THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Nearly 1,600 voting members of Mateer Memorial CSI Church who attended a general body meeting unanimously rejected a proposal against illegal acquisition of the church and its associated properties to declare it as a cathedral. TNIE had reported on the issue on January 30.
An action council has been formed with Rajaprasad as president and C F Santhosh Kumar and Sarjine Thomas as conveners to take necessary legal steps to protect the church properties. The Mateer Memorial Church is a 184-year-old congregation under the CSI, which follows the congregational style of worship.
The action council conveners told TNIE that the status quo is that there is no hierarchical authority in the administration and individual congregations are given constitutional right to exercise local administration without external influence.
“This being the case, a non-elected administrative committee of the CSI, South Kerala Diocese had recently proposed the acquisition of the church to name it as its cathedral, with the intention of depriving the congregation of its place of worship, fellowship, and our spiritual home as a community which dates back to our ancestors. Also, we have been denied the right to have our own independent, democratically elected office-bearers to manage the affairs of the M M Church”, said the action council conveners.