Joseph Mar Thoma Metropolitan speaking at the 118th Maramon Convention (2013). Photo by The Hindu

Though the first convention began in 1895, the sermons were delivered to the tens of thousands of church members who attended in a very unique manner. Until 1936, messages of the main speaker were repeated in relay by designated people standing in between the participants of the convention. It was a time consuming process for the message from the front to pass through thousands of participants to reach the back of the audience. In 1936, a loud speaker and mike (microphone) set was brought to Maramon from USA by the famous missionary Rev. Dr. E. Stanley Jones. It was donated by one of the Christian Churches in USA. He was a well wisher of the Mar Thoma Church and encouraged the missionary zeal of the Church.

Read more and see more rare photos at 1921 -1970: World renowned missionary Dr. E. Stanley Jones at Maramon Convention ( See Rare Photos) Hear a sermon by Dr. E. Stanley Jones – Click Here (The sermon is 26 min. — or download the mp3 (11.8 MB).) The sermon title is, “The Gift of the Holy Spirit: The Birthright of All Christians.” The sermon was preached at a U.S. Ashram in August 1960. (This sermon is included in the 2008 book, Living Upon the Way: Selected Sermons of E. Stanley Jones on Self-Surrender and Conversion.) This audio clip is from www.methodistthinker.com

E. Stanley Jones with Mar Thoma Bishop Alexander Mar Theophilus (later became Metropolitan Alexander Mar Thoma)

Bishop Juhanon Mar Thoma Metropolitan, E. Stanley Jones, Dr. Murray T. Titus and Ashram members at Sat Tal Ashram, India. (Photo from Dr. E. Stanley Jones FB page)

C. John Thomas, Rev. T. N. Koshy, P. C. John, Dr. E. Stanley Jones, Rev. V. E. Thomas, Rev. P. K. Koshy, and Mr. V. E. Chacko at St. Thomas Church, Klang Malaysia (1956)

Dr. E. Stanley Jones with members of the St. Thomas Church, Klang, Malaysia 1956