title "Mar" is also used for bishops (e.g. "Theodosius Mar Thoma Metropolitan"). Members of the church are called Mar Thomiyar, Mar Thomites, or Mar Thoma Syrians.

"Malankara" is an ancient name derived from Maliankara — an island on the southwestern side of the Indian Peninsula, between Gokarnam and Kanyakumari. It is also associated with the place near Muziris (modern Kochi) where St Thomas the Apostle is believed to have first landed in Kerala. The region of Kerala was known as Malankara in ancient times. The "Malankara Church" refers to the ancient Christian community of Kerala — the mother church from which the Mar Thoma Church and several other Indian Christian denominations descend.

The Mar Thoma Church has approximately 1.6 million members worldwide. According to the 2011 Census of Kerala, it had 405,089 members in Kerala — the sixth largest Christian church in Kerala after the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Latin Catholic Church, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, Jacobite Syrian Christian Church, and Syro-Malankara Catholic Church. The church has 14 dioceses, 1,246 places of worship, 1,184 ordained clergy, 12 bishops, approximately 700 missionaries, 12 hospitals, and 13 nursing homes.

The church is led by the Metropolitan — currently Most Rev. Dr. Theodosius Mar Thoma Metropolitan, the 22nd Malankara Metropolitan to occupy the Holy Apostolic Throne of St. Thomas. He resides at Poolatheen Aramana, the Church Headquarters in Tiruvalla, Kerala. He is assisted by an Episcopal Synod of 12 bishops and a democratic governance structure including the Prathinidhi Mandalam (House of Representatives), the Sabha Council, and diocesan assemblies elected by local parishes.

The tradition of St Thomas arriving in India in AD 52 is ancient and deeply held by the St Thomas Christian community. He is believed to have landed at Muziris (now estimated as Pattanam, near Kochi) after his first mission in the Parthian empire. He itinerated for some 30 years in Kerala before being martyred at Mylapore-Chinnamalai in Tamil Nadu around AD 72. The tradition is corroborated by very early historical records — including Pantaenus of Alexandria visiting India around AD 189–190 and finding an established Christian community — but is not universally accepted by all historians as verified fact. The Mar Thoma Church holds this tradition with reverence.

The Coonan Cross Oath (also called the Oath of the Bent Cross / Coonen Kurisu Sathyam) took place on 24 January 1653 at Mattancherry church near Cochin. Under the leadership of Archdeacon Thomas, the St Thomas Christians gathered and collectively swore that they would not obey Portuguese (Latin) ecclesiastical authority: "We will not obey the Franks, nor become Franks. We renounce them…" The cross is said to have bent under the weight of those holding the ropes — hence the name "Bent Cross." Four months later, Archdeacon Thomas was consecrated as Mar Thoma I. This event led to the formal split from Portuguese control and the eventual establishment of the independent Malankara Church — ancestor of the Mar Thoma Church. Read the full story →

Abraham Malpan (1796–1845) was a priest-theologian from Maramon, Kerala, who led the 19th-century Reformation of the Malankara Church. On 27 August 1837, he conducted the first Malayalam-language Holy Communion service at his home parish in Maramon. He reformed the liturgy, removed prayers for the dead and veneration of saints, insisted on the primacy of Scripture, and advocated worship in the vernacular. He was subsequently excommunicated by the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch. His nephew, consecrated as Bishop Mathews Athanasius, eventually became Malankara Metropolitan and continued the reforms. Abraham Malpan is considered the founding father of the Mar Thoma Church's reformed identity. Malpan is a Syriac title meaning "teacher."

The Synod of Diamper was convened by Archbishop Aleixo de Menezes at Udayamperoor (south of Ernakulam) from 20 to 26 June 1599. It was a coercive assembly at which the Portuguese archbishop forced representatives of the Malankara Church to accept Roman Catholic authority, doctrine, and liturgy. Ancient Syriac manuscripts were burned and the church's historic independence was suppressed. The Synod is remembered as a trauma in St Thomas Christian history and directly led to the resistance that culminated in the Coonan Cross Oath of 1653.

