The St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India, Philadelphia Parish is celebrating its Silver Jubilee Year in 2013. From its humble beginning in 1987 as a small prayer

group, comprised of four families and a bachelor, occasionally meeting in a rented facility, our parish has traversed a long and arduous way. During these years, our Almighty God protected us and showered His countless blessings and mercies upon us, both individually and corporately. On this occasion of the silver jubilee year, we remember and celebrate God’s profound love and faithfulness we experienced over these years. Befittingly,theSilverJubileeCelebrationisanopportunitytoreflectonthehistoryofour church, the great mission and vision of our church, and how we have been contributing to the expansion of ours Master’s Kingdom. This is also an opportunity for the parish members to share their experiences and testimonials about God’s provisions. I sincerely thank each member of the Silver Jubilee Celebrations Committee for shouldering the task of planning and organizingprogramsthatreflecttheabovementionedthemes.MyspecialthanksgotoRev.Dr.Abraham Chacko, our former Vicar, for his guidance and counsel, and for the initial planning and organizing of the committee. I express my sincere appreciation to Mrs. Sony John and Mrs. Cini Kurian for their efforts in organizing the inaugural event of the Silver Jubilee Celebrations. I express my gratitude to Georgie Jacob, Joel Varghese and Sibin Kurian for providing high quality videos and photos for the inaugural event. The publication of the Silver Jubilee Souvenir is a key event of our Silver Jubilee Celebrations. In thisJubileeSouvenir,youwillfindmessages,essays,poemsandstoriesona wide array of biblical topics. As mentioned above, in this Jubilee Souvenir, you will also findmembersofourparishsharing theirpersonal storiesand testimonials. I sincerely thankall the Bishops, Achens, parish members and friends for giving their messages and articles for publication in the Souvenir. I also express my appreciation to all those who contributed by submitting their personal complementary messages and commercial advertisements. I appreciate several of our parish members who worked tirelessly for the successful publication of the Souvenir. Notably, I express my sincere gratitude to all the members of the Editorial Board for scrutinizing the articles of the Silver Jubilee Souvenir. This Souvenir would not have been possible without the efforts of Mr. Mathew P. Samuel and Mr. Mathews Thomas. I thank them for diligently coordinating several activities of the Silver Jubilee Souvenir. I express my sincere gratitude to Mr. Sajay Mathew for capturing beautiful pictures for the Souvenir, and Dr. RinsaMathewforassistinghim.IalsoappreciateMr.P.K.Abraham,Mrs.SarammaJohnkutty,andMrs.RenuJohnforscrupulouslyproofreadingthearticles.Lastbutnottheleast,IthanktheModern Printing Press, Pathanamthitta for designing and printing our Silver Jubilee Souvenir. Asaparish,letthissilverjubileeyearbeatimetoreflectonthepastandstrengthenourrelationshipwithourLordandSaviorJesusChrist.ItismydesirethatSilverJubileeSouvenirand all the programs planned for the Silver Jubilee Celebrations will facilitate the parish members in doing so. May our Almighty God continue to bless us abundantly.

On behalf of the Silver Jubilee Celebrations Committee and Souvenir Editorial Board

Biny K. Joseph, Ph.D. Silver Jubilee Celebrations Coordinator

The St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India, Philadelphia Parish is celebrating its Silver Jubilee Year in 2013. From its humble beginning in 1987 as a small prayer

group, comprised of four families and a bachelor, occasionally meeting in a rented facility, our parish has traversed a long and arduous way. During these years, our Almighty God protected us and showered His countless blessings and mercies upon us, both individually and corporately. On this occasion of the silver jubilee year, we remember and celebrate God’s profound love and faithfulness we experienced over these years. Befittingly,theSilverJubileeCelebrationisanopportunitytoreflectonthehistoryofour church, the great mission and vision of our church, and how we have been contributing to the expansion of ours Master’s Kingdom. This is also an opportunity for the parish members to share their experiences and testimonials about God’s provisions. I sincerely thank each member of the Silver Jubilee Celebrations Committee for shouldering the task of planning and organizingprogramsthatreflecttheabovementionedthemes.MyspecialthanksgotoRev.Dr.Abraham Chacko, our former Vicar, for his guidance and counsel, and for the initial planning and organizing of the committee. I express my sincere appreciation to Mrs. Sony John and Mrs. Cini Kurian for their efforts in organizing the inaugural event of the Silver Jubilee Celebrations. I express my gratitude to Georgie Jacob, Joel Varghese and Sibin Kurian for providing high quality videos and photos for the inaugural event. The publication of the Silver Jubilee Souvenir is a key event of our Silver Jubilee Celebrations. In thisJubileeSouvenir,youwillfindmessages,essays,poemsandstoriesona wide array of biblical topics. As mentioned above, in this Jubilee Souvenir, you will also findmembersofourparishsharing theirpersonal storiesand testimonials. I sincerely thankall the Bishops, Achens, parish members and friends for giving their messages and articles for publication in the Souvenir. I also express my appreciation to all those who contributed by submitting their personal complementary messages and commercial advertisements. I appreciate several of our parish members who worked tirelessly for the successful publication of the Souvenir. Notably, I express my sincere gratitude to all the members of the Editorial Board for scrutinizing the articles of the Silver Jubilee Souvenir. This Souvenir would not have been possible without the efforts of Mr. Mathew P. Samuel and Mr. Mathews Thomas. I thank them for diligently coordinating several activities of the Silver Jubilee Souvenir. I express my sincere gratitude to Mr. Sajay Mathew for capturing beautiful pictures for the Souvenir, and Dr. RinsaMathewforassistinghim.IalsoappreciateMr.P.K.Abraham,Mrs.SarammaJohnkutty,andMrs.RenuJohnforscrupulouslyproofreadingthearticles.Lastbutnottheleast,IthanktheModern Printing Press, Pathanamthitta for designing and printing our Silver Jubilee Souvenir. Asaparish,letthissilverjubileeyearbeatimetoreflectonthepastandstrengthenourrelationshipwithourLordandSaviorJesusChrist.ItismydesirethatSilverJubileeSouvenirand all the programs planned for the Silver Jubilee Celebrations will facilitate the parish members in doing so. May our Almighty God continue to bless us abundantly.

On behalf of the Silver Jubilee Celebrations Committee and Souvenir Editorial Board

Biny K. Joseph, Ph.D. Silver Jubilee Celebrations Coordinator

Easter (March 31), 2013.

Dearly Beloved,

It is with a heart full of gratitude to God, whose faithfulness is as high as the sky and which endures through generations, I greet you all on the happy occasion of celebrating the Silver Jubilee of the Parish there in Philadelphia. I pen this after having returned from a blessed

EasterServiceatKumbanadParish.The resurrectionof theLordJesusChrist,whichvindicated all his claims, is the most important event that supremely affected the history of humanity. The church belongs to the risenLord JesusChrist,who through hisresurrection, hasgivenusafaithwithfirmafoundation,alife-givingtruthfulmessageto proclaim, the possibility of having a victorious life here and now, and a sure hope that defiesallodds.Everylocal Christian gathering, for instance a parish like yours, is expected to be a beacon, a lighthouse, spreading the light of life, love, truth, justice, peace and hope in a context of darkness and decay.

Iamglad thatyourparishhasbeenfulfilling thisdivinepurposefor thepast25yearsofyourexistence.TheLordhasblessedthevision,faithandcommitmentofthefounding fathers and today you are a well positioned parish with tremendous capacity to engage in building up the Kingdom of God. It is with gratitude I commend those who led you over the years and I wish to remind you that the best tribute you may give to them is to be faithful to the vision, mission and commitment that they so beautifully demonstrated before you; take these to higher and farther realms so that the Gospel may transform many more lives for the glory of God. Therefore the Silver Jubilee Celebrations give youanopportunitytorededicateyourselvestothecauseoftheLordJesusChristandhisGospel.

Such celebrations also provide us with opportunities to make amends for mistakes committed, if any. Wiser we become if we learn lessons from our past mistakes and avoid them in future. Do everything you can to ensure unity, fellowship, and mutual respect and care among the parishioners. May the older generation be a model for the younger ones that they may proudly follow you in faith and fellowship.

I also want to joyfully acknowledge the conscientious and wholehearted support the Philadelphia parish has given to our Church, the St. Thomas Evangelical Church ofIndia during this period of a quarter century. We could always count on you as a dependable and generous partner in our ministry and mission in the needy land ofIndia.Iamabsolutelyconfidentofyourcontinuedfellowshipandpartnershipin the decades to come.

May the holy Triune God bless you with all the spiritual blessings inthe heavenly places so that you may continue to serve him and his churchinhisworld.(1Thessalonians1:2-3.)

In Christ Jesus and for his sake, Most Rev. Dr. C. V. Mathew

Presiding Bishop

April 23, 2013

Dearly beloved in Christ,

It is my great joy to greet all the members of the Philadelphia Parish on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee of your parish.

Silver Jubilee is a time to look back and thank God Almighty for His faithfulness toward us as a church and as parishes. When we look back we can see many areas where we failed God’s purposes. But our good God had been faithful and he led us victoriously thus far. The Bible exhorts us to, “Remember the days of old; consider the generations past” (Deuteronomy 32:7). When we think of the past, what do we see? We of course, see the human instruments and their efforts to make things happen over the years, but with Apostle Paul we can testify that, (“But by the grace of God we are what we are, and his grace toward us was not in vain”) (1 Corinthians 15:10).

