10. Reflections on Kerala Christian Diaspora Mr. Thomas Varghese

“You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). These are the last documented words that Jesus spoke to His disciples before ascending into heaven. From that little group of disciples, Christianity has grown globally into two billion-plus adherents currently. Wherever the early Christians ended up in different parts of the world voluntarily or involuntarily, they preached the good news (Gospel). The Book of Acts states that, due to persecution, the followers of Christ were dispersed in Judea and Samaria, where they preached the Gospel. With Saul’s conversion and the witness and teaching of other disciples and believers, the good news was preached to the gentiles, and beyond Judea and Samaria. Apostle Thomas brought the Gospel to India.

For many centuries, Kerala Christians remained dormant and restricted to the State, engaging in agriculture and local trade. With the arrival of the Europeans and Western missionaries, Kerala Christians availed of the new educational opportunities, which enabled them to leