The Orthodox Syrian Church in Malaysia comes under Diocese of Madras, together with churches in South India outside Kerala, the Andaman Islands, Singapore and Australia.

The establishment of an Orthodox Syrian Christian community in Malaysia

With the end of World War I at about 1918, new horizons opened for some of the English educated Syrian Christians of Travancore and Cochin (which later formed part of Kerala). Young men fired by the call of adventure looked for greener pastures beyond the borders of their villages and ventured forth to other parts of India, the Middle East, Africa, England and America. Some of them crossed the Indian Ocean to Malaya and Singapore, which like India was under British colonial rule.
In this region they found employment in rubber estates, tin mines, commercial houses and government departments. Some were clustered around Kuala Lumpur while others were scattered in tin mines and plantations throughout the country.
By the late 1920s there was a substantial number of Orthodox Syrian Christian young men and women in and around Kuala Lumpur. This group gathered regularly for morning prayers on Sundays at the YMCA under the leadership of Mr P K Mathew of the Sentul Railway Workshop, Kuala Lumpur. In 1932 the group was registered as the Jacobite Syrian Christian Union under the Registrar of Societies, Malaya.

The visit of the first priest

As more people joined the community from Kerala, it grew sufficiently large to gather financial resources to bring a priest from Kerala to conduct services, In 1928,Rev Fr Alexious visited Malaya and traveled from Kedah in the north to Singapore in the south to conduct Holy Quarbana services other religious rites. He also later visited Java and Sumatra. Fr Alexious was later consecrated as His Grace Mar Theodosius, Metropoliotan of Quilon and mission outside Kerala.

The appointment of the first priest

Apart from Sunday morning prayers, the Jacobite Syrian Union also had annual gatherings of its members during the Easter weekend. In 1936, the Home Church sent Rev.Fr T I Joseph,MA, BD, as vicar for Malaya, through the initiatives of Mr K O Koshy, principal of Brickfields Road English School. Rev Fr Joseph returned home in 1939. With the start of World War II, there followed a 10-year period without a priest. The members continued to conduct regular prayer meetings with the help pf lay leaders.

The buildings of the church

The end of World War LL in 1945 saw the influx of more members to our church due to new job opportunities created by the revival of agricultural, mining and business activities in this region. In 1949, Rev Fr P K Abraham,BA, BD, LT, was sent to take over the pastoral work of the community in response to persistent appeals to the Home Church. Holy Quarbana Services for a rapidly growing congregation were conducted at the YMCA, Kuala Lumpur, and at other sister Churches outside Kuala Lumpur. The need for community to have its own place of worship became more pressing. An application was submitted to the Selangor State Government for a piece of land, under the leadership of Messrs. P K Mathew, T N Koshy and K G Ninan, the principal officials of Syrian Christian Union.
His Highness the Sultan of Selangor graciously granted a piece of land in Brickfields in perpetuity to the community for putting up a church building. Rev Fr K A Gorge, BA, BD, who arrived in April 1953, spared no efforts in raising funds to put up a church building. Through the grace of God Almighty who provided help and donations through the hands of members and well wishers, the present church building was put up. Rev Fr K A George conducted the first Holy Quarbana service on 5 August 1956. His Grace Mathews Mar Athanasius conducted the consecration service of the church on 6 April 1958. The church in Malaysia, which is consecrated in the name of St Mary, was the first Orthodox Syrian church to be built outside India. The Parish day or “pally perunal” is held on the Sunday after the feast of Shoonoyo, in remembrance of St Mary.

Growth

The last emigrant Member to Malaya came in 1953. The membership was at its peak in 1960s, when we had three priests. Singapore was separated politically as an independent country in 1965 and subsequently the churches in Malaysia and Singapore became separate parishes under the diocese of Madras.
Malaya gained independence on 31 August 1957. Subsequent government policies made it difficult for non-citizens to be employed without a work permit. This situation caused the exit of number of our members in the seventies. After the 1980s there were more changes in the number and distribution of our members. Some older members returned to India upon retirement. There trends have led to greater number of members concentrated around the Klang Valley and moving out of the rubber and oil palm estates. Despite this, we still have members all over the country and church services are conducted by our priests in these places. Hence there is a need for at least two priests. We have a Malaysian priest at present and one other priest, sent by the Bishop pf Madras.

