February, 1917: Sadhu Sunder Singh preaches at Maramon Convention
Sadhu Sundar Singh
Sadhu Sunder Singh (3 September 1889-1929) the renowned Indian Christian missionary was one of the speakers of the Maramon Convention in 1918. He spoke in Hindi and the translation was done by Mr. M. O. Oommen, Chief Conservator of Travancore.
Sadhu Sunder Singh drew crowds greater than any previous conventions, so much so that before the end of the week the pandal (covered area) had to be enlarged. It is estimated at the final meeting about 32,000 people gathered to hear his message.
Pages from History: 30th Nov 1945 – Sadhu Kochukunju Upadesi passes away.
Sadhu Kochu Kunju Upadesi
30th November, 1945 (1121 Virchikam 15): Sadhu Kochukunju Upadesi (b.Dec.1883) passes away. Sadhu Kochukunju Upadesi (Mr. Moothampakkal Itty Varghese,Moothampakkal, Edayaranmula near Chengannur) was a unique personality in history of the Mar Thoma Syrian Church.
For almost forty years he preached the Bible in simple language all over South India. He practised and lived the life of a Sadhu. He wrote more than 200 hymns, many of that are printed in worship books across denominations even today. Thousands turned to God by hearing his messages. He was the first General Secretary of the ‘Mar Thoma Voluntary Evangelists’ Association, which was founded in 1924, and he continued in the post until 1945.
His continuous travels and gospel work made him sick many times. But on Friday, 30th November 1945 he became very sick and called to eternal rest on 15 Virchikam 1121 (8.45 am) and was buried in the Lakha St.Thomas Mar Thoma Church Cemetery on the following day. The funeral service itself was a great honour for him. Two Bishops, more than 100 priests and more than 40,000 people attended the funeral service.
Read more about his life in our free pdf Ebook: https://nalloorlibrary.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/sadhu-kuchujunu-upadeshi.pdf
Pages from History: 29 November, 1970: Formation of Church of North India (CNI).
29 November, 1970: Formation of Church of North India (CNI). The inaugural meeting of the CNI was held in the Unity Hall opposite the Anglican Cathedral in Nagpur. The metropolitan of the Mar Thoma Syrian Church Dr. Juhanon Mar Thoma attended this meeting.
It was a merger of six Christian denominations, including the United Church of Northern India; the Anglican Church of India, Pakistan, Burma (Myanmar) and Ceylon; the British and Australian Methodist churches; the Council of Baptist Churches in Northern India; the Church of the Brethren; and the Disciples of Christ.The motto of the church is: Unity – Witness – Service.
Pages from History: John Bunyan – Author of Pilgrim’s Progress is born
John Bunyan
28 November, 1628: English preacher John Bunyan (d. 31August,1688), author of more than 60 books, including the famous Pilgrim’s Progress, is born in Elston, England.
In 1655, Bunyan was baptized by immersion by Pastor John Gifford of Bedford and called to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Bunyan was arrested November 12, 1660, for preaching without the approval of the Anglican Church. He was charged with “teaching men to worship God contrary to the law” and was in jail more than twelve years.
His most well-known work, The Pilgrim’s Progress, was written while in the Bedford jail. During Bunyan’s lifetime there were 100,000 copies circulated in the British isles, besides several editions in North America. It has been continuously in print since its first printing. Bunyan’s remarkable imagery was firmly rooted in the Reformation doctrines of man’s fallen nature, grace, imputation, justification, and the atonement–all of which Bunyan seems to have derived directly from Scripture. ~ http://www.chapellibrary.org
John Bunyan’s Works
The Collected Works of John Bunyan was carefully edited by George Offor, first published in 1853 and revised in 1862. These files are from the 1862 edition.