All the major Kerala Christian denominations share the same ancient St Thomas Christian heritage. After the Coonan Cross Oath (1653), the community that rejected Portuguese authority split over time into: the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (Jacobites who came under the Antioch patriarch), the Mar Thoma Syrian Church (the reformed branch), the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church (reunited with Rome in the 20th century), the Chaldean Syrian Church, and the Malabar Independent Syrian Church. Those who stayed with Portugal became the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. The Mar Thoma Church is the specifically reformed stream — evangelical in theology, Eastern in worship.

Qurbana is Syriac for "offering" or "oblation." The Holy Qurbana is the Mar Thoma Church's Eucharistic liturgy — equivalent to what other traditions call the Mass, Divine Liturgy, or Communion Service. It is a reformed variant of the Divine Liturgy of Saint James (West Syriac Rite), translated primarily into Malayalam. The service consists of Scripture readings, prayers, the Nicene Creed, the Eucharistic prayer (anaphora), epiclesis, and Holy Communion. The church does not subscribe to the concept of Eucharistic Sacrifice and understands the experience of Christ's presence in communion as a "Sacred Mystery." Learn more about worship →

The Mar Thoma Church uses liturgy because structured, communal prayer has deep roots in both Jewish worship (which Jesus himself participated in) and the earliest Christian practice. As the church notes: "When the Bible was not available, the liturgy took the role of the Bible — much of the Scripture is formed in the liturgical context." Liturgy ensures worship is Scripturally grounded and inclusive of all. The reformers simplified the liturgy but did not abandon it — they translated it into Malayalam, removed unscriptural elements, and made it participatory for the whole congregation.

The Mar Thoma Church practises seven sacraments (Koodashas): (1) Baptism (Mamodisa), (2) Chrismation — smearing of Holy Muron, (3) Common Confession (Kumbasaram), (4) Holy Communion (Qurbana), (5) Marriage, (6) Unction — Anointing of the Sick, and (7) Ordination. Confession is general — said through prayer before the Holy Communion — not auricular (private confession to a priest). See the full worship page →

Services are conducted primarily in Malayalam. In diaspora congregations (including New Zealand, Australia, USA, UK), services increasingly include English. Some parishes offer bilingual or predominantly English services. The liturgy has also been translated into Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada for use in non-Kerala Indian communities. Some Syriac phrases are retained in the service for their historical and devotional significance.

The Mar Thoma Church practises open communion for baptised Christians who are members of their own church in good standing. If you are a baptised Christian, you are generally welcome to receive communion. It is always respectful to speak with the priest beforehand if you are unsure. Non-Christians and unbaptised persons are welcome to attend worship but would refrain from receiving communion.

The Maramon Convention is held every February on the sandy banks of the River Pampa at Maramon, Kerala — it has been held annually since 1895 and is considered one of the world's largest Christian gatherings. It draws hundreds of thousands of participants from across India and the global diaspora for preaching, prayer, and fellowship. Historically, the Maramon Convention was also a platform for disseminating nationalist ideas during India's independence movement.

Salvation is understood as a gift of God's grace received through faith in Jesus Christ — it is not earned by works. The church accepts the principle of justification by faith alone and salvation by grace alone. However, good works are seen as the natural and necessary response to saving grace, not a means of earning it. A transformed life of obedience and discipleship is the fruit of genuine faith. This position is consistent with classic Protestant evangelical theology while being expressed through an Eastern liturgical context.

The Mar Thoma Church holds Scripture as the primary and supreme authority for all matters of faith and doctrine. Tradition is respected — the ancient Syriac liturgical heritage is honoured — but all teachings and practices are measured against Scripture. This was a core conviction of the 19th-century Reformation led by Abraham Malpan, who insisted that practices not grounded in the Bible should be removed. Unlike Roman Catholicism, the church does not place Church Tradition on equal authority with Scripture.

The Mar Thoma Church and the Anglican Church share significant historical and theological connections. Anglican missionaries (CMS) were instrumental in the 19th-century Mar Thoma Reformation. Both churches are episcopal (governed by bishops), emphasise Scripture, and practise liturgical worship. The Mar Thoma Church is in full communion with the Anglican Communion and the Church of South India. Key differences: the Mar Thoma Church is rooted in the ancient Syriac/Eastern tradition with a distinct Indian Apostolic heritage, while Anglicanism developed from the Western Latin tradition. The Mar Thoma Church is more explicitly classified as "Oriental Protestant" and operates primarily within the South Asian cultural and linguistic context.

After the Coonan Cross Oath (1653), the St Thomas Christian community gradually divided into several distinct denominations over the following centuries. Of the 116 churches, the Carmelites (Portuguese-aligned) reclaimed 84, leaving the independent community with 32. In 1665, Bishop Gregorios Abdul Jaleel arrived from the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch, which introduced the West Syriac Rite. Over time this led to the following streams:

• Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church — aligned with the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch
• Jacobite Syrian Christian Church — also under Antioch but a distinct faction
• Mar Thoma Syrian Church — the Reformed branch (19th century)
• Syro-Malankara Catholic Church — reunited with Rome in the 20th century
• Malabar Independent Syrian Church — smaller autonomous body
• Syro-Malabar Catholic Church — those who had stayed with Portugal/Rome from the Synod of Diamper

All these denominations share the same ancient St Thomas Christian heritage.

A typical Mar Thoma Sunday service (Holy Qurbana) generally follows this order:

1. Trisagion — Opening prayers: "Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal"
2. Scripture Readings — Old Testament, Epistle, and Gospel
3. Sermon (Homily) — Exposition of the Scripture readings
4. Nicene Creed — Communal profession of faith
5. Prayers of the Faithful — Intercession for church and world
6. Anaphora — Great Eucharistic prayer of thanksgiving
7. Institution Narrative — Words of Jesus at the Last Supper
8. Epiclesis — Invocation of the Holy Spirit over bread and cup
9. Holy Communion — Reception by the faithful
10. Closing Blessing & Dismissal

The service is conducted primarily in Malayalam, with Syriac phrases retained at key moments. See the full Worship page →

Marriage is one of the seven sacraments (Koodashas) of the Mar Thoma Church. It is understood as a covenantal blessing rooted in Christian teaching on unity and love. The marriage service typically takes place within a liturgical worship setting and includes Scripture readings, prayers, exchange of vows, and a blessing by the presiding priest or bishop. Marriage is seen as a lifelong covenant between a man and a woman, reflecting the relationship between Christ and the Church. The ceremony may be conducted in Malayalam or English, depending on the congregation.

Funeral services in the Mar Thoma Church emphasise Christian hope in the resurrection and eternal life. The service typically includes prayers, Scripture readings (especially from the Gospels and Paul's letters on resurrection), a homily, and committal prayers. The church does not pray for the dead in the traditional intercessory sense — the 19th-century Reformation removed prayers for the dead — but services are conducted with thanksgiving for the life of the departed and with the congregation's confidence in Christ's resurrection. The liturgical framework draws from the Syriac tradition.

The Mar Thoma Church maintains the ancient practice of the Canonical Hours (Shehimo) — seven fixed prayer times observed daily while facing the eastward direction. This practice, rooted in both Jewish and early Christian tradition, connects believers to structured spiritual discipline throughout the day. The Shehimo (meaning "the seven" in Syriac) consists of morning, midday, evening, and night prayers among others. Daily prayer emphasises personal devotion, Scripture meditation, and communion with God — consistent with the church's evangelical commitment to a living personal faith.

The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity — fully divine, co-equal with the Father and Son. In Mar Thoma theology, the Spirit was poured out at Pentecost on the disciples and continues to: guide believers into truth, sanctify the Church, empower Christian mission and witness, animate worship (especially through the epiclesis — the invocation of the Spirit in the Holy Qurbana), and work in the hearts of individuals toward conversion and growth in holiness. The Spirit is understood as the active presence of God in the life of the believer and the Church.

The Mar Thoma Church understands the Church as the Body of Christ — called to worship, witness, and serve in the world. The 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." It is governed episcopally (by bishops) but with full democratic participation of the laity in all levels of administration. The church is a part of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church and sees itself as a "bridge church" in the ecumenical world — connecting Eastern, Reformed, and evangelical traditions.