Jubilee is also a time to look forward with great expectations to our great God that we would have a special visitation from him to bless us. And as a result we would become channels of God’s blessings to the people around. In the life of the nation of Israel, Jubilee year was an year of emancipation during which the ancient Hebrews freed their slaves, forgave debts, and returned any properties they possessed to the original owners. In other words it was a time for new beginnings and renewal. May the occasion of the Silver Jubilee beatimeofrenewalforyoutooasaparishandalsoatimeforre-affirmingthegoalsforwhichwecameoutasaseparatechurch52yearsago.Mayitbeatimeof‘Revival’inthelifeoftheparish?“TrueRevival”happensinthelifeofbelieverswhenChrist’slifeisrevealedinourheartsandasaresultour‘self’dies.

May your existence in the great city of Philadelphia, as a parish of the STECI, be ablessingtothatcityinreachingouttheurbancenterswiththelife-givingGospelofourLord.IunderstandthatwhentheLibertyBellwasfirstplacedinthesteepleofthePennsylvanian State House (now renamed as Independence Hall) it was cast with lettering from (Leviticus 25:10 “Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof”). We do appreciate your valuable involvement in the mission of the church, “to proclaim liberty to those who are in darkness”, by earnestly praying for and supportingalargenumberofmissionfieldsinIndia.

May the Jubilee Celebrations be a time of sharpening your focus as God’s dynamicpeople,alwayslongingtofulfillHispurposesinaworldfullofchallenges?WeasachurcharethankfultotheLordforsustainingyouasagrowinganddynamic parish of our church all these years.

(“He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”) (Phil.1:6)

Best Wishes and PrayersInChristourLord

Rt. Rev. Dr. Thomas Abraham Bishop, Diocese of North America & Europe

ThiruvallaApril 04, 2013

I am glad to hear that the Philadelphia parish of our church is going

topublishasouvenirinconnectionwiththe25th anniversary of the parish.

With immense joy I convey my sincere greetings and prayerful sentiments

to all the beloved members in the parish. It was my blessed privilege to

meet you and to enjoy the warmth of your love and fellowship in the past.

IpraiseGodfromthedepthofmyheartforyourco-operationandsincere

effort for the growth and betterment of the parish and the church.

On this occasion let us remember and hold fast the truth that

surrender, supplication, sacrifice and selfless service are the essential

conditions before we can achieve anything substantial and remarkable. May

thegoodLordblessyouallabundantlyanduseyouassharpenedarrowsin

His quiver for the extension of His Kingdom and for the furtherance of His

glory.

Rt. Rev. Dr. T. C. Cherian Bishop

Dearly Beloved,

This is a matter of great joy to know that the Philadelphia Parish of the St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India is celebrating its 25th Anniversary. I also understand that you are publishing a Souvenir to commemorate this joyful occasion.

The Philadelphia Parish is one of the early Parishes of the Church in the UnitedStatesofAmerica.FromasmallbeginningtheLordhelpedyoutogrowtobeone of the largest Parishes of the Church. The paths you have treaded were not easy. I remember my years in Philadelphia for Theological studies from 1972 to 1977 and in those days we used to meet for worship in different homes of our members. Other church members used to associate with us in those days though they left us later on. It is heartening that a regular well organised Parish is functioning in Philadelphia.

On a number of occasions, I have had the privilege to minister among you which were fruitful and useful times. I was much impressed by your enthusiasm and commitment to go along with the Church to strengthen its separated and evangelical stand.

As I look at your Parish I can see a steady growth in your over all activities, which is praise worthy. Yet, we must acknowledge that we still have to grow in ChristandhavetogoalongwayinfulfillingwhattheLordisexpectingofus.Allthemembers should have the assurance of a true personal experience with Christ. Each membermustseektoglorifythenameoftheLordbybecomingawitnessuntoHimand together you must strive to enlarge your vision in making Jesus known to others and to grow to the full stature of Christ, the Head of the Church. Hence, on this joyousoccasionofthe25th Anniversary I want to encourage you all to strive forward to become a model parish by doing all you possibly can to glorify His name and to strengthen your oneness and fellowship in Christ.

I join with your vicar and all of you in giving THANKS to the Triune God for graciously sustaining you in all these years and pray for a glorious future.

ICONGRATULATEyouasyoucelebrateyour25th Anniversary and wish youallthebest.1Cor:15:58.“Therefore,mydearbrothers,standfirm.Letnothingmoveyou.AlwaysgiveyourselvesfullytotheworkoftheLord,becauseyouknowthatyourlabourintheLordisnoteinvain”.

GODBLESSYOUALL!! Yours in Christ’s service,

Bishop Rt. Rev. Dr. M. K. Koshy Bishop

April 04, 2103

Beloved in Christ,

I am indeed happy to know that the St. Thomas Evangelical

Church of India, Philadelphia parish is celebrating its Silver

Jubilee and is publishing a Souvenir to mark the occasion.

I join with you in praising God for the wonderful ways in which the

Philadelphiaparishwasblessedandguided through thepast twentyfiveyears.

I congratulate thepresent vicar,Rev.Dr.AbrahamChacko, office-bearers, the

Souvenir committee and each member of the parish. I also appreciate the service

ofthepastvicarsandmembersoftheparish,whofaithfullylaboredfortheLord.I

still have the sweet memories of my stay and ministry among you, during my visit

oftheparishlastyear.Iappreciateyourzealforthemissionaryout-reachinand

outside of the United States of America.

As the body of Christ, we are called to do God’s mission in this world.

The existence of a parish as spiritual community becomes meaningful through

worship, sharing of the spiritual gifts and experiencing the warmth of fellowship.

I strongly believe that the Philadelphia parish has a unique place in the U.S.A.,

spreading the good news of the gospel in that region. Great are the achievements

but greater are still undone.

Jubilee year is a time to discern God’s will for us and to rededicate ourselves

toGod’sservice.MaytheLordenableeveryoneofustogainanewvisionforthe

future and renew the commitment to follow that vision.

With prayers and best wishes,

YoursintheLord’smission Rt. Rev. A. I. Alexander Bishop

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It gives me great pleasure to greet all the members

of the STECI, Philadelphia parish on the Silver Jubilee

occasion,This jubilee celebration bring us together to rejoice

intheLordandenjoythefellowshipwitheachotherandmotivateustobean

effectiveandpowerfulwitnessfortheLordasaparish.Whenwelookbackas

aparish,Godwassofaithfultofulfillhispromisetous.Godsaid“Iwillbless”.

He has blessed us. Today he is blessing us. Tomorrow he will be blessing us, if

we obey His call, like Abraham the father of faith. The history of the Church has always stood at the threshold of being

either the Church victorious or the Church defeated. At any given moment the

Church faces the choice of advance or retreat. It can be united by its concerted

effort to reach out or it can be divided by its obsession with petty differences

within. Of course it is Gods will that his Church be victorious. But today that

such might not be the case of many Churches, wrong teachings, wrong attitudes,

wrong leadership and wrong emphases were threatening the unity and vitality of

the Church. In fact Apostle Paul says that allowing these problems to develop

unchecked could have brought the ruin of the Christian Faith.

Apostle Paul wanted the Church” the body of Christ” in this world to be

victoriousinitsgoal.InbookofColossians1,3-4Paulsaysimportantmatters

concerning the church victorious. As a Church we are celebrating the Silver

Jubilee. I pray with Apostle Paul, that our Church should be a victorious Church

in growth and life. I hope that Silver Jubilee year would be a great blessing and

challenge to our people especially to the younger generation in our parish. As

you are releasing a Souvenir in connection with the Silver Jubilee. I wish all

the success and extend my prayers for your efforts.

God bless you all.Yours in His Service.

Very Rev. T. K. Thomas Vicar General

April 13, 2013

It gives me great joy to know that our Philadelphia par-

ish of St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India has decided to

bring out a souvenir to commemorate its Silver Jubilee year in 2013.

God Almighty has led you greatly and wonderfully as a parish in Philadelphia

forthelast25yearsintheUnitedStates.

God has been faithful to us as a church and especially to the Bahya India

Diocese which has shown amazing progress during the past decades. Al-

mightyhasimmenselyblessedusoverthelast52yearsaschurchinKerala,out

side Kerala and Bahya India.

St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India was formed in 1961 with special

purpose.The church affirms that thepurpose and taskof the church in the

stewardship of Divine doctrine and teaching as revealed through Jesus Christ and

proclaimed by Holy Apostles, is the development of the spiritual life of the mem-

bers by the ministry of the Word and sacraments and the preaching of the gospel

to all nations all over the world, and baptizing those who believe in the name of

Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and making the disciples.

On this august occasion of the Silver Jubilee celebration of your parish, I

wishyouallthebestandpraythatthegoodLordmayincreasinglyprosperyouin

the days to come.

With best wishes

Rev. C. K. Jacob Sabha Secretary

I am happy to hear that the Philadelphia parish of St. Thomas

Evangelical Church of India is celebrating its Silver Jubilee in 2013 and is

planning to publish a souvenir. Our God has been faithful to us in the past

and enabled us to exist as a Church and proclaim the Gospel in different

parts of the globe. As a part of our Church, God has enabled you too to

exist as a parish in North America. This is the time to recollect the faithfulness

of our God and do the best for the extension of His kingdom.

