Search the Acts of Convention

Full Legislative History
Resolution Number: 1979-B300
Title: Express Mind of the House of Bishops on the Mar Thoma Syrian Church
Legislative Action Taken: Adopted
Final Text:

Resolved, [That] it is the mind of this House that the Presiding Bishop should proceed to covenant with the Metropolitan of the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar on the terms whereby Mar Thoma congregations within geographical jurisdictions of this Church would be related to Bishops and Dioceses of the Episcopal Church.

The text of the proposed agreement follows:

PROPOSED AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE METROPOLITAN OF THE MAR THOMA SYRIAN CHURCH OF MALABAR, INDIA, AND THE PRESIDING BISHOP OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN THE UNITED STATES

Immigration from India to the United States in recent years has brought increased numbers of the people of the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar to the United States. The Mar Thoma Church and the Episcopal Church are in full communion. The Metropolitan and the Presiding Bishop desire to establish an agreement whereby the Episcopal Church will enter into a partnership with the Mar Thoma Church which will enable the Episcopal Church to minister to Mar Thoma people in the United States.

Under the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church, Title I, Canon 15 applies to this situation, the appropriate portions of which follow:

Sec. 1. Whenever a congregation of Christian people, holding the Christian faith as set forth in the Catholic creeds and recognizing the Scriptures as containing all things necessary to salvation, but using a rite other than that set forth by this Church, shall desire affiliation with this Church, while retaining the use of its own rite, such congregation shall with the consent of the Bishop in whose Diocese it is situate make application through the Bishop to the Presiding Bishop for status.

Sec. 4. Ministers and delegates of such congregations may have seats but no vote in the Diocesan Convention unless by formal action of such Convention they are so admitted.

Sec. 5. The oversight of congregations so admitted shall rest with the Bishop of the Diocese unless he shall delegate this authority to a Bishop who may be commissioned by the Presiding Bishop to have oversight of such congregations.

Consistent with this canon and responding to the wishes of the Mar Thoma Church and the needs of its people in the United States, we agree to these principles:

  1. When requested by the Metropolitan of the Mar Thoma Church, bishops of the dioceses of the Episcopal Church shall exercise episcopal oversight of clergy and laity of the Mar Thoma Church within the jurisdictions of this church.
  2. Members of the Mar Thoma Church in the jurisdiction of an Episcopal diocese shall be treated as members of the Episcopal Church in the diocese by the bishop concerned, with the understanding that they remain members of the Mar Thoma Church.
  3. The Episcopal Church shall minister to members of the Mar Thoma Church through organized congregations affiliated with dioceses and subject to the discipline of the Episcopal Church, except that the congregations shall be subject to the discipline of the Mar Thoma Church on liturgy, marriage, and finance.
  4. The Metropolitan or another bishop of the Mar Thoma Church may visit the congregations being ministered to by the Episcopal Church with the fraternal concurrence of the diocesan bishop.
  5. The Presiding Bishop shall, upon the request of the diocesan bishop, write to the Metropolitan of the Mar Thoma Church to ask that priests be loaned to congregations for terms of 3 or 4 years. When such requests are granted, the diocesan bishop shall appoint them priest-in-charge or pastor of the congregation. While serving such congregations in the United States, priests shall remain on the salary and pension plan of the Mar Thoma Church. Special cost of living allowances shall be negotiated between the congregation and the Mar Thoma authorities. The Mar Thoma Church shall pay premiums for medical insurance under the diocesan plan, and for travel expenses from India to the United States and back.
  6. Congregations shall offer financial support to the Mar Thoma Church in India, and may make offerings to the Bishop of the Diocese, the host parish, or others.
  7. Congregations would normally be associated with an Episcopal parish, the rector to provide fellowship and encouragement, and the Mar Thoma temporary priest may be associate to the rector.
  8. In the event of difficulty or dispute within a congregation, the diocesan bishop may consult with the Mar Thoma authorities should he feel it to be necessary.
Citation: General Convention, Journal of the General Convention of...The Episcopal Church, Denver, 1979 (New York: General Convention, 1980), p. B-30.