October 2006

Dearly Beloved in Christ,

Greetings to you in the precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

 

As we worship in our churches today, we utter very precious words.  Through our singing and praying, our confessions, and creeds, we proclaim our penitence,  beliefs and then pledge our love and loyalty to our eternal God.  Some of the most precious and significant words of the bible are words of pledges and promises.  These come from the lips of those who have committed their lives to God and to Christ.  “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord,” promised Joshua 24:15.  “Here I am! Send me,” exclaimed Isaiah 6:8.  “I will lay down my life for you,” proclaimed Peter in John 13:37.

           

However the fact of the matter is, that words alone do not constitute a commitment. There is a distinct precariousness in making such verbal commitments.  We know this well by our many innumerable failures to follow through on our commitments.  We fail by not being able to translate our commitments into obedient activities in our daily lives.  Peter did not follow through on his heroic commitment.  Only after Christ’s resurrection was he restored to a loving and obedient relationship with his savior.  Not only is it precarious to make verbal commitments, but there is the privilege of repentance and restoration when we fail to follow through with these commitments.  Therefore, commitments should not be made unless we are truly sincere.  Even when we renege in our promises to follow Christ, he never ceases to reach out to us seeking always to restore us to a loving and obedient relationship with him.

           

May the almighty Lord help us to lead an authentic Christian life.

 

Let us always be happy with the Lord.

Yours in Christ’s Love

Jojan Achen

Rev. Jojan Mathews John (Vicar)

We are blessed to be under the pastoral guidance and leadership of Rev. Jojan Mathew John as Vicar of St. Thomas Mar Thoma Church NY. Achen's mother parish in India is Kuttapuzha Varicadu Sehion Mar Thoma Church located inThiruvalla. Achen attended college at Mar Thoma College, Thiruvalla; completed his M. Phil. from Bombay and received a Bachelors in Divinity from Mar Thoma Theological Seminary, Kottayam.

Rev. Jojan M. John was ordained as a priest in the Mar Thoma Church on July 6, 1994 and has served as Vicar previously at Trivandram Quillon Diocese (Kovilloor , Mezhacodu, Melpalai and Kuttamala[Kulasekharam Center] ) for five years and Mar Thoma Church Thane, Mumbai for five years.

Jojan Achen was the convener for Land for Landless project and council member of the Trivadram Quilon Diocese. He served also as the president of the 35th Western India Youth Conference in 2001, Mumbai. In his many roles Achen has served very well as an administrator, organizer, and is also a talented singer.

Achen's wife is Mrs. Susan Mathews John BSc, BEd, and children, Vishakh John Mathews, age 5, and Vrindha Chinnu Mathews, age 2. Achen's father, Rev. V. K. John, is a senior priest of the Mar Thoma Church.

 

Jojan Achen's Address in India is:

Varikkamakkal House

Chumathra P.O.

Kuttapuzha, Thiruvalla 689103

Phone: 0469-2601424

 

 

email Jojan Achen at
revjmj@yahoo.co.in
 

 

 

Vicars of the Past Quarter Century
(including Vicars of the Mar Thoma Congregation of Greater New York)


Mar Thoma Congregation of Greater New York

Rev. Oommen Koruthu

(Student Achen later elevated as 
Bishop Zacharias Mar Theophilus)

May 1975 — Aug. 1975

Rev. K. S. Mathew 

(Student Achen)

Sept. 1975 – Sept. 1977

Rev. Thomas P. George  

(Student Achen)

Sept. 1977 – Aug. 1979

(Late) Rev. M. V. Benjamin  

 

Sept. 1979 – May 1981


St. Thomas Mar Thoma Church, New York

(Late) Rev. M. V. Benjamin

Co-Chairman Ad-hoc Committee Church in formation   

Oct. 1980 - Jan. 1981

 

Vicar                                     

 Jan. 1981 - May 1981

(Late) Rev. K. J. Philip

Co-Chairman  Ad-hoc Committee Church in formation

 Oct. 1980 - Jan. 1981

 

Associate Vicar                    

Jan. 1981 - Aug. 1981

Rev. N. M. Cherian

Vicar of all Mar  Thoma Congregations in New York

May 1981 - June 1983

Rev. Dr. T. Jacob Thomas    

(Student Achen)

 

 

Assistant Vicar

July 1981 - May 1983

 

Vicar   

June 1983 - Mar. 1985

Rev. George Varghese

 

Mar. 1985 - April 1989

Rev. Johnson Varghese      

 

June 1989 - May 1992

Rev. Dr. T. P. Abraham  

 

June 1992 - May 1995

Rev. P. M.  Thomas

 

May 1995 - April 1999

Rev. K. Y. Jacob         

 

May 1999 - June 1999

Rev. Thomas P. Chandy   

 

June 1999 – May 2002

Rev. Dr. K. A. Abraham     

 

May 2002 - August 2004

Rev. Jojan Mathews John

 

May 2004 - Present