I pray that the Almighty God may bless you as a parish for

theextensionofLord’skingdomandIwishallthesuccess.

With much love and prayers,

Rev. John V. JohnSabha Treasurer

Greetings in the ever living and never failing name of Jesus

ourLord.IamsodelightedtohearthatourPhiladelphiaparishisgoing

to celebrate it’s silver jubilee, I remember when I visited Philadelphia

32yearsago in1981,Rev.M.V.Abrahamand threeotherfamilies

were there as members of the Evangelical Church. Since there was

noregularserviceRev.M.V.Abrahamarrangedaspecialserviceon

Sunday. All the Evangelicals came together and we had a wonderful time of

fellowship.GodalmightyhonoredthemwhostoodfirmfortheLordand

His word. People of the evangelical faith started coming to Philadelpha

and they were able to start our parish there in rented buildings. Now

when we look back we can praise God for His faithfulness. We were

able to have our own church building with all the facilities, God has

raised able leaders and faithful believers. God has placed you there in

that great city of Philadelphia to be His witnesses, to shine as lights of

the gospel.

As you celebrate the Silver Jubilee I pray that God may bless all

of you abundantly.

With love and prayers

Yours in Christ

Very. Rev. P. M. Samuel

Beloved Vicar and Members of Philadelphia parish,

As awell-wisher of your parish and as the formeradministrator of St. Thomas Evangelical of India parishes in North

America, my heart is overjoyed to know that you are celebrating the silver jubileeoftheparish.Ipraise,theLordforthevisionandzealthatthefoundingmembers had in organizing a fellowship in spite of many adverse circumstances. Thepresbyters andmembers,whowere involved,worked sacrificially and theLord honored their efforts and blessed the parish above and beyondwe couldeveraskorthink.Soheartycongratulationstoall,youngandold!Allofyouhaveworked hard towards the growth of the parish. Please, keep up the good work. We assure you of our prayers.

Jesus Christ is the head of the Church and all true believers around the world form His body. St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India was constituted to strictly follow the Biblical instructions in giving membership. As such all membersaresupposedtobeborn-againpeoplewhowillbelieveandbehavelikethe members in the early Church. I would like to quote one verse here. “Then the churchesthroughoutallJudea,Galilee,andSamariahadpeaceandwereedified.AndwalkinginthefearoftheLordandinthecomfortoftheHolySpirit,theywere multiplied” (Acts 9: 31). My prayer for your congregation is that you may enjoy perfect peace among yourselves, the peace that passes all understanding so thattherewillbenoroomforconflictandconfusion.Allofyoumaybeedified,builtupandgrowinginthegraceandknowledgeofourLordJesusChrist.AndwalkinginthefearoftheLord;inotherwordsgivingreverenceandhonortotheLord and esteemingothersgreater thanoneself.Andalsobefilled andguidedbytheHolySpiritonadailybasis.ThiswillmakeyouChrist-likeinbeliefandbehavior. When that is actualized there will be more people added to the Church and all will know that you are from the parish of brotherly love. To God be theglory! Lovingly, Rev. Dr. Meleth Joseph Thomas

Dear Achen and Members of Philadelphia Parish

This is a momentous occasion for Philadelphia parish and a time to celebrate God’s faithfulness in the life and growth of the Parish. We have grown in number and quality. It has happened by the mere grace of God. I share your joy at this happy occasion. Congratulations asyoucelebrate25yearsofGod’sfaithfulness!

Philadelphia Parish is unique in several ways. The initiative and willingness of a few founding members who boldly took the risk of starting this congregation way back in 80’s when nobody was ready to take up the challenge is laudable. Your love and loyalty to this church is commendable. YouwerethefirsttobuyachurchbuildingofyourownintheUnitedStates,notbecause that you had plenty, but because of your courage to take risk. You were the first to take the initiative to bring a non-immigrant presbyter toUS.You startedMission Coordination Team to coordinate all mission activities of the parish. You are a trend setter. You pioneered into local mission such as tracts distribution, Nursing Home Ministry, Food Bank, and Cloth Collection for the Needy. It is commendable that you started Global Mission Initiatives by way of sending mission teams to India, supporting missionaries and sponsoring the students at Jubilee Memorial Bible College (JMBC). Your VBS draws record number of children from all denominations, thanks totheone-mindednessofall.Iamencouragedtoseethattheactiveinvolvementofouryoung people in the church activities, and the willingness of the adults to mentor them continue to rejuvenate this parish. You were willing to formulate Vision Tenets and Critical Objectives for the parish which is in congruence with the objectives of the St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India. I hope and pray that you will continue to grow in thesetraditionsandfindnewavenuestoservetheLordandthepeople.MydesireforyouisthatyouwillberelevanttothepeoplewithunflinchingcommitmenttoourLordJesusChrist and to the 66 books of the Bible, and also continue as loyal members of STECI. Your connection with JMBC goes back to its inception. You have given P. T. Chandapilla Achen and all the Principals of JMBC more than a helping hand. Over these years, you were faithful to the word you gave to Chandapilla Achen that you would supportthecauseofJubileeintheyearstocome.IamconfidentthatIcanexpectthesame from you in the coming years. Ourfamily’sassociationwithyouisnotjustapresbyter-congregationrelationship.Even after we left Philadelphia in May 2007, our relationship is so alive and ever growing.Youareverymuchpartofourlife.HowmuchweowetotheLordforbringingyouintoourlives-thosememoriesaresorefreshing.My God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May yourwholespirit,soulandbodykeptblamelessatthecomingofourLordJesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. (IThessalonians5:23,24-ESV)

SincerelyintheserviceoftheLordinthemostneedyland

Rev. Dr. Sunny C. John Principal, Jubilee Memorial Bible College, Chennai, India

Greetings in the Blessed name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I am glad to hear that our Philadelphia Parish is going to publish a Souvenir in connection with its Silver Jubilee Celebrations.

LetuspraiseandthankGodformakingeverythingpossibleinHistime.Iamsurethat as a Parish, we can thankfully say “God is Faithful”. From the bottom of my heart, I convey my sincere greetings to all of you in this blessed occasion.

I have had the privilege of being part of our Philadelphia Parish as your Vicar duringtheperiodof2007-2010.Asafamily,wereallyenjoyedthewarmthofyourlove, care, friendship and fellowship .Yes, it was a good experience .We still keep those good memories in our mind.

On this blessed occasion, let me remind you the Vision of our Parish,” to be a Christcentered,Spirit-filled,Worshiping,Fellowshipping,Discipling,WitnessingandServingCommunity”.LetusfocusonthisVision.IwouldliketoappreciateourParish Committee, Sunday School, Youths Union, Couples Group, Sevini samajam, Prayer, Chore Mission, Web, and Souvenir Committees, and all the wings of the Parish for your active participation in Parish, Church and Mission activities, and alsoforyourwholeheartedco-operationandsupportfortheeffectivefunctioningofour Church.

May this Silver Jubilee Celebration be an occasion for you to thank God for all the blessingsHehadshowereduponyouandmaythisalsobeanoccasionforalltore-dedicateyouselftoservetheLordevenmoreeffectivelyandjoyfullyinthedaystocome.

My Best wishes and Congratulations to all of you, and also for the successful publishing of the Souvenir to commemorate this occasion. May God bless you all.

Yours in Christ Jesus,

Rev. Biju Thomas

Our Mission RickWarreninhisBook,ThePurposeDrivenLife’startswiththequestion“Whaton earth am I here for?”

It is necessary for us to know what God’s will is and why we are here for. When westartedtheSTECIPhiladelphia,Parishabout25yearsago,wedefinitelyknewthatwehave an obligation to reach out to the people, who never had a chance to hear the gospel. Especially, we have a greater responsibility to reach the unreached people of our Mother land India with the gospel. Although, India is closed for foreign missionaries; we Indians enjoy freedom to propagate our faith. With this in mind, even before we started as a parish, we began to pray and support our mission work in India.

Before His ascension, Jesus commissioned His disciples to go with the gospel to the ends of the earth. It became so important that each gospel writers emphasized it and put it as a primary focus in their writing. The following verses from the four gospe ls are a proof for this.

Mat.28:19 “-----make disciples of all nations”

Mark.16:15“go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation”

Lk.24:47“and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem”

Jn.20:21 “As the Father has sent me; even so I am sending you.”

In Matt.24:14 Jesus said “this gospel of this kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony t all nations, and then the end will come”.

In Acts 1:8, Jesus asked the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit is come upon them. The Holy Spirit was sent to continue the work which Jesus Christ has accomplished on the cross. He strengthens the believers to carry out the mission or the great commission. This mission is carrying on preaching the gospel to the ends of the earth with the power of the Holy Spirit.Laterweseetheearlydisciplespreachedthisgoodnewswherevertheywent. In Acts 8 we see the believers were forced to go about because of the

persecution from the enemies of the gospel, but they began to spread the good news of salvation wherever they went. The words of Apostle Peter and John in Acts. 4:20 is an example of the earlier believers how they carried out this mission. “We cannot but speak of what we have seen and of heard”.

