WCC news: WCC general secretary joins anniversary celebration of historic church in India

On 8 February, the St Thomas Mar Thoma Syrian Church in Chunakkara, India, celebrated its 125th anniversary, marking a long history of spiritual service and community involvement. Photo: Screenshot from the livestream 10 February 2025 “This is a celebration of the witness to a great tradition of the congregation as part of the local community, which has been and continues to be relevant to the lives of the people in the community,” said Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), who was responsible for the inauguration.  “Your church provides the space for discipleship and biblical study and for believers to mature spiritually; it provides the platform for building ecumenism and unity and the possibility for us to enhance our service and support to the wider society beyond members of the church,” added Pillay. The event was hosted by His Beatitude, Most Rev. Dr Theodosius Mar Thoma Metropolitan, and attended by Minister Shri. Saji Cherian; Dr Mathews George, general secretary of the Christian Conference of Asia; and prominent leaders from the local government, the state government, and also from different ecclesial bodies as well as the many members of the congregation. The St Thomas Mar Thoma Syrian Church in Chunakkara, located in the Alappuzha district of Kerala, India, is a prominent parish within the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church. Established in 1900, the church has been a cornerstone of faith and community for over a century.  The Mar Thoma Syrian Church traces its origins to the missionary work of St. Thomas (Mar Thoma in Syriac), the disciple of Jesus Christ, who is traditionally believed to have arrived in India in AD 52 and established the church along the Malabar coast. Watch the video recording of the event WCC general secretary will visit India to strengthen ties (WCC news release, 7 February 2025) See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland