Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church Constitution

DIOCESE

A. Diocesan Assembly

45. Every diocese shall have a Diocesan Assembly.

46: The following shall be the members of the Diocesan Assembly, viz

a) A priest from each Parish Church elected by the Parish Assembly, provide that if in any Parish Church, there is only one priest, he shall be the priest representative of the Parish Church without the need of an election.

b) (i) One layman member elected by the Parish Assembly of each Parish Church whose membership does not exceed 100 members.

ii) One more additional layman member to be elected by the Parish Assembly of a Parish Church having a membership of more than 100 members but not exceeding 250 members.

iii) One more additional layman to be elected by the Parish Assembly of a Parish Church having membership exceeding 250 members but not exceeding 500 members.

iv)One more additional layman to be elected by the Parish Assembly of a Parish Church having membership exceeding 500 members but not exceeding 750 members.

v) One more additional layman to be elected by the Parish Assembly of a Parish Church having membership exceeding 750 members but not exceeding 1000 members

vi)One more additional layman to be elected by the Parish Assembly of a Parish Church having membership exceeding 1000 members but not exceeding 1250 members

vii) One more additional layman to be elected by the Parish Assembly of a Parish Church having membership exceeding 1250 members but not exceeding 1500 members

viii) One more additional layman to be elected by the Parish Assembly of a Parish Church having membership exceeding 1500 members but not exceeding 1750 members

ix) One more additional layman to be elected by the Parish Assembly of a Parish Church having membership exceeding1750 members but not exceeding 2000 members

x) One more additional layman to be elected by the Parish Assembly of a Parish Church having a membership of more than 2000members.

c) The term of members elected under clause (a) and (b) shall be five years.” Members in the Article 46 as amended above refer to members as contemplated by and as mentioned in clause (7) of the 1934 Constitution (which deals with Parish Church and Parish Assembly)

Note: 1Election of members of the Association and the Diocesan Assemblies shall take place on the basis of amended/substituted Articles 71 and 46 aforementioned on or before 30 April 1997.

Note: 2 The membership of each Parish Church shall be determined with reference to the entries in the relevant register maintained by each Parish Church as on the date of judgment of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in the Church case i.e. 20 June 1996.

47. Election of the Diocesan Secretary and the members of the Diocesan Council, appointment of auditor to examine the accounts of the income and expenditure of the Diocese, consideration of the auditors report, adoption of the Annual Accounts and consideration and decisions of matters necessary fir Diocese are within the functions of the Diocesan Assembly.

48. The Diocesan Metropolitan shall convene the Diocesan Assembly.

49. The Diocesan Metropolitan shall be the President of the Diocesan Assembly and shall preside over the Diocesan Assembly.

50 There shall be a Secretary for the Diocesan Assembly who shall be elected by the Diocesan Assembly and such election shall be valid if confirmed by the Diocesan Metropolitan. The Diocesan Assembly may with approval of the Diocesan Metropolitan remove the Secretary from office without assigning any reason.

51. The duties of the Secretary include the recording and maintaining the correct accounts of the income and expenditure of the Diocese, preparing and presenting statements of accounts to the Diocesan Council at least twice a year and thereafter presenting he said Statement of Accounts to the Diocesan Assembly and the recording and keeping the minutes of the Diocesan Assembly and the Diocesan Council.

52. The Secretary shall get printed the Statement of Accounts passed by the Diocesan Assembly and forward a copy of such statement to every church within the Diocese and one copy to the Malankara Metropolitan.

53. The monies of the Diocese shall be deposited in the name of the Diocesan Metropolitan.

54. The acquisition of any immovable property for the Diocese or the disposal of or creation of any charge on any immovable property of Diocese shall be done by the Diocesan Metropolitan and the Diocesan Secretary jointly and in pursuance of a decision thereto made by the Diocesan Assembly and written consent of the Malankara Metropolitan.

55. The Diocesan Assembly shall meet at least once a year.

B. Diocesan Council.

56. Every Diocese shall have a Diocesan Council.

57. Two Priests and four laymen elected by the Diocesan Assembly and the Diocesan Secretary shall be the members of the Council. Their term of office shall be three years. If in the meantime any vacancy arises in the Council the remaining members have the right to co-opt another instead.

58. The Secretary of the Diocesan Assembly shall be the Secretary of the council also.

59. The Diocesan Metropolitan shall convene the Council and shall preside over the meeting. The Metropolitan and three members shall constitute a quorum. The Diocesan Council shall meet at least twice a year.

60. In case any expenditure out of the Diocesan monies is to be made the Diocesan Metropolitan and the majority of the remaining members of the Council shall agree.

61. The Diocesan Council shall prepare a budget for the Income and Expenditure of the Diocese and the Secretary shall incur expenditure only as provided in the budget. If additional expenditure is to be made it shall be incurred only with the approval of the Council. But in the event of any urgency the Secretary may spend under the orders of the Diocesan Metropolitan an amount not exceeding Rupees two hundred. Any such expenditure incurred without authority of the Council shall be reported at the next meeting of the Council.

