1997 NCC General Assembly, Nov. 11-14, 1997, Washington, D.C.
1997 NCC General Assembly, Nov. 11-14, 1997, Washington, D.C.
Welcome to the Rt. Rev. Dr. Zacharias Mar Theophilus, head of communion of the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of India, and to all of that church's members as their communion enters into membership in the NCC!
New to the United States, Mar Thomites are celebrating 25 years of regular worship services in this land,. According to their publication Mar Thoma Messenger, "Our identity is undergoing radical changes, from being a group of a few immigrants from India with Christian background to an established church with Eastern symbols and traditions."
"I rejoice with them, that they have grown so substantially that they now have the capacity to join us, " said NCC General Secretary Joan Brown Campbell.
While new in the sense of being an immigrant church, the Mar Thoma Church has an ancient tradition, according to which it was founded in India by St. Thomas the Apostle in 52 A.D. We look forward to learning more about the history and traditions of the Mar Thoma Church, as well as what their experience in this country can teach us. Noting that they and others in our membership might not be among us today if it were not for positive changes in the 1965 Immigration Act, we reaffirm the goals of our Immigration and Refugee Program of Church World Service, the NCC's humanitarian response ministry.
Self-described as "a church with oriental heritage and occidental zeal for mission," the Mar Thoma brings many gifts -- including an excitement at being part of our fellowship that Dr. Campbell has said is :"refreshing" for those of us who have been together for 50 years.