Tradition says that almost all the apostles were martyred for the sake of the gospel. They were willing to suffer for the gospel. Suffering for them was a privilege and an opportunity to spread the gospel. The attitude towards suffering for Christ’s sake is quite different in the Bible than the common understanding of the world today. When the world is looking suffering as something unfortunate thing happened or when people wants to avoid and escape from suffering, early believers are challenged to consider it as a privilege andanopportunitytoreflectthecharacterofChrist.(1Pet:1)

The mandate of Jesus to take the gospel to the utmost part of the world still continues. We as recipient of the gospel have a duty to preach it to others, especially to those who never had a chance to hear. We are called to be disciplesandthatincludessufferingandsacrificeforthegospel.JesusChristhas never called us to go through the path where He has not gone before. He haspromisedHispresencewithus.LetusrededicateourlifeoncemoretocarryoutthemandategivenbytheLord. As I said before, from the beginning, we had a great desire to preach the gospel to others. This is done not only in the villages of India, especially the North Indian villages, but also we realize to spread the good news in our immediate locality where we are placed by His providence. Therefore by the graceofGod,wewere trying to fulfill thisvisioneven inour immediatelocality.Letusneverneglectourvisionandpurposeaswe live in theaffluence.Aswearecelebrating25yearsofourexistencewehavetobemuchthankfultoGod,andletusneverforgetourmissionwhichtheLordhasentrustedtous.Letusrenewourcommitmenttocarryoutthismandatetoourimmediate locality as well as to those who never had a chance to hear the good news.

Rev. M. V. Abraham

GreethingstoallinthematchlessnameofourRisenLord.Congratulation and Best Wishes to you on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee Celebration of the Philadelphia Parish. It is my great pleasure to share with you a short message:

Jubilee year is a great time to remember God’s faithfulness andtore-dedicateourselvesonceagain.Fromahumblebeginning,Godhasblesseduswithtremendousgrowthofaboutsixtyfamilieswith150membersduringthelast25years.Itisanunmistakabletruththatinthemidstofourunfaithfulness,Godwasfaithfultous.Asaworshiper,well-wisher,co-workerandpartakerofthefellowshipof this Parish since 2004, I rejoice with you and praise God on this occasion. It isgood torememberGod’sfaithfulness. Inpsalms119:90and89:1-8, itis written “God is faithful, unto generation to generation. He is faithful to us in Hisprotection,provisions,andpromises.Inourspirituallife,wetastetheLordasfaithful and good, and see Him for salvation, security, serenity, strength, success and in service. (1 John 1:9, Heb. 10:23, 1 Cori. 10:13, 2 Thess 2:14, 1 Peter 2:9) I havebeenexperiencingthisfaithfulnessforthelast75years,intheMinistryofGodfor52years,andinmypastoralworkinthechurchfor48years.PraisetheLord,great is God’s faithfulness. Philadelphia church was a model church among seven churches in Asia Minor(Rev.3:7-13).Theywereknownfortheirfaith,love,hopeandgoodworks.OurLordsaid,Iknowthyworks(Rev.3:8).TheLordgavethemsomepromises,rewardsandcommands:Iwillcomequickly.Iwillputanopendoorbeforeyou-anopen door of opportunity, vision and mission. You have only little strength; God is faithfultogivestrength.ThosewhowaitupontheLordwillrenewtheirstrength(Isa.40:31).InHisgreatCommission,theLordsaid“Goyeuntoalltheworldandpreachandmakedisciples,“LoIamwithyoualways”(Mtt.28:25-28).LetustakethechallengeandaboundintheworkoftheLord,thatyourlabourisnotinvainintheLord”(1Cor.15:58) Our God is a God of possibilities. If there is a will there is a way. The will is importantthantheskill.Letusfollowthegreatmissionarypassionformission.Letour motto be the same as expressed by this Word, “Expect great things from God andattemptgreatthingsforGod”.ThewordofGodaffirms,“BymyGod,Icanleap over a wall (2 Sam. 22:30, Psal. 18:29,30) TheLordhelpedusinthepast.Surely,Hewillhelpusinthefuture.Letusplan and program to celebrate a golden or platinum or centenary Jubilee. When theLordcomes,whatadayofrejoicingthatwillbe!PraiseGodandthankyouforyour zeal, enthusiasm, unity, corporation, brotherly love and faithfulness forthe church, parish, evangelization and mission. Once again I extent my wishes, greeting, prayers and thanks to you all. Almighty God who is rich in mercy and peace may bless youabundantly. All honour, strength, power and glory to whom sitteth uponthethroneandthelambforeverandever.Halleluiah-Amen

Yours in His Service

Rev. N. A. Thomas

Dear Brethren,

GreetingstoyouallinthematchlessnameofourLordandSavior Jesus Christ. I am extremely delighted at this august occasion of Silver Jubilee celebration of Philadelphia parish of STECI. My heart overflowswithgratitudetoGodAlmightywhosustainedthisparish

withHisunfailingloveforthelast25years.IthankGodforthefoundingmembersandthepresbyterswhoservedthisparishsacrificiallyallthroughtheseyears.

As the vicar, it gives me immense joy to congratulate each one of you for your sacrificialcontributionsforthegrowthofthisparish.TheLordoftheChurchgraciouslyallowed us to grow from a handful of members to 200 communicant members. Praise be to His name.

In the Old Testament, Jubilee is a season of rejoicing, season of celebrating the freedom. During the Jubilee year the land was redeemed and returned to the original owner(Lev:25;13-34),slavesweresetfree(Lev:25:39-54)andallthedebtsofthepeople were cancelled. As a matter of fact Jubilee year eliminated inequalities which existed in the society, and gave fresh beginning to people who were living under slavery and oppression.

Jubilee year provided opportunities to the people to rectify the disorders which creptintothesocietyandpavedthewaytoupholdthetheocraticrule.LetthisseasonofcelebrationbeatimeofretrospectionofourspiritualityandMaytheLordoftheChurch help us to set goals for a new beginning of our future life and ministry.

Last25yearsGodmarvelouslyusedthisparishforthefurtheranceofthegos-pel. Thank God for the missionary zeal of our people, your brotherly love and servant-hood attitudes are commendable. God placed us here in the city of “brotherly love” for spreadingthegospeltoourneighbors.MayourgoodLordcontinuetouseeachoneofyou for the glory of His gospel. I thank theLordfor thisuniqueopportunityGodhasgrantedmeandmyfamily to serve the Parish for the last three years. We enjoyed your fellowship and it is our prayer that you may continue to be a worshiping, disciplining, witnessing and spiritfilledcommunityandyoumaygrowinHisWordwhichisinerrantandinfallible. The word of God is the source of our life and be the doers of the Word. Letusfightthegoodfightoffaithandpressontowardthegoaltowintheprize.MaytheLordAlmightyshowerHisrichestblessingsonyouasyourejoiceatHismarvelousdoingsforthelasttwentyfiveyearsandMayHegrantyougracetogoforwardwithsteadfastnessintheworkoftheLord.

In His service

Rev. Dr. Abraham Chacko Vicar

No.1021/Pre-Sec/CM/2013 July 14, 2013

I am glad to know that St Thomas Evangelical Church of India,

Philadelphia Parish is celebrating its Silver Jubilee in 2013 and that a souvenir

would be released to mark this milestone.

I believe that STECI, Philadelphia Parish through its interventions in

the society would build solid foundations of brotherhood, illuminate the path

of righteousness and spread the fragrance of sublime happiness.

My prayers and warm felicitations to all associated with the parish on

the joyous occasion of its Silver Jubilee.

OOMMEN CHANDY

The regular worship service of the St Thomas Evangelical Church of India in Philadelphia

began in November 1987 at the Fellowship hall of St Paul’s Reformed Episcopal Church in

Oreland, Pennsylvania. Rev. M. V. Abraham & family, Rev. Dr. Paul. J. Pathickal & family, Mr. John

Mathew & family, Mr. Cherian Daniel & family, and Mr. Sam Pathickal were present. On April 15,

1988 the Church became a Non- Profit Corporation in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and

on December 24, 1988 the honorable Sabha Council officially recognized it as a Parish of the St

Thomas Evangelical Church of India.

Before the congregation was recognized as a Parish, members of the St Thomas

Evangelical Church of India, Rev. M. V. Abraham and Rev. Dr. Paul Pathickal with their families used

to get together for prayer in the 70’s, occasionally joined by Mr. P. L. Thankachan and his family.

Worship services were conducted using the Book of the Common Prayer of the St Thomas

Evangelical Church of India in which Rev T. C. George (1979) and Rev P. M. Samuel (1981) and Bish-

op Rt. Rev T. C. Cherian (1981, 1985) participated. From 1985 onward, regular prayer meetings

were being conducted in the homes of our members. From the very beginning members have been

interested in the mission work in India. So, we started to support Dondi Mission Field in 1985. The

Lord added members and the Church continued its growth from four families to 14 in 1987, to 32

families and over 100 members in 2001. The congregation had worship service every Sunday at

St Paul’s Reformed Episcopal Church. Members of the parish are grateful to St Paul’s Reformed

Episcopal Church for their kindness in allowing us to use their facility without any reservation.

As the Church continued its growth we realized that we needed a church building of our

own. We began praying and looking for a building. As a result in March 2001 we signed an

agreement to purchase a building located at 9039 Eastview Road, Philadelphia, PA 19152. In July

of 2001 we moved into our new facility and conducted our first worship service there. The

dedication service was held on August 25, 2001, by our Bishop Rt. Rev. T. C. Cherian. We thank

all those who prayed with us and contributed sacrificially to the purchase of our church.

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Rev. M. V. Abraham retired as the Vicar effective December 31, 2004. His valuable and

effective leadership since the inception of the parish was commendable. Then, Rev. Sunny C.