These pdf books can be downloaded at no cost and read for free. It can be accessed at http://www.chapellibrary.org/literature/bunyan/
Pages from History: Thomas Mar Athanasius Suffragan Metropolitan passes away
Thomas Mar Athanasius Suffragan Metropolitan
27 November, 1984: Thomas Mar Athanasius Suffragan Metropolitan of the Mar Thoma Syrian Church passes away (b.26 May 1914). Bishop Thomas was born on 26 May, 1914, to the Panampunna family,Kottayam, Kerala. He was a scholar and continued his studies to the end of his days. He was known for his deep devotion and great ability to build up the Church. In 1953, he became bishop, and in 1978, he was designated as Suffragan Metropolitan.
He attended the first Assembly of the World Council of Churches at Amsterdam in 1948, and also the Assembly at New Delhi in 1961. He was a member of the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches since 1961. Thus he made significant contributions to the cause of ecumenism.
He has attended many other international conferences in the Churches and was a delegate to the Melbourne Conference where he had made a distinct contribution as a leader of Bible Study.
He also attended the sessions of the second Vatican Council on special invitation.
His sudden death on 27 November, 1984, was severe shock to the whole Church and to the ecumenical world.
Pages from History: 27 September, 1947: Formation of Church of South India (with Photos)
Photo credit: http://www.csisynod.com
27 September, 1947: Formation of Church of South India (CSI) in 1947, as a union of Anglican, Presbyterian, Congregationalist and Methodist churches. The idea of a Church union was proposed in 1919 at a conference held in Tranquebar (now Tarangambadi) in 1919. After 28 years of discussions various denominational churches in South India established by different Missionary societies agreed to the formation of the Church of South India in 1947 after India attained independence. The inaugural ceremony was held at St. George Cathedral Madras (Chennai).
Today the Church of South India is one of the largest Protestant churches in India and is a member of the Anglican Communion and its bishops participate in the Lambeth Conferences. It is also a member of the World Council of Churches, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and the National Council of Churches in India.
The Church of South India (CSI), Church of North India (CNI), and Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church of India jointly formed the Communion of Churches in India (CCI) in 1978 for mutual recognition of the ministry and leaders, inter communal relationship, and to explore possibilities of working together and other areas of cooperation in the fulfillment of the mission of the Church in India.
At the inauguration of Church of South India. Photo by Mark Kauffman (LIFE magazine)
The presiding bishop of the inaugural function was the Rt. Revd. C. K. Jacob of the Anglican Diocese of Travancore and Cochin. A vast congregation gathered in the cathedral at Madras from all over the world. The following historical declaration was made by Bishop Jacob at the inaugural service.
“Dearly beloved brethren, in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ the head of the church, who on the night of his passion prayed that his disciples might be one, and by authority of the governing bodies of the uniting churches whose resolutions have been read in your hearing and laid in your prayer before Almighty God; I do hereby declare that these three churches, namely – the Madras, Madura, Malabar, Jaffna, Kannada, Telugu, Travancore Church councils of the South India United Church; the Methodist Church of South India, Trichinopoly, Hyderabad and Mysore districts; the Madras, Travancore and Cochin, Tinnevelly and Dornakal dioceses of the Churches of India, Burma and Ceylon; are become one Church of South India, and these bishops, presbyters, deacons and probationers who have assented to the basis of union and accepted the constitution of the Church of South India, whose names are laid upon this holy table, are bishops, presbyters and deacons of this church. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.” ~ wikipedia
Inauguration procession of Church of South India. Photo by Mark Kauffman (LIFE magazine)
Inauguration procession of Church of South India. Photo by Mark Kauffman (LIFE magazine)
Inauguration service of Church of South India. Photo by Mark Kauffman (LIFE magazine)
Inauguration service of Church of South India. Photo by Mark Kauffman (LIFE magazine)
Inauguration service of Church of South India. Photo by Mark Kauffman (LIFE magazine)
Photo credit: http://www.csisynod.com
Presiding Bishop Rt. Revd. C. K. Jacob at the Inauguration of Church of South India. Photo by Mark Kauffman (LIFE magazine)
Clergymen from 5 Protestant faiths attending the inaguration of the Church of South India. Photo by Mark Kauffman (LIFE magazine)
St George’s Cathedral, Chennai (photo credit – wiki)
Pages from History: 4 September, 1847: Henry Francis pens Hymn ‘Abide with me’
4 September, 1847: Henry Francis Lyte (1793-1847) writes the Hymn “Abide with me” (Malayalam – Koode paarkka neram vaikkunnitha, No.8 (7) in Kristheeya Keerththanagal). Lyte wrote this hymn at the end of his life, just two months before he died. The text for this Hymn was taken from Luke’s Gospel Ch.24 v. 29 “Abide with us; for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent”.
