{
  "bookName": "History of Christianity in India: Source Materials",
  "authorName": "M. K. Kuriakose",
  "publisherName": "Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge",
  "publicationYear": 2011,
  "chapterNumber": 188,
  "chapterName": "1957. Anglican Mar Thoma Concordat",
  "pageFrom": 395,
  "pageTo": 395,
  "pages": [
    {
      "pageNumber": 395,
      "ocrText": "SOURCE MATERIALS\n395\n188. ANGLICAN/MAR THOMA CONCORDAT\n(1957 A.D.)\nIn 1936 relations of occasional inter-communion had been estab-\nlished between the Mar Thoma Church and the Church of India,\nBurma and Ceylon. At a meeting held at Tiruvella on the 18th and\n19th of August, 1957, a concordat was drawn up between the two\nchurches which brought them into an even closer relationship. Cited\nin C. E. Abraham, ed., The Mar Thoma Syrian Church and The Church\nof India and the Church of South India, pp. 7-8.\n1. On ecumenical occasions, and at other common gatherings\nwhen members of both Churches are present together at the Holy\nCommunion members of either Church may receive communion\nwhen the celebrant is of the other.\n2. Persons seeking to change their membership from the Mar\nThoma Church to the Anglican Church or vice versa shall be\nadmitted to such new membership only after they produce a\ncertificate signed both by the Pastor of the congregation and by\nthe Bishop of the Church to which they have belonged hitherto.\nSuch certificates shall not ordinarily be issued until a period of at\nleast three months has elapsed after it has been applied for.\nIn a place where there is no parish priest of one of the Chur-\nches, the Bishop of the other shall inform the Metropolitan of the\nChurch whose member wishes to change his membership, before\nallowing him to be received.\n3. The same procedure shall be followed in the case of those\nwho may seek admission into the Anglican or Mar Thoma Church\neven from any other Church if they were members of the\nAnglican or Mar Thoma Church at any period within three years\nbefore applying for such admission. In issuing certificates of\nadmission the Bishops will require information on this point.\n4. Subject to rule (5) below, the pastors of either Church shall\nhave authority and discretion to admit to the Holy Communion,\ncommunicant members of good standing in the other Church in\nplaces where they have no access to the ministrations of the\nChurch to which they belong.\n5. A Pastor of either Church may require a certificate of good\nstanding from a member of the other Church before admitting him\nregularly to Holy Communion. Such a certificate should be signed\nby a Pastor of the Church of the member concerned.\n6. Even in places where a member has access to the ministra-\ntions of his own Church he may on particular occasions be allowed",
      "status": "completed"
    }
  ]
}