John, who came to USA on study leave from the faculty of Jubilee Memorial Bible College, Chen-

nai, was our Vicar from January 1, 2005 to May 31, 2007. Rev. Biju Thomas, a graduate of JMBC

served as our Vicar from June 1, 2007 to May 31, 2010. Rev. Dr. Abraham Chacko, a long time

faculty of JMBC is the Vicar of our Parish from June 1, 2010.

On Sundays, we have our Sunday school at 9:20AM and Worship Service at 10:20AM.

The Holy Communion service along with Birthday and Wedding Anniversary thanksgiving services

are conducted twice a month, every second Sunday in English and fourth Sunday in Malayalam.

Cottage Prayer Meetings are conducted on Saturday evenings, Men’s Fellowship on Tuesdays,

Bible Study on Thursdays, Women’s fellowship on Saturday mornings, the Sevini Samajam meets

once every month, Youth’s Union meets once every month and the Couples fellowship meet once

every three months.

At present, our Parish and its wings support the STECI Mission Fields in Jaipur,

Gujarat, Andegarh, Dondi, two student scholarships at JMBC, Dondi Children’s Home

(supported by Sevini Samajam), Amla Mission Field of Youth Board (supported by Youth’s Union),

Gurgaon Mission Field of Sunday School Board (supported by Sunday School). Vacation

Bible School, Nursing Home visits, door-to- door distribution of Christian literature, Food and

Clothes Drive are part of the Parish community outreach ministries. Under the leadership of our

Parish Mission team, we were part of the two medical Mission trips to JMBC and the surrounding

villages in Chennai.

Today we have over 62 families and 150 communicant members. We are grateful to the Lord

for helping us to grow together in strength both physically and spiritually. We are certain that

He who has begun a good work in us will continue it till the day of Jesus Christ, our Lord and

Master.

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The election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as Pope Francis is an important event in the history of the Roman Catholic Church for many reasons.First,itisthefirsttimethataPoperesignedhispostwillingly in about 600 years when Pope Benedict XVI abdicated his position for health reasons although there are reports that he was pushed out or that that he resigned in disgust over the sexual misconduct of the priests and some Bishops of the Church.HewasalsodissatisfiedoverthefactmanyBishops, Archbishops and Cardinals refused to take disciplinary action against wayward priests and instead of defrocking, them they transferred them to other parishes where they continued their nefarious activities in molesting young men or women under their authority.

His choice of the name Francis assumed to be more about Francis of Assisi, the saint of the poor, thanSt.FrancisXavier,whoco-foundedtheJesuitorder of which Cardinal Bergoglio was a member, is also remarkable. Pope Francis is said to be a humble man, who did not embrace the opulent lifestyle of a prince of the church. Instead of living in the palatial mansion of the cardinal in Buenos Aires in his native Argentina he lived in a small apartment and cooked his food with his own hands and used public transportation for his travels. Even in the Vatican he has chosen a small apartment rather than the luxurious house of the pope.

Anothersignificanceofhiselectionisthatthisis the first time a non-Europeanwas elected popeand that too for the first time fromLatinAmericawhere almost 40% of the 1.2 billion Catholics live. Many critics ascribe ulterior motives for his election aspopefromLatinAmericatostemthetideofwaveof conversion from Catholicism to Pentecostalism. Whatever the reasons are the election of Pope Francis is a welcome change indeed for the entire Christendom for a number of reasons.

Out of the 2.1 billion Christians in the world 1.2 billion or about 57% are Catholics. Therest, 0.9 billion or 43%, are scattered over many denominations and independent small churches. They may be divided into four main groups such as Protestants, Orthodox, Pentecostal and Evangelicals. Because of the overwhelming majority are RomanCatholics,non-ChristianslookuponthePopeastherepresentative of all Christians. Whatever he does or speaks will be construed as the representative opinion of all Christians to the outside world.

The humility of Pope Francis is well documented. He shuns pomp and ceremony and lives in a small apartment in the Vatican rather than in the traditional mansion reserved for the pope. His humility is seen in his washing of the feet of 12 inmates of a juvenile home,whichincludedtwowomenforthefirsttime.Usually popes wash the feet of priests during the Passover.

Rev. Dr. Paul PathickalFounding Member

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His conservative credentials are also well documented.Likehispredecessors,PopeJohnPaulII and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, he champions the sanctity of life against abortion and mercy killing. He wants to be friendly with other religious leaders of the Jewish, Islamic, Buddhist and other faiths. For his inauguration leaders of these faiths were present.

All these things point out that this Pope will be different. However, he faces enormous challenges. We do not know how far the Roman Curia, theauthority structure of the Vatican, will go along with Pope Frances. Will he be able to discipline or defrock the erring Cardinals, Bishops and the priests of the Church? Some of these priests are accused of gross inappropriate behavior including sexual molestation of young boys and girls. Will Pope Francis allow these things to continue in the Church for fear that exposing them or defrocking them will tarnish the image of the Church or will he take stern disciplinary action against these erring priests of the Church?Willhebeabletostoptheinfightingofthevarious factions within the Curia and clear the money laundering scandals that have tainted the integrity of the Church?

Will he take some bold steps in reforming the Church? Will he allow the priests and bishops to marry rather than “burn with passion”? Can we expect him to heed the advice of Apostle Paul? “It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am. But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion”. (ICorinthians7:8-9)Ifheallowstheprieststomarryit will be a revolutionary step: nevertheless it would be biblically correct. Even Peter whom the Catholic ChurchclaimstobethefirstBishopoftheChurchofRomewasamarriedmanaswereadthatJesuswentto the house of Peter’s mother-in-law. (Matthew8:14)

If Pope Francis is bold enough to allow priests to marry he will be able to solve a number of problems plaguing the Church. First, he will be able to solve the alleged sexual dalliance of the priests. Ratherthanburnwithpassiontheywillbehappytohave their own wives. Second, the exodus of priests from the Catholic Church to the Episcopal Churches

where priests are allowed to marry will stop. Third, andmoreimportantthanthefirsttwo,itwillattractmany young men to the priesthood knowing that they will not be condemned to single, solitary lives for the rest of their lives.

It is reported that in a book published in 2011 titled‘AboutHeavenandEarth’co-authoredbyPopeFrancis as Cardinal Bergoglio, he said, “For now, the discipline of celibacy stands firm”. He added,however, that while he favors maintaining celibacy for priests, “with all its pros and cons,” celibacy is “a matter of discipline, not of faith. It can change”. The words “for now” and “it can change” are noteworthy as it implies that it could change in the future. Will Pope Francis be bold enough to start a second reform movementintheCatholicChurchasMartinLuther,the Catholic monk, did it almost 450 years ago?If theCardinals can elect a non-EuropeanPope inits history for the first timemay be he can start asecond reformation in the Church. It would be a step in the right direction if theLorduses theministryof this Pope to bring together various branches of Christendom in these last days. It would also be ironic that this bishop from the Jesuit order, which was formed to counter the reformation of Martin Luther during the counter-reformation movement,becomes an instrument in the hands of God to reform the Church of Jesus Christ during these end times. Will the Church allegedly established by St. Peter join with the churches founded by other saints come togethertopraisetherisenLordintheselastdays.

Another problem of contention between the Catholic Church and other churches is the doctrine ofinfallibilityofthepope.AccordingtotheRomanCatholic Church the Pope is infallible when he speaks “ex cathedra”; that is to say when he speaksfromthechairinhisofficialcapacityasthesuccessortoPeter.Thisdoctrinehastwoproblems.ThefirstisthatitisnottoPeterpersethattheLordsaid;

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth willbeloosedinheaven.(Matthew16:18-19)

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ItistotheconfessingPeterthatourLordmadethis statement when Peter, as the representative of the twelve disciples, said; “You are the Christ, the son of the living God”. It must be remembered that ourLordsaidtoPeterafewminuteslater;“Outofmysight, Satan. You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men”. (Matthew 16: 23). It is to the confessing PeterthatourLordsaid‘youaretherock’.

It is also interesting to note that this very same Peter denied knowing Jesus three times when Jesuswasarrested.Afterhis resurrectionourLordreinstated him and asked him to feed his sheep three times. Peter was also involved in debates with Paul about the need for Gentiles to become Jews before they became Christians. And during the First Jerusalem Council, Paul’s arguments won when the Council under the leadership of James, the brother of ourLord,decidedtoadmitGentilesintotheChurchwithout them ever becoming Jews. There were only four stipulations the new converts have to observe and circumcision was not one of them. If Peter cannot claim infallibility, how can Peter’s successors claim such a privilege?

Duringthecenturiesthatfollowedthecrucifixionof Christ and the martyrdom of the disciples there arose four equally prominent Christian centers. They were Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria andAntioch. Jerusalem had ceased to be either a Jewish or a Christian center. During the time of Pope GregorytheGreat,whobecamePopein590,Romeusurped prominence and the other centers were sackedbyMuslimpowers.ThusRomebecamethemost important center of Christianity and the Bishop of Rome became Pope. However, the Bishops ofAntioch, Alexandria and Constantinople never concededprimacytoRome.Itisinterestingtonotethat Pope Francis mentioned his status not as the Pope butastheBishopofRomewhenhewasinstalled.