62. Appeal may be made to the Malankara Metropolitan against any decision of the Diocesan Metropolitan and the Malankara Metropolitan shall hear the appeal matter before his Advisory Council and make decision in consultation with the Council. If Malankara Metropolitan deems it fit, he may issue a stay order that the decision of the Diocesan Metropolitan shall not be implemented till the decision of the appeal matter, and the Diocesan Metropolitan shall abide by such order.

C. Diocesan Metropolitan.

63 Every Diocese shall have a Diocesan Metropolitan.

64. The Catholicos in consultation with the Malankara Association Managing

Committee and according to the recommendation of the Malankara Episcopal Synod allocate Dioceses to the Metropolitans.

65. Matters concerning faith, order and discipline shall, subject to the decisions of the Malankara Episcopal Synod, be under the control of the Diocesan Metropolitan

66. The Diocesan Metropolitan shall carry on the administration of the Dioceses under their care subject to the supervision of the Malankara Metropolitan.

67. The expenses of the Diocesan Metropolitan on his visit to the churches of his Diocese shall be borne by such churches.

68. A Diocesan Metropolitan has no right to ordain a member of another Diocese or perform any administrative act within the limits of another diocese without the request or consent of the Metropolitan of that Diocese.

69. If there be any personal acquisitions for a Diocesan Metropolitan at the time of his death which have not been included in his will, the same shall remain under the control of the Catholicos.