Parsonage/Hostel

On 22 December 1959, His Grace Mar Philexinos blessed the foundation stone for a parsonage and hostel building. The building was completed in 1963 and blessed by His Grace Mathews Mar Coorilos (the present Catholicose and Malankara Metropolitan) on 29 March 1964. The role-played by the two Vicars then, namely Rev Fr P V Joseph (later H G Joseph Mar Pachomius metropolitan) and Rev Fr K K Punnose (later H G Stephanos Mar Theodosius Metropolitan) to raise funds and see the completion of this building project is praise-worthy.
In 1967, an additional wing was added to the hostel and declared open by H G Mathews Mar Athanasius on 18 August 1967. This wing was later demolished to make way for a three-storey block, now known as Block B.

A distinguished guest

In May 1968, His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia and a member of the Orthodox Church, visited the Church in Malaysia. A special service was arranged for the occasion and the Church Hall was named “Haile Selassie Hall”.

Silver Jubilee Celebrations

On Saturday 12 December 1981, the parish Church celebrated its Silver Jubilee led by our Diocesian Metropolitan His grace Zachariah mar Dionysius. The following day, Holy Communion was celebrated jointly as a trimass by H G Zakariah Mar Dionysius, Rev Dr V C Samuel from the Theological College, Bangalore, and the Vicar Rev Fr Abraham Marett.A. Silver Jubilee souvenir magazine was published to mark the occasion.

Activities

Apart from weekly Holy Quarbana Services, which are held in Malayalam and English on alternate Sundays, members also meet for prayer meetings and Bible study classes. Sunday school classes are held to nurture our children in the faith.

Martha Mariam Samajam
The women’s fellowship holds regular prayer meetings and is also involved in social work. In 1996 the Samajam published a book recipes for traditional Syrian cuisine as an important part of our heritage to pass on to the younger generation.

Youth Fellowship
Apart from activities of its own, the Youth Fellowship has a combined programme with the sister church in Singapore in the form of the Anneal Orthodox Youth Camp. The first camp was held in 1971. These camps remain an important occasion for our young people to meet, study their faith and enjoy fellowship.

In May 1998, the Youth Fellowship organized the First Annual Orthodox Adult Conference, to cater the needs of our working young adult members. The second such conference was held in October 1999.

Ordination of Malaysian priests
On 6 May 1984, Rev Fr Philip Thomas was ordained as the first Malaysian Orthodox priest by His Grace Thomas Mar Thimotheos, Metropolitan of the Malabar Diocese, in the first Orthodox ordination service to be held in Malaysia. On 1st December 1996, he was elevated to Very Revd Cor Episcopa Philip Thomas.

In 1987, another Malaysian, Rev Fr Abraham Oommen who is from Thekkemala, Kozhenchery was ordained as priest at Parumala, Kerala, by His Grace Joseph Mar Pachomius, Metropolitan of Kandanad Diocese. Born in 1960 as the son of Mr.V.A. Oommen and Mrs. Gracy Oommen, the Ramban (then Abraham Oommen)was educated at Catholicate College, Pathanamthitta, Old Seminary Kottayam and Gurukul Lutheran Theological College, Madras (B.A, B.D and M.Th respectively). Ordained as a priest on May 21, 1987, he accepted the vows of monasticism and was professed Ramban on March 31, 2002. The Ramban was serving as the manager of Devalokam Aramana when the Malankara Association elected him as a bishop-designate.

March 1st 2009 onwards he assumed as Metropolitan of Sultan Batery Diocese as H.G. Abraham Mar Epiphanios.

The way ahead
At the present time, the Malaysian Church has a membership of 193 families. The mantle of lay leadership in the Church has gradually been passed on to a new generation of members who are essentially Malaysian in their outlook and upbringing, but who also carry some of the heritage of faith and traditions from their elders. This generation serves as a vital bridge between the past and the future. As we move onto the new millennium, our members face an important task-to make the faith which has sustained their forefathers throughout the centuries relevant to the challenges of their present social and cultural situation. Despite being a minority community, we have participated and contributed towards an effective ecumenical witness within the country and region. As Orthodox Christians, like St Thomas the Apostle, we are called to give of our lives and talents for the uplifting and transformation of the community in which God places us. Only then can we say that we follow in the footsteps and tradition of that great Apostle.