Another important matter of contention between the Catholics and Protestants is the status of Virgin Mary. The Bible never gives undue importance to Mary, the mother of Jesus. At the time of the wedding banquet at Cana in Galilee his mother asked him to intervene when there was not enough wine he told

her; ”Dear woman, why do you involve me; my time hasnotyetcome”.(John2:4)Thebeatificationandthe assumption Mary began when the early church began to wrestle with problem of calling Mary Theotokos (mother of God) instead of Christotokos (mother of Jesus Christ). This has resulted in massive confusion not only in Christendom but also among Jesus. Muslims still think that the Trinity consists of God, the father, Mary, the mother and Jesus Christ, the Son. So to them it is blasphemy to call Mary the mother of God.

TheassumptionofMarywaspartoftheRomanCatholic thinking in the middle Ages. The Apostolic Constitution promulgated by Pope Pius XII in 1950madeitadoctrineforsalvation,stating,“TheImmaculateMotherofGod,theever-VirginMary,having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory”. Protestants do not ascribe such an exalted status to Mary. They believe that Mary had other sons and at least one daughter through Joseph. She was only a virgin till the birth of Jesus.

There are many other matters of disagreements between Catholics and Protestants. Pope Francis may not be able to solve all the differences that existed in thechurchforover1500years.Butifanypopecanbring the two sides together, Pope Francis is the one who can start the process. If he can at least solve the problem of priestly misconduct it will go a long way in purifying the Catholic Church and bring the two sidestogether.LetuspraythatthisJesuitPopewillbring a second reformation in the Church and unify the two sides.May theLord bless hisministry inthese last days.

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When we, my wife Aney and I came to United States in 1983 we did not had an evangelical parish inPhiladelphia.Weused togo toRev.K.A.Thomas’s church and at that time we experienced some problems in that church and we stopped going there.OnedayI“accidentally”metRev.M.V. Abraham and from then, on we had a strong Christian relationship. He told me that there were other evangelical members in the Philadelphia region and I got a chance to meet Dr. Paul Pathickal andMr. P. L. Thankachen. Soon after,Mr. SamPathickal came from India with his father.

One day we heard that we had another evangelical member who came from STECI, Thalavady Parish and we went there to meet him: Mr. Cherian Daniel. We used to gather on Saturdays for prayer andfellowship.OnSundays,IusedtogowithRev.M. V. Abraham and his family to the Cedar Grove Church in North Philadelphia. For Aney and me, it was a chance to learn the hymns and listen to sermons in English. However, in my heart, I still had a yearningtosupportthemotherchurchinIndia.Rev.M I Thomas was instrumental in starting a mission supportinDondi,NorthIndiain1985.Wedecidedthat every Saturday during our meetings, we will collectmoneytosupporttheDondimissionfield.

In November 1987, it was God’s divine plan and purpose for Dr. Pathickal to make arrangements to start a small congregation of four families in a Sunday school room at the St. Paul’s Reformed Episcopal Church in Church Road,Oreland PA and that was the beginning of our Parish in Philadelphia.

During this period, more members started to join our congregation: Mr. T. John Varghese who lived with his cousin in West Philadelphia, and Mr. Sajy K. Varghese from New Jersey. On April 15th, 1988, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania recognized our congregation as a Non-ProfitOrganization. Then, on December 24th, 1988, the Honorable Sabha Council accepted our congregation as a parish of the St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India.

I still cherish the memories of Bishop T.C.Cherianin1985andthelateVeryRev.P.T.Chandpilla and his wife in 1988 staying and having fellowship in my house in North Philadelphia. This houseaddresswastheofficialaddressoftheParishduring those times.

Even though we were a small congregation, we had all the activities of a vibrant church. Every Sunday we had Sunday school classes and every three months we had a one day retreat. At Christmas time, we usually gathered at Dr. Pathickal’s house atGlensidePA.ThiswasthefirsttimeIheardtheterm “pot luck dinner” and that become a regular practice in our group.

By God’s grace, the church grew to a group of20-25familiesandwestartedtocollectmoneyfor a church building which is our present church at9039EastviewRoadinPhiladelphiaandtheresthistory. All these years, I can see God’s guidance and faithfulness in my life and in our small group and I can say “His love endures forever”.

Mr. John MathewFounding Member

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Dr. Lema Joseph

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How often are you grateful? Has embracing an attitude of gratitude been a challenge for you? How often do you express your gratitude? Most of us probably focus on gratitude when something big happens in our lives, and probably during Thanks giving. A very small number of people might actually taketimetoreflectontheblessingsregularly.

Most of us start our day with a prayer of gratitude for the protection God provided for us. But as the day goes by, how focused are we on being grateful to God and our fellow beings for the good things we experience? We tend to take a lot of the blessings in our lives for granted – good family, good friend, good coworkers, good job and so on. We do not realize the value of these things until they are no longer in our lives.

Expressing gratitude is a habit and a mind set that needs to be developed. We are all very familiar with the phrase “count your blessings”. Counting our blessings is one sure way to develop a constant mind-setofgratitude,whichcan turnamundanelife into a miraculous life. Gratitude can be a part of our lives if we let it, by giving the power to turn anydifficulty,anychallenge,oranyheartacheintoa blessing.

An alteration toward a more appreciative mind-set can prompt incredible changes in ourlives. This change can inspire us to move toward

the activities that speak most deeply to our spirit. It not only changes our lives but it also impacts the person who is on the receiving end of this action. Unexpressed gratitude means nothing so let’s make a point to be grateful to people who make us happy.

Gratitude can help us remember that along with the darkness of every ending comes the dawn of a new beginning. Few things can affect our overall quality of life as powerfully as our attitude can. Our attitude affects our career, our relationships, ourhobbies,andevenourfinancialstatus.Adailypractice of gratitude is one simple way to give our selves a painless attitude adjustment because it reduces our temptation to focus on more “negative”mind-sets.

We all enjoy being appreciated by others. So why not give it back by appreciating those who makeushappy.Letusremembertonotonlysay“Thank You” but also show our gratitude through ourattitude!Itgoesalongwayforthegiverandtherecipient!

“In our daily lives, we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but the grate fulnessthatmakesushappy.“-AlbertClarke”

Gratitudeisthebestattitude!

Mrs. Sony John

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Mrs. Mercy Mathew (Shirley)

In the world we live in, we are pressured to succeed, excel, prove that we are competent in what we do. It is partly because of the present economic situation we are in .There are hundreds of people who want your job and the company can veryeasilyfindareplacementforyou.Sowefindourselves going above and beyond the call of duty in order to excel. And when we succeed and do well and receive accolades from the bosses and peers, it ssoeasytofeelhappyandsatisfiedwithourselvesin the beginning and this slowly builds a slight over confidenceandthenslowlyturns intopride.Iamso grateful to God that He quickly corrects us. And reminds us that our confidence and competencecomes fromGod (2Cor 3:5). Iwas remindedofthis over and over during the past few months. I had to take a new job and I did not think I had so many hurdles to cross. I had to really be patient and learn new things. Things that came so easily to me was now a struggle at times. I had to constantly remindmyselfthatmycompetenceandconfidencecomes from my God. During this time it also made methinkalotabouthowover-confidenceandpride

can destroy us. I was also reminded of a few Biblical characters who were in dangerous situations because pride had blinded their eyes from seeing and acknowledging the greatness of God. I would like to bring your attention to a couple of characters.

One is King Uzziah (2 Chro 26). He became King when he was 16. He did what was right in God’s eyes.He sought theLord.He sought instructionsfrom Zechariah. God gave him success. He became a strong military leader. He was a good engineer, he builtcitieswithfortifications.Hehadmanysourcesforwater,hisfieldsandvineyardsyieldedbountifully.He had much live stock. He also had a strong military and defense system. His fame spread far and wide. Vs 16 say “But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall.” Pride blinded his eyes to continue to see the greatness of God and honor him. This caused a weakness in his spiritual wall. Satan was able creep in. He forgot the Strength, Power and Holiness of God. He entered the Temple and decided to burn incense in the sanctuary. This was reserved for the priests who were the descendants of Aaron. God had instituted rules which were to

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be followed. When the priests asked him to stop, he didn’t. Pride prevented him from heeding to the advice of godly people. This could have saved him; instead he disobeyed and dishonored God. He became a leper until the day he died (vs. 21). Uzziah was separated from friends and family, excluded from theTempleoftheLord.Hereignedfor52years.Ifthis can happen to him, imagine our state. May God enable us never to take His Holiness or Greatness for granted.

Another biblical character that came to my mindwasKingAsa(2Chr.14-16).Itissaidthatking Asa did what was right in the eyes of God. He reignedfor41years.HesoughttheLordearnestlyand he brought about a religious reformation in the land. He destroyed idol worship. He urged all the people to serve theLord.But towards theendofhis reign; he made strategic allies to strengthen the borders. When the invasion seemed probable, Asa panicked.Heforgot that theLordGodhadgivenhim the victory and protection all those years. This reallyangeredtheLord.HesentHannanitheseerwithamessage to theking(2Chro.16:7-9).Butthe stubbornness andpridefilledhisheart.Asa’spride prevented him from repenting and he was even harsh towards Hannani. He threw the seer in prison. Then God tried one last time to get his attentionbyafflictinghimwithillnessVs.12.ButAsa’s stubborn heart refused to seek help from God. Instead he sought the help of physicians. This did not work. This can happen to us too, the danger of a wrong relationships, compromise, stubbornness, seekinghelpfromwrongsource.LetuspraythatourheartsmaybefullydevotedtotheLordtillhecalls us home. Asa and Uzziah started well but they didnotfinishwell.