Candidates Diocese of South West America Rev Fr Reji Mathew ( Dallas) Diocesan Council Election   Rev. Fr. Rege Mathew (B.D; M.A; M.Ed; M.Th.) Born on May 21, 1959 as the fourth child of Mr. K. E. Mathew and Mrs. Thankamma Mathew of Punnamoottil, Mavelikara, Kerala State, India. ·        Held Theological Education at Orthodox Theological Seminary, Kottayam, Kerala, India,  from 1979 to 1983 and was awarded B.D degree ·        April 14, 1983 ordained as a full deacon April 15, 1983 ordained to priesthood by H.G. Mathews Mar Coorilos      Metropolitan (Later, Blessed Catholicos, H.H MathewII)     Experience: Parish and School/College Activities 1983-1985 ·        Asst. Vicar: St. Thomas Orthodox Church, Kollakadavu, Mavelikara, Kerala, India. St. Mary’s Orthodox Church, Karazhma, Mavelikara, Kerala, India. 1985-1989 ·        Vicar: St. Mary’s Orthodox Church, Kanpur, UP St. Thomas Orthodox Church, Ranukot, UP St. Gregorios Orthodox Church, Singrauli, MP ·        Principal & Manager, St. Mary’s School, Kanpur, UP ·        Upgraded the above school from Primary level (1-4) to middle School status (1-8 grades), and expanded the student body from less than 150 to over 800 ·        Board Member, Hindustan Aeronautics School, Kanpur, UP ·        EarnedM.A. (History) degree from V.S.S.D. College, Kanpur, MP in 1986   1989-1992 ·        Vicar: St. Thomas Orthodox Church, Ambala, Haryana St. George Orthodox Church, Jalandhar St. Thomas Orthodox Church, Batinda, Punjab ·        Instrumental for completion of a new parsonage at Ambala & a new church at Jalandhar ·        Teacher, Holy Angel’s School, Rajpura, Punjab ·        EarnedB.Ed. and M.Ed. degrees in first class fromSohanlal Dav College, Ambala, Haryana 1992-1995 ·        Vicar: St. Paul’s Orthodox Church, Gwalior, MP St. George Orthodox Church, Jhansi, UP 1995-1997 ·        Secretary to H.H. Baselios Mar Thoma Mathews II with special responsibility of developing the Public School at Karapuzha, Kottayam ·        Vicar, Aramana Chapel, Kunnamkulam Diocese ·        Manager, Seminary Church, Thazhakara, Mavelikara 1997-2002 ·        Lecturer, Holy Trinity Theological College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia ·        Held additional positions as Academic Commission Secretary, Department Head of Systematic Studies & Research Section, and Deputy Chief Editor of College Publication “The Wisdom” ·        Learned to speak Amharic (Ethiopian official language) fluently ·        Addressed the General Assembly of World Orthodox Youth Conference(SYNDESMOS) held in Finland, 1999 ·        Addressed at the African Regional Education Conference, UNESCO, 1999 2002-2003 ·        Awarded International Student Scholarship for Master of Theology program at Princeton Seminary, New Jersey, USA §        AwardedM.Th. with distinction ·        Vicar: St. Gregorios Orthodox Church, Westchester, New York, USA                        2004-present Vicar: St. Thomas Orthodox Church, Lufkin, TX, USA. Vicar: St. Thomas Orthodox Church, Plano, TX, USA Secretary: South West Diocese Clergy Association. Teacher, Garland ISD, TX USA Mr Charly Varghese Padanilam  Did serve as: MGOCSM (St. Bazil Association, Catholicate College, Pathanamthitta) Committee. Sunday School Teacher, Youth Movement Secretary, Prayer meeting Coordinator (St. Thomas Orthodox Church, Padanilam) Parish Managing Committee, Auditor, Youth Movement Vice- President, Church Construction committee, Public relation committee convener, Secretary, Diocesan Assembly & Malankara Association Member ( St. Thomas Orthodox Church , Dubai, U.A.E.) Sunday School Teacher, Auditor, Managing committee, Prayer meeting coordinator, member of Malankara Association & Diocesan Assembly (St. Stephen’s Orthodox Church, Houston, TX.) Current Council Member of Diocese of South-West America. Worked as the Regional Accountant of Lebanese Insurance Company. L.L.C ,Dubai, UAE, Administrative Director UAE and south India of Trans Arabian Air Services(GSA Qatar Air), Founding General Manager of Belhasa Travels, Tourism & Cargo, Dubai , UAE. Founding member & President of Friends Society in Dubai, Founding Chairman of Kerala Jyothi Cultural Society in Dubai. Board Member of Greater Houston Malayaly Association, Houston. Director Board Secretary of Orthodox TV Inc., Doing Real Estate business in Houston.   We have implemented a merit scholarship for the Orthodox students and financial Assistance to seminarians and deacons in our diocese, planning for financial assistance to needy among our members in our diocese and have a plan to help the students in financial aid with your kind co-operation. It is my aim to implement the Centralized salary & transfer system for clergy in our diocese. We studied and made a report and hope it could implement stage by stage with after the election of the Malankara association in March 2012 as the Kalapana should come out from the Diocesan Metropolitan. It needs a fund and a plan is charting out for that to raise the fund. A plan for a very good center for our diocese in a suitable location and regional centers in all regions. The diocese is implementing the Youth Ministers program and Youth ministers are being posting in region wise. As it is the infant stage of the diocese it will take little time to bring the plans in execution and definitely we could achieve that in the 5 year plan. Establish an Orthodox seminary in America with the association of both the American diocese and the diocese of Europe is one of my dreams along with you all. Unified liturgical committee is working to unify the worship liturgies. Social security and pension plans for clergies are consulting with the experts to finalize it. The council proposed a minimum salary for the part time as $1,500 and $2500 for a full time clergy and that could implement by pooling system and we need your kind co-operation to implement it.  I shall work to bring the diocese to the progress than driving the fund of the diocese to outside. I have time and experience to work and I am dedicated to serve the Church since my childhood. Charly Varughese  Phone: (281) 682-0623 Web: http://www.har.com/charly        Mr Elson Samuel ( Dallas) Let me start this letter with a self-introduction. I am Elson Samuel, currently a member of St.Mary’s Malankara Orthodox Church of Dallas in Farmers Branch, Texas. My home parish is St. Stephens Malankara Orthodox Church in Kattanam (Kattanam Valiya Pally). I request your prayers and whole hearted support to contest in the Diocese Council election as to be one among the lay members. I started my church activities through Orthodox Christian Youth Movement. I served as a Unit Secretary and then as a group organizer. Also I was a Sunday School teacher in my home parish. Then I moved to Kuwait and I was a member of St. Thomas Indian Orthodox Church in Ahmadi. I was the Parish Secretary as per the Kalpana of late H.G Stephanos Mar Theodosios of Calcutta Diocese and when Rev. Fr. M.J Mathews and Rev. Fr. Abraham Thomas were the Vicars. Then I migrated to USA and became a member of St. Thomas Malankara Orthodox Church, South Florida. I have received an opportunity to serve as the Secretary of this Church too as per the Kalpana of H.G Mathews Mar Bernabas with Vicar Rev. Fr. George Daniel (Benny Achen). Then I moved to Dallas, Texas and joined with St. Mary’s Malankara Orthodox Church of Dallas in Farmers Branch, an ancient Church in USA which was established in 1973. I was elected as the Secretary of this parish in 2010, appointed by H.G Alexios Mar Eusebios, when our new Church building worth $4.5 million was being built. Our vicar is Rev. Fr. Thampan Varghese.   I would like to share my visions for the next five years, if I get elected to the Diocese Council: 1.      I promise to work efficiently and effectively with Diocesan Metropolitan, Cor-Episcopos, Achens, Deacons and Church members for the better prospects of our Diocese. Also I will try my best to hold our Church’s tradition and dignity. 2.      I will work together with the Diocese officials to implement Clergy’s transfer and decent salary system. 3.      Will try to uplift our youngsters to the main stream of church by giving considerable importance to MGOCSM and Focus. 4.      We need to have a very good Diocesan Center which includes a Retreat Center, Theological Seminary, Library, individual offices for all Spiritual Organizations etc.. 5.      Strengthen the regional activities through the elected Diocese Assembly members. 6.      We need to strengthen all Spiritual Organizations for participating all age groups including Sunday School, Martha Mariam Samajam, Youth movement, Prayer Meeting, Divya Bodhanam etc.. Elson Samuel Tel.                         214-449 8556             Email: forelson@gmail.com.