Throne of St. Thomas

The Throne of St. Thomas is the Apostolic tradition of the Christian church in India , believed to be established by St. Thomas at the same time as Saint Paul established the church in Corinth..It is currently held by six bishops from different denominations in India. They were all once part of the same Malankara Church. During the course of time some of them joined the Catholic Church (1599), Patriarch of Antioch (1875) and C.M.S. Anglican Church (1878).

Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church

But those who remained independent later chose the name Mar Thoma Church and still is under the full control of its own local Metropolitan. It defines 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. [Rev.C.P.Philipose, in Introduction to Concise History of Malankara Marthoma Church (1936) by T.C. Chacko, Page 12-13.] It is in communion with a number of member churches of World Council of Churches including the worldwide Anglican Communion.

***Supremo:Joseph Mar Thoma Metropolitan
***Headquarters: Tiruvalla, Kerala, India.

Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (Indian Orthodox Church)

The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church is an autocephalous (Independent) Oriental Orthodox Church, founded by St.Thomas the Apostle in A.D 72 and succeeded by Catholicoses This church is in Communion with the Oriental Orthodox Churches.

This church faced several splits in its history. Those churches found such areSyro Malabar ChurchMarthoma ChurchMalabar Independent Syrian Church of ThozhiyoorSyro Malankara Catholic Church
**His Holiness Baselios Mar Thoma Didymos I

Syro-Malabar Catholic Church

The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic Church with a Major Archiepiscopal Status.

**Mar Varkey Cardinal Vithayathil

Syro-Malankara Catholic Church

The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic Church with a Major Archiepiscopal Status. It was established when Mar Ivanios and seven laymen and a deacon left the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church and joined the Catholic Church in the 1930s.

**Mar Baselios Cleemis

Malabar Independent Syrian Church (Thoyzohir Sabha)

The Malabar Independent Syrian Church is an autocephalous (independent) Oriental Orthodox in its theology, but not in communion with the Oriental Orthodox Church but in communion with the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church

**MCyril Mar Basalius Metropolitan

St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India

St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India (STECI) is an Evangelical, Episcopal Church which firmly affirms that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant and infallible Word of God. All that is necessary for our salvation and living in righteousness is given in the Bible. It further affirms that the Church has a responsibility to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all the nations of the world, especially to India.

**T C Cherian

ee also

* Malankara Church
* Oriental Orthodoxy
* Mar Thoma Church

Notes / References