Micah6:96statesthattheLordrequiresofus to act justly, to love mercy and walk humbly with Him. Humility is a virtue which is hard to practice.OurLordJesuswasaperfectexampleofthis character. He was a humble king who humbled himself even unto death on the cross so that he could save all of us. When we humble ourselves it is

easytoacknowledgetheLordshipofJesusChrist.WhenweacknowledgehimasourLord,thenwecan see his greatness and place our dependence on Him and obey Him.

I think this quality was the one which separated King Saul and David. When Saul was told of his sins by the prophet, He always tried to rationalize and justify his actions instead of humbling himself and repenting of his sins. This cost him his kingdom, his peace with God and himself.AndtheLordrejectedhim.ButwhenKingDavid was made aware of his sins, he repented of his sins and thus restored his relationship and peace with God.

Even today we see this a lot in the Christian circle, how easily pride can blind us and cause us to rebel against God and thus fall from His grace. It can happen to anybody. Let us pleadwith theFather to keep us from falling. We should be ready tofighttheenemyandthereforepayattentiontoourspiritualfitness.Letusmakesurewearecladwiththe spiritual armor, so that we are ready for battle against our enemy (Satan). And most of all let us humble ourselves and seek the Lord. So thatwemaybeabletonotonlybeginwellbutalsofinishwell

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Mrs. Annakutty Cherian

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My dear Christian friends across the world,

When true Christians are faced with enemy’s (satan’s) attack, this is the advice I give them. First, search your hearts and minds to find anyunconfessed, deliberate sins in your life. Base this on Biblical teachings, not on your own understanding. If such things as pride, gossip, self-righteousness,unforgivenessor evenareas like ‘traffic-violations’come into mind, go to the Master; repent, confess honestly and sincerely and He will forgive you immediately. Our living God will come to your side. He will personally intervene in your situation to help you (Isaiah 41:14). He will change the situation around.TheWordofGodsays,‘Noweaponformedagainst you will prosper.’ Some of you might be going through tough times now. It might be in your family life due to relationship issues. Prejudices, jealousy, cut-throat competition etc can cause hardship atworkplaces. My advice to you is read Isaiah chapters 41 and 43. Put your name in the place of Jacob (Israel), meditateuponitandclaimthepromiselike41:9-16and43:1-4.Meditatedailyonthesetillthetroublesareover.Then,livealifefilledwithgratitude!

‘Youwilllookforyourenemiesbutwillnotfindthem.’Ithashappenedinmylife.ImeditatedonthesechaptersandHehimselfcametomyhelp!‘MyhelpcomesfromtheLordwhomadetheheavenandthe earth’

So believers, my friends: help is on the way. After He performs miracles in your life, continue to faithfully obey Him. Jealousy, pride, and prejudice are few of the best tools used by satan and his demonic forces to crush us down. However, Jesus has said,‘Fearnot,Iamwithyou…’DanielandJosephfaced jealousy, prejudice and conspiracy. But, what wasthefinaloutcome?Intheforeignlands,bothofthem became second in command of the kingdoms. AstheBiblesays,‘Godwhoresidesinusisgreaterandstrongerthantheoneoutside…!

With my sincere prayers for all of you,

In His holy name,

Prince Thankachan(P.L.Thankachan)U.S.A

Mr. Prince Thankachan

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1Corinthians13:13“Rightnowthreethingsremain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

I cannot think of another verse in the bible that encompasses such strong pillars that people of any faith, any culture, or any creed can all except. But for Christians how can we truly understand this verse? I ask this because when one really thinks about it, these pillars are incredibly optimistic, when life gets hard these pillars are what will be able to anchor us down, but they are also the hardest to embrace.

Faithcanbedefinedas“Abeliefand trustinandloyaltytoGod-abeliefthatisafirmbeliefinsomething for which there is no proof.” In essence faith is complete and pure trust. Faith is something that we are all proud of having. Faith is what allows us to be connected to something. But you see, faith is something that we take for granted. It’s so easy to be-lieve in a loving, compassionate, merciful God when life is going perfect. Its easy to believe when your job is good, when your family is happy, and your friends are there. But what happens when you lose your job? What happens when you can no longer support your family? What happens when you don’t have the means to have a good time with your friends?

When times get tough, we realize that in most of the problems we face, we are physically alone. A family is the closest relationship we can have with other people and yet when we are going through such pain and suffering, sometimes even they cannot fully understand. So how can you keep with your faith? What keeps you fromjustgivingupandfindingrelieffrompaininotherways? As Christians we know that whatever happens in our life happens for a reason. We know that God will never give us more than we can handle. We know these things because we have faith in our God. Hebrews 11:1 says“Faithistheconfidencethatwhatwehopeforwillactually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” Our faith is what allows us to look beyond thepainandsufferingandallowsustobeconfidentinafuture where we know God will provide.

Hope canbedefinedas “Tocherish adesirewithanticipation”or“Toexpectwithconfidence.”Hopeis what allows us to look for a brighter tomorrow. Hope is what allows us to wake up every morning, and expect to take on the day. Hope in my opinion, is one of the greatest gifts God could have given to thehumanracebecausehopegivesusconfidence,itgives us strength, it gives us courage. God himself says in Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have foryou,declarestheLord,plansforwelfareandnot

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for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Hope is what allows us to bounce back from tragedy because even though our world might be shattered, hope is what lets us know that there is something after this tragedy because it is a gift God has given for human-ity. Hope is innate. But hope is something that can easilydisappearfromourlivesifwearenotfirmlyrootedinChrist.AsRomans12:12says“Rejoiceinhope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” We must not let Satan pray on us in times of pain, in times of temptation, in times of suffering. We must always remember that we can hope for a brighter fu-ture because God has blessed us with this gift, and we should never take it for granted.

Lovecanbedefinedas“Unselfish,loyalandbenevolent concerns for the good of another.” This is thedefinitionthatweChristiansneedtolookatandexcept because this is where Christians fall the most. Christians are quick to judge and incredibly slow to love.As1Corinthians13:13says“….butthegreat-est of these is love.” Why should love be considered tobethegreatestofallvirtues?Loveisthegreatestof all Christian virtues because love is the pinnacle of our belief system. When God made man, he was pleased but when Adam sinned, God’s heart was bro-ken because he loved him. From the very beginning of our religion it speaks of love, and then we get into the New Testament where we see just how much God loves the human race. John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” Now I do not know about you, but I knowthatmyparentswouldneversacrificemeforabunch of people that did wrong to them. In fact, I feel safe in saying that no parent would because they love their child that much. But the love of God is so much

different than that of what any man could understand or express. God’s love has no judgments; God’s love holds no record of wrong once we have accepted Je-sus into our hearts. God’s love is the only kind of unconditional love. We may think our families love us unconditionally but that is not true. Every human has a price and every human has a limit. God how-ever does not. As the song says “Who can grasp your infinitewisdom?Whocanfathomthedepthsofyourlove”? We are lucky to have the best role model for love that we could ever ask for, and that role model isGod.HegaveuphisSon-ChristJesussothathecould die a miserable death so that he could save the same people that sinned against him. That is true love. No one other than God has proved such a great love and no one other than Him can and will continue to love so purely.

Romans 5:2-5 “Through him we have alsoobtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” This verse clearly shows how all three virtues are interconnected. Faith is what allows us to hope, and hope can never disappear from our lives if we live Godly lives and allow Him toloveus.TheLordourGodwillalwaysbethereforus, and we need to learn to remember that in the good times and the bad.

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As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India Philadelphia Parish it is my honor and pleasure to say that I am a member of this church from the very beginning. As you know, STECI Philadelphia started with four families and one bachelor. I am glad to say I am the better half of that bachelor. We joined as a family in December 1989. With God’s grace and protection we grew from 4 families to over 60 families. There are so many hardworking minds and bodies God appointed for this growth throughout the 25 years. We oftenforget the sacrificesof time,knowledge, andmoneythe STECI members spent throughout the years for this growth.

I am so honored and glad to see new families come and join the church family. Some got married and brought their spouses, some came with young children, and some with teenage children and young adults. New children are born, and our church is growingbiggerandbiggerwiththegraceoftheLord.

Letmecometomysubjectnowof“Godsplansandfulfillmentofprayer”.Iamtakingreferencesfromtwo amazing events from the bible, the story of Jonah and the story of Nehemiah. God calls Jonah to preach repentance to the wicked Ninevites. Jonah turned down the assignment and headed for Tarshish. God had to show his seriousness and power of protection by tossing Jonah from the boat into the water and into the belly of the fish. Jonah realizedGod is serious.We can see Jonah prayed several times. We can also see that when the people of Nineveh heard that they were going to be overthrown, they along with their King prayed and fasted. We can see God’s plan and fulfillmentofprayerinJonah’slifeandthepeopleofNineveh.

Weseethesamepowerofprayerandfulfillmentin the story of Nehemiah. His concern for the welfare of Jerusalem and its inhabitants prompted him to take leadership to build the walls of Jerusalem. There were much opposition in different ways, but the Israelites stayed together and prayed. They built the walls of Jerusalemin52days.

In the same way, God has appointed several people with different talents in our church too. God has a plan for Philadelphia Parish, we know our needs, and we pray together as a family. Also, give thanks to theLordforallthematerialandspiritualblessingsforall of the Philadelphia Church Family.

