Pathanamthiatta (Kerala in India), SVM News, 12 February, 2007: Asia’s largest eight days Gospel Convention called “Maramon Convention” began at the sandbed of the river Pampa at Maramon in Kerala in India on Sunday, the 11th of February afternoon.
It is held every year under the auspices of the Mar Thoma Evangelistic Association, the missionary wing of the 900,000 strong Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar. It is the 112th annual Gospel Convention. It will be going on till 18th of Sunday afternoon.
Marthoma Syrian Church is an episcopal, protestant and Gospel spreading Church reformed from the Orthodox Syrian tradition.
The week-long event brings some 200,000 Christians to each session from all over the country and Diaspora Indians from other continents.
There are three public meetings everyday as per schedule. 9.30 to 12.00 in the morning, 2.00 to 4.00 in the afternoon and 6.30 to 8.30 in the evening. And also Bible classes everyday in the morning 7.30 to 8.30 and meetings for families in the evening 4.30 to 6.00. Friday and Saturday 7.30 to 10.00 in the morning is the dedication service.
Philipose Mar Chrysostom Mar Thoma Metropolitan, the Supreme head of the Marthoma Church inagurated the convention. Dr. Zacharias Mar Theophilos Saffragan Metropolitan of the Marthoma Church presided over the inaugural meeting. Bishop Robert M. Solomon of the Singapore Methodist Church delivered the keynote address.
Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC) will be the chief guest and one of the main speakers.
Rev. Kobia will address the convention on two separate occasions. On 17 February, he will inaugurate the year-long celebrations of the Platinum Jubilee (75th anniversary) of the Mar Thoma Youth Association - The Mar Thoma Yuvajana Sakhyam- which has over 900 branches in India, the Middle East, Africa, North America and Europe. He will preach at the convention later the same day, and on 18 February will preach again at the convention’s valedictory session.
Ann Graham Lotz, founder of AnGeL Ministries and daughter of world renowned evangelist Billy Graham also one of the speakers of the Convention this year.
The origin and growth of the convention can be traced to the revival movement started in the wake of reformation in the Syrian Churh in the state pioneered by Abraham Maplan, in the first quarter of 19th century. It is regarded as one of the oldest indigenous missionary movements in India.
With over 24 million Christians, comprising 2.3% of the country’s population, Christianity is India’s third-largest religion. The first Christians in India were converted by the apostle Thomas, who arrived on the Malabar Coast in Kerala in 52 AD; Christianity in India underwent major transformations during the colonial and post-independence periods. The two main regional concentrations of Christian population are in Kerala, South India, and in North-East Indian states.
Government departments of Kerala have made elaborate arrangements for the Maramon Convention.
Read the news and view pictures at the original site:
http://salemvoice.org/news140.html
Salem Voice Ministries,
Devalokam (P.O), Kottayam,
Kerala-686038, India.
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