Thousands participate in Asia's largest ever Christian gathering

Hundreds of thousands of believers, including the Rev. (Dr.) Samuel Kobia and Anne Graham Lotz, participated in the 112th Maramon Convention, February 11–18, at Maramon, Kerala, India. The convention is organized annually by the Mar Thoma Evangelistic Association, the mission and evangelism wing of the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar – which has roots in both the Anglican and Orthodox traditions.

The ecumenical gathering brings together Indian believers from a variety of churches in February each year to study the Word of God and listen to Christian leaders from India and abroad preach and teach the Bible. Singing hymns and praying for the sick are also important activities at the annual gathering.

This year's week–long event brought some 200,000 Christians to each session from all over the country and diaspora Indians from other continents to the dry sandbed of the river Pampa between the villages of Maramon and Kozhencherry, in South Central Kerala.

The origin and growth of the convention can be traced to the revival movement started in the wake of reformation in the Syrian Church 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.

While, Philipose Mar Chrysostom Mar Thoma Metropolitan, the Supreme head of the Marthoma Church inaugurated the convention, Dr. Zacharias Mar Theophilos Saffragan Metropolitan of the Church presided over the inaugural meeting.

Bishop Robert M. Solomon of the Singapore Methodist Church delivered the keynote address.

"We must remember that the Life of Christians will be having a fantastic change if we think as Christ was thinking and work as Christ was working. This is what the world is expecting from us, the Christians," Bishop Robert Solomon, who is also the President of the Council of Churches of Singapore said in his message.

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary, the Rev. (Dr.) Samuel Kobia was the chief guest and a main speaker.

Ann Graham Lotz, founder of AnGeL Ministries and daughter of world renowned evangelist Billy Graham, was included on the list of prominent Christian speakers at this year's convention.

WCC member churches in India are the Church of South India (CSI), the Church of North India (CNI), the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar, the Methodist Church in India, and the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India.

Rev. Kobia addressed the Maramon Convention on two occasions. On February 17, he inaugurated 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 preached at the convention later the same day, and on February 18, he spoke again at the convention's valedictory session.

Rev. Kobia's week–long agenda in Southern India included meetings with the executive committee of the Church of South India at the church headquarters in Chennai, and with the Holy Episcopal Synod of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church at its headquarters at Devalokam in Kottayam.

In Bangalore, Rev. Kobia participated in the inauguration of the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society (CISRS), and addressed a national ecumenical youth gathering. In Kochi, he inaugurated the Cancer Care Programme of the Shanthigiri Ashram, and laid the foundation stone of a multipurpose community disaster shelter in a Tsunami–affected village sponsored by the Christian Agency for Social Action (CASA), a member of the ACT (Action of Churches Together) International.

Rev. Kobia was accompanied by Dr. Mathews George Chunakara, WCC programme executive for Asia and visual arts coordinator Peter Williams.

With over 24 million Christians, comprising 2.3 percent 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.