Mrs. Moley Pathickal

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Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

I was born and brought up in a very religious Orthodox Syrian Christian family (Jacobite church) where we practiced many rituals and traditions. I was anardentsundayschoolstudentofRetiredValiyaBavaThirumeni who was our church vicar in the church where I attended . He taught me and sent me for sunday school competitionstatewideexamandIreceivedthefirstprize& he was very pleased with me. I went for my higher studiesinthehealthfieldinLudhianaChristianMedicalCollege and Hospital, Punjab. There was compulsory for all students to study the Bible and attend prayer meetings conducted by American Missionaries.

Ibecameaborn-againbelieverinChristwhileIwasthere. Later, Lord blessedmewith a husband from aBible based Evangelical church and I learned many truths about the Bible from him.When I met Bava Thirumeni in Philadelphiaabout25yearslater,Heaskedme“daughterdid you go backward in faith”. I told Thirumeni “I did not go backward but I went forward” and was able to witness to Bava Thirumeni with my mouth and by giving him 2 Christian books. Also I witnessed to many of my students and employees and coworkers from different countries atmany ocasions as the Lord ledme. Lordblessed me academically in my professional life and in my spiritual life. Also I studied in three universities as well as in Bible colleges and studied the Word of God under saintly scholars and also learned from American and Indian Bible based churches.

I learned that Bible is the book of blessings for a child of God. There are about 32,000 Bible promises we can claim and practice for our earthly journey in this sinbound and fallen and broken world where I am a pilgrim traveler towardsmyheavenlyhometomeetmyblessedLordandSavioreitherinraptureiftheLordcomesinmylifetime

or in death. I am a representative of Jesus Christ on this earth.God selects certain people to do certain tasks on this earth. Our life is hidden in Christ. Jesus said “Any one who wishes to follow me must takeup his cross daily andfollowinmyfootsteps”(Luke9.23).”Rejoiceinasmuch as you are partakers of Christ’s suffering that when His Glory shall be revealed you may be glad also with exceeding joy”(1 Peter 4:13).

Over the years I have learned to cast my burdens upon theLord insteadof carrying itmy self. In goodtimes or times of challenges, I have learned to draw near to God’s loving heart to hear His voice and place my life in His hands. Jesus is the master of all storms of life. Is Jesusfirstininyourlife?IsJesusatthethecenterofyourlife, your family’s life and your Church’s life? I have learned daily to walk with Christ.’’God is our refuge and strength and ever present help in distress’’ (Psalms 46:1).For security under God’s protection read and meditate on Psalms91.....surrenderyourlifetotallytotheLordshipofChrist....Letgo,stopcontrollingyourownlife,LetJesustake control. Completely trust in Him........I can vouch that the Bible is 100% right...Never doubt anything from 1stpage to the lastpage.TheLordblessedme tovisitthe holy and & saw many of the places mentioned in the Bible. I visited the empty Tomb in Jerusalem and witnessed that Jesus is alive for ever. In the fullness of time God sentHisSon (spotlessLamb) andLevite named Johnthe Baptist according scriptures, prepared the way for HimatHisfirstcoming.Ittookabout4000yearssincecreation forHis first coming....In the fullness of time,He will come again as promised for the rapture of the true Church (the genuine born again believers walking in Holiness).....I believe His coming is very near....So, let us be prepared and ready.....That is the only hope for humanity!!

God Bless.

Mrs. Omana Thankachan

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Conversation with Rev. M. V. Abraham

You were part of this parish from its very inception. Do you remember the time when you began to get together with the families in Philadelphia?

Who were there in the beginning and what was it like; for instance, where did you gather the most and at what times?

Before we started as a Parish, we used to gather together for prayer meetings once a month. People included were Paul Pathickal, John Mathew, Cherian Daniel,SabuPathickal,P.L.Thankachan,hisbrotherBabukutty and me. And later we started as a worship group in St. Paul’s church, so we had regular Sunday worship. But the prayer meetings were only held once a month.

Could you briefly describe some of the more memorable difficulties that you and the Parish faced soon after you began to gather?

Well, one of the problems was that our time was limitedsincewewereusingtheReformedEpiscopalChurchFellowship.AndwehadtofinishtheSundaySchool and Worship Service within a limited time. So that was one difficulty. Sunday School wasperhapsthemostdifficultthing.Weweregatheringin the nursery school. That was the only place that was available at that time.

So when did you start gathering at Reformed Episcopal Church?

Idon’trememberexactly.‘86or‘87Ithink.

You mentioned you gathered in houses once a month before gathering at Reformed Episcopal Church. Whose houses did you usually gather in?

PathickalFamily,Josey,Boban,P.L.Thankachan,his brother Babukutty.

You were the longest serving Vicar of this Parish. In the many years of your vicarship and afterwards, is there anything about the character of this Parish that strikes you as being unique?

The main thing is that even before we started as a Parish we started to support the mission work in India. And that support for mission activity was growing day by day. I don’t know how many Bible school students of JMBC we are supporting and how many missionaries we are supporting. So from the beginning itself our concern has been for missions. There was a time when we had 27 missionaries. I don’t know how many missionaries we are supporting now. So in a systematic way that was our emphasis. And most of the money we collected was sent to India for mission work. So that was the main thing that I can remember about our difference here. Of course when we added the new church building the membership began to grow and we had enough time now and place for our new activities.

You travel quite often to North India, the very frontiers of Christendom for mission work. Are there any attributes that you see in the churches of North India that you wish could be emulated at Philadelphia Parish? Could you describe briefly?

The atmosphere in North India is quite different. They are new christians. They walk miles and take two or three buses to come for the worship service. Their worship service is very simple. Their church leadership and their very simple people have a very great enthusiasm for their new found faith. So that enthusiasm is not seen, not only in our church but in many of the churches in Kerala. So they are willing to come for learning, worship service and weekday meetings. Those people are very regular and they come enthusiastically. And, if there is a problem among the people or anything, you know, whenever

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the pastor says or achen says something, they believe and follow that. That is the way they are lead you know, you have to respect and obey the leadership. If there is something wrong, or something against the Word of God we have to deal with them appropriately and prayerfully. That is one of the things which we have to learn. Obey and respect the leadership. That is essential. And that is not found in our churches.

If there was one tangible, and in your opinion, quite doable thing that you would like to see done in Philadelphia Parish what would that be?

Well my greatest concern is that both children, young people as well as adults have to have daily quiet time in their lives. If that is not there, if family prayer is not there, no matter what messages or whatever programs we have in the church it is not going to change the lives of the people. So personal devotion time must be spent with God, because God is more important than many other things. Secondly, along with that, if you are a true Christian, you have to have a program to reach out to the people, those who you are in contact with. And we are doing a lot of things you know, collectively, but individually you have to be a reference to Jesus Christ.

Conversation with Rev. Dr. Poulose J. Pathickal

You were part of this parish from its very inception. Do you remember the time when you began to get together with the families in Philadelphia? Who were there in the beginning and what was it like; for instance, where did you gather the most and at what times?

I came to Westminster Seminary in 1973 and Rev.M.V.Abrahamin1974.Mywife,Mary,andour daughter, Lovely, came with Rev. Abraham.Mrs. Abraham and their children, Suby and Santosh, camein1975.Soonwebegantomeetoccasionallyforprayeratourhomes.SoonMr.P.L.Thankachanand his family and his brother and his family joined our prayer group. A few years later Mr. John Mathew and family joined us. Mr. Sam Pathickal also joined ourprayergroup.In1981Rev.P.M.Samuelcamefor a visit and we conducted Holy Communion for thefirsttimeinPhiladelphiainourhome.LaterRev.T.C. George and then Bishop T.C. Cherian also came.

In 1984 we started Sunday worship services at the FellowshipHallofSt.Paul’sReformedEpiscopalChurch in Oreland , PA. Soon Mr. John Varghese, Mr. & Mrs. Cherian Daniel and Thomas Daniel joined us. We were recognized as a Fellowship. In 1987 we were recognized as a Church.

In the many years of your time at Philadelphia Parish, is there anything about this Parish that strikes you as being quite different from most other North American parishes?

FromthebeginningwehadtheservicesofRev.M.V. Abraham. His hard work without accepting any remuneration helped us a lot in continuing the ministry. Only one other church can claim such a privilege;thatofRev.Dr.M.J.ThomasofChicagoParish. In spite of disciplinary action, Abraham Achen stood with us and later the Center reinstated him and continued his ministry till he retired.

If there was one tangible, and in your opinion, quite doable thing that you would like to see done in Philadelphia Parish what would that be?

Appoint a Youth Minster for the four Parishes intheNorth-EasternUnitedStatesandmobilizetheyouth for one day Youth Camps, Tract distribution and many other outreach ministries. Also start English worship services for the young people at 9.30 a.m. on Sundays.

I hope the Lord will allow us to return toPhiladelphia soon as after Keezhillam, Philadelphia is our second home.

Do you have any suggestion for the young couples of Philadelphia Parish?

Yes a very active and vibrant couples fellowship, wouldhelptheyoungsterstogrowintheLord.

This parish has come thus far. What do you see in the future for this parish?

With the cooperation of everybody especially the young people I see a great ministry for the church in Philadelphia. We should go out and try to witness more to the Indians in the area, and win souls for the Lord.

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