Henry Francis Lyte
Pages from History: 3 September, 1889 – Birth of Sadhu Sunder Singh
Sadhu Sunder Singh was a member of an ancient, aristocratic, and wealthy Sikh family from the village of Rampur in the State of Patiala. He was very religious. Jesus appeared to him in a vision in the early hours of 18th December 1904. Like Paul he heard a voice “Why do you persecute me? Remember that I gave my life for you upon the Cross”. On Sunday, the 3rd of September, 1905, on his sixteenth birthday, he was baptized in St. Thomas Church at Simla according to the rite of the Anglican Church.
Sadhu Sundar Singh
A month after his baptism, Sundar Singh donned the yellow linen robe that celibate Indian Sadhus wore and set out to preach the gospel, carrying nothing but a New Testament. From now on he would have no permanent home and no income.”I am not worthy to follow in the steps of my Lord,” he said, “but like Him, I want no home, no possessions. Like Him I will belong to the road, sharing the suffering of my people, eating with those who will give me shelter, and telling all people of the love of God.’ He also authored eight books.
He is believed to have died in the foothills of the Himalayas in 1929 on his way to Tibet. His body was never found.
Sadhu Sundar Singh
Pages from History: 14 July, 1947, Punchamannil Mammen Upadeshi passes away
14 July, 1947: Punchamannil Mammen Upadeshi passes away. Mammen Upadeshi was born in the Vadasseri house of the Punchamannil family in Maramon on 25 Nov.1868, as the son of Mathai and Achiyamma.
Mammen’s elder siblings all died while they were still infants. So Mammen was baptized at home when he was very young by the Parish Priest Rev. Titus (Later Rt. Rev. Titus I Mar Thoma).
Mammen Upadeshi trusted the Lord like the Old Testament Prophet Elijah and lived like Elijah, spoke the messages of the Lord like Elijah, fought against evil forces like Elijah and even performed miracles like Elijah.
Punchamannil Mammen Upadeshi
Pages from History. 10 July, 1919: P.V. Thommy Upadeshi passes away
10 July, 1919: P.V. Thommy Upadeshi passes away. Thommy Upadeshi was born in a very poor family of the Kunnamkulam Mar Thoma Parish in 1881. After his basic education he became a teacher. But after few years of teaching he became a full time evangelist in the Mar Thoma Church.
Rev. C.M. Joseph, Vicar of the Kunnamkulam Parish encouraged him in his Gospel work. Titus II Metropolitan appointed him as evangelist in Trichur and Perumbavoor He was a blessed Hymn writer. In 1905 he published a Hymn Book “Vishudha Geethangal” comprising of 136 hymns.
His language is simple and even the illiterate persons can enjoy his hymns. The following hymns in the book Kristheeya Keerththanangal are written by him: 3 (3), 11(10), 12(11), 30(28), 56(56), 61(61), 67(67), 70(70), 71(71), 73(73), 96(96), 130(111), 35(126), 145(136), 243(221), 247(225), 286(286), 295(281), 345 (345), 351(351), 366(242), 368(251).
In 1919 there was an outbreak of Cholera in Kunnamkulam and many persons died. Thommy Upadesi volunteered to serve the cholera patients and was finally infected with cholera. He passed away on Wednesday 10 July 1919 at the age of 38.
Kristheeya Keerththanangal
