The Mar Thoma Church

The Mar Thoma Church is one of the historic Churches of Christendom and belongs to the family the Lesser Eastern Churches. The Mar Thoma Church retains its essential character of the eastern church in its liturgy and mode of worship, its ceremonies, rituals and traditions. It also maintains friendly contacts with some of the Protestant churches.

The Mar Thoma Church is a part of the ancient Syrian church of Malabar, founded in AD 52 as a result of the missionary efforts of St. Thomas, the Apostle. Established in Kerala, India the church now has 9,000,000 members all around the globe. The headquarters of the church is in Thiruvalla, Kerala, India; 708 clergy in 11 dioceses serve 1062 parishes.

The Mar Thoma church of India is an oriental church born out of the protestant reformation. It is the product of Anglican influence on St. Thomas christians of India during the 18th century. The church in India founded by St. Thomas the Apostle, remained monolithic until the advent of European missionaries in the 15th century. The efforts of Portuguese missionaries to make the church follow the Roman Catholic Church, led to dissension. One group adhered to the pope while others declared allegiance to the Jacobite Patriarch of Antioch and where known as the ‘Puthencoor’ group. This group came into close contact with English protestant missionaries during the period of Mar Thoma VI who was also known as Dionysius I (1765-1808). In 1806-07 chaplains of East India Company visited Tranvancore and Cochin. Col. Manroe, Resident of the British government, also showed much interest in the affairs of the Syrians of Malabar. He helped Ittoop Ramban to start a seminary at Kottayam in 1813.