‘Colonia Mar Thoma’
Mar Thoma Church has grown as a global Church and Marthomites became a Diaspora Community, consequently there arose the need to establish mission fields in the places where we reside so that we can be the light to those who live in darkness around us. The word ‘Diaspora’ means ‘dispersion’ or ‘scattering’ of a particular group of people. Mar Thoma Diaspora includes both the original migrants and those born to them.[1] With this in mind under the leadership Coorilos Thirumeni the Diocese of North America & Europe decided to begin two mission fields one among the Native Americans residing in United States and the Mexican mission field in Mexico outside the Diocese so that we can be the true witnesses of our Lord Jesus Christ at places where we are planted by God. The real intention behind establishing these mission fields is that our youths especially those who are born and being raised in this Diocese may have access to mission fields near to them in order to fulfill the vision of Abraham Mar Thoma that ‘every Mar Thomite is a missionary’.[2] The Native Americans live a secluded life keeping their rich heritage in different States of United States. The Spanish speaking islanders who are fishermen live in the islands in the east coast of Mexico near to United States border without any basic amenities including water, electricity, education or health care.
The first congregation in North America was formed in 1972 in New York and later became the first parish in 1976 along with several other parishes in places like Toronto, Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston, Dallas, and Los Angeles. Later a Zonal Council was formed and it became the first Zonal Assembly and finally the Diocese of North America and Europe came in to existence in 1988.[3] Late Rt. Rev. Dr. Alexander Mar Thoma Metropolitan, late Rt. Rev. Dr. Thomas Mar Athanasius Suffragan Metropolitan, and present Valia Metropolitan Rt. Rev. Dr. Philipose Mar Chrysostom laid the foundation stone for this Diocese while serving in this Diocese as Episcopas. The first resident Bishop assigned to this Diocese was Rt. Rev. Dr. Zacharias Mar Theophilus, Suffragan Metropolitan, who built the structure of the Diocese from its foundation both in its temporal and ecclesiastical facets. Rt. Rev. Dr. Euyakim Mar Coorilos Episcopa who took charge as Episcopa of the Diocese since 2001 led the Diocese to fulfill the vision of the Church by focusing on Mission among the Native Americans and Mexico Mission. The Diocese has presently 6298 families[4], 54 parishes, 23 congregations and 52 clergy serving in this Diocese including retired clergy.[5] Currently there are 130 Assembly members and 17 Council members serving the Diocese.[6] Presently Rev. Biju S. Cherian is serving as the Diocesan Secretary since May 2008. The official publication of the Diocese is ‘The Mar Thoma Messenger’ and has completed 25 years of publication in 2007.
The Diocese has undertaken the mission among the Native Americans and the Mexico Mission since 2001 under the able leadership of Coorilos Thirumeni. The first mission team visited Mexico in 2001 and provided them with the basic necessities like food, clothing, healthcare etc. Since then it was an ongoing regular process to these two mission fields by conducting vacation Bible schools, and providing the people with the basic medical care, food, clothing etc. The Diocesan Youth Fellowship is actively involved in the Mexican Mission project and based on their detailed assessment of the needs of the islanders plans are being made to cater the same in a timely manner. The Diocese has adopted two islands consisting of about 90 families and with about 150 children. They live below the poverty line and their only means of living is the income from fishing except the months of November to March which are winter months, during those months they are unable to go for fishing and they live in utter poverty during these months.
In Coorilos Thirumeni’s own words ‘We should love those who cannot return the same in the way we share our love.’ ‘If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful’.[7] Being merciful to others by providing them with the means to live in this world is the mission entrusted to us by Jesus Christ.
The mission of the Church is the mission of Jesus Christ revealed through the teachings of Holy Bible. Today the mission of the God is carried out by the Church all over the world where we are planted by the God. We as a Church must take up the challenge to be instrument of God’s mission. The earlier missionaries to India were William Carey from England (1761-1834) and Stanley Jones from United States (1884-1973).[8] Abraham Mar Thoma (1880-1947) took the leadership in sending missionaries to various parts of India to preach the gospel. Dr. Alexander Mar Thoma Metropolitan (1913-2000) who served as the Missionary Bishop of the Church with a prophetic vision and concern for the poor still lingers in our memory. Late Dr. Yuhannon Mar Thoma Metropolitan, late Dr. Mathews Mar Athanasius, and late Dr. Thomas Mar Athanasius took the leadership of the mission activities of the Church.[9]
According to late Alexander Mar Thoma Valiya Metropolitan Thirumeni every Diaspora Community should become a local community and quoted the Episcopal Encyclical of 1952 ”…….. for a fuller and vaster realization of the truths and principles for which the Church stands, the Church must be willing to lose itself.”[10] We need to empty ourselves for the betterment of others. The mission is the manifestation of God’s redemptive love revealed in the reconciling work of God in Christ. The word ‘mission’ originated from the Latin word ‘mittere’ which means to send. Just as Christ was sent to the world, Jesus has sent His disciples to the world so that they may know Him. Mission is something that belongs to the very nature of God, and it is God’s mission by being in the world and affirming the human. Mission is no more sharing the good news of God alone, but sharing our resources with others who lack such resources and helping them to build their lives and community. Mission is more in being and doing than preaching and at the same witnessing Christ in our lives.[11] The three fold task of the Church – Koinonia (fellowship), Diakonia (ministry), and Kyrugma (proclamation) makes the mission of the Church holistic in each context. The preaching of the Word of God is expected to create a community of communities rooted in the love of God as revealed in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. [12]
The challenge of the time is to reach out to the world by helping the poor people to have their own means to sustain their lives in this world. Especially in a society where more individualistic thoughts govern each individual, we need to reach out to the community around us and those who live closer to us with the resources provided by God to help them. The missionary outreach programs of the Church are both personal and social involving evangelism and social development. The concern of the Church should extend to the welfare of all individuals and their salvation to be realized in their social life, employment, physical growth, cultural and their economic development.[13] The mission of the Church is not only to present the Gospel as the power of God to save individuals, but also to change the social structures by providing them the basic needs.[14] That is the challenge taken by the Diocese of North America through its Mission Board by having two mission fields established one among the Native Americans and the Mexico Mission. Both these mission activities are coordinated by the able leadership of Coorilos Thirumeni under the Mission Board of the Diocese. Rev. Vinoy Daniel, Vicar of MTC Dallas, Farmers Branch presently serves as the Vice President of the Diocesan Mission Board.
The Diocesan Youth Fellowship has undertaken the challenge to build mission center where the children of the islanders can stay and attend the schools and have the basic education which they lack now. Presently they live with their parents in the remote islands in small huts made up of wood, tin or plastic. With this mind the Diocese has purchased two parcels of land in the main land, one approximately about 7 acres where we built the 90 houses as part of the celebrations of the Navathy of our Valia Metropolitan and another parcel of land of about 2 acres to build the hostels for the children. In this connection we must remember that the ‘Bhoo - Bhavana Dhanam Movement,’ started in 1968, by late Dr. Yuhannon Mar Thoma Metropolitan, to provide land for the landless and homes for the homeless, so far more than 4000 houses have been provided until now.[15] The Diocesan Youth Fellowship raised about $49,500.00 (about 20 lakhs Indian Rupees) for buying the land for building the facility. One of the members of the Diocese contributed about $20,000.00 (about 8 lakhs Indian Rupees) to buy the land where the 90 houses are built. Each house costs about $3,100.00 (about 1 ¼ lakhs Indian Rupees) and built with concrete floor, concrete bricks, with columns made of concrete and iron and shingle roof and stated to be hurricane resistant. The place where we built the houses is named in Spanish as ‘Colonia Mar Thoma’ (‘Mar Thoma Colony’) and the same was formally inaugurated by our Valia Metropolitan Rt. Rev. Dr. Philipose Mar Chrysostom on May 10, 2008. The keys of the 90 houses were handed over by our beloved Metropolitan Rt. Rev. Dr. Joseph Mar Thoma at a function held in Mexico also on May 10, 2008 and attended by a large number of members from various parishes and clergy from the Diocese. The mission of the Church began at ‘Kadavil Malika’ in Kerala has now reached to Mexico by establishment of the mission field ‘Colonia Mar Thoma’.
The mission of the Church is mission of God which makes the life of the Church meaningful. Mission must be interpreted as the initiative of God, ratified in the incarnation of His only begotten son and activated through Holy Spirit. Ministry is the praxis of mission which is the expression of God’s plan – love towards the wounded humanity. The goal of mission is nothing less than the unity and reconciliation of all creation in Christ. The aim of mission as Karl Barth puts it “is not personal salvation, but the consummation of all creation in Christ.” The nature of God’s mission is a sharing one. In sending and sparing His only son, we see the extreme form of sharing of God’s love. Church becomes meaningful only when it identifies with the anguish, groaning and aspirations of the people. The ministry of the Church will be fulfilled when the Church participates in the act of self emptying. According to Dr. M. M. Thomas “The Church should come to the forefront in breaking the human made barriers which make the ministry cumbersome. Church is a reconciling community which brings the renewal of humanity. The ministry of the Church thus transcends geographical and cultural barriers.” Christian ministry is plural and diversified in nature. As Christ is the Lord of the universe there is no area which goes outside the lordship of Christ. The Church, as the body of Christ, has to become ‘the Church of the poor’, not the ‘Church for the poor.’[16]
The leadership and vision of Coorilos Thirumeni and the whole hearted support of the members of the Diocese especially the youths made it possible to establish the two mission fields in the continued faith journey of the Church in its mission activities. Being the members of the Church we should be able to share and care for the needs of the community in and around we live. That is what exactly we are doing for our generations to come, to be the witness of our Lord Jesus Christ and to continue in the faith journey of the Church in the community they live. The Church should transcend the national and cultural barriers and it should be universal and open to all.[17] According to Valia Metropolitan Chrysostom Thirumeni ‘We often use the term ‘identity’ to establish that we are different from other people, identity, on the other hand, should contribute to the well being of the community. Identity is to ensure that you are not lost; it ensures that you are recognized in the community. If you are alienated from the community, you lose your identity.’[18] Abraham Mar Thoma’s burning passion for evangelism, his zeal for spreading the Gospel throughout India once said ‘It is far better to burn out than rust out.’[19] We hope and pray that the mission among the Native Americans and Mexico Mission will strengthen our generation’s spiritually to be the witness our Lord Jesus Christ and may enable them to continue in the faith journey of the Mar Thoma Church. Let us take the challenge of emptying ourselves to bear the burdens of our brothers and sisters who live around us so that we see the glory of God through our mission by spreading the light to those who live in darkness.
[1] Koshy Mathew Karinjapally, ed., Roots and Wings: Frequently Asked Questions About the Mar Thoma Church (Bangalore: WordMakers Publishing Pvt. Ltd., 2005), 102.
[2] Ibid., 42
[3] Prof. P. M. Thomas, ed., Mar Thoma Sabha Directory(Thiruvalla: Publication Board of the Mar Thoma Church, 1999), 467
[4] Rev. Biju S. Cherian, ed., Annual Report of the Diocese of North America & Europe (New York: Diocese of North America and Europe, 2007, 50
[5] Ibid., 11
[6] Ibid., 2
[7] Luke 6: 32-35 New International Version (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), 589
[8] Dr. T. M. Thomas, ed., The Mar Thoma Church – Our Foundation and Vision (Thiruvalla: Christava Sahitya Samithy, 2001), 61.
[9] Ibid.,149.
[10] Karinjapally, Roots and Wings, 105
[11] Rev. Dr. M. V. Abraham, ed., ‘Missionary Extraordinary’ - Dr. Alexander Mar Thoma Memorial Volume (Thiruvalla: Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar, 2001), 95
[12] Prof. C. P. Mathew and Dr. M. M. Thomas, ed.,
‘The Indian Churches of St. Thomas’ – (Delhi: ISPCK, 1967), 192
[13] Karinjapally, Roots and Wings, 65
[14] Alexander Mar Thoma Metropolitan, ed.,The Mar Thoma Church – Heritage and Mission, 129
[15] Karinjapally, Roots and Wings, 69
[16] Rev. T. A. Varghese, ed., ‘Gleanings- The Mar Thoma Church: Its Faith, practice and mission’ (Madras: The Madras-Calcutta Diocese of the Mar Thoma Church, 1994), 82
[17] The Faith and Practices of Mar Thoma Church by Rev. Dr. K. V. Mathew
[18] Karinjapally, Roots and Wings, 107
[19] Karinjapally, Roots and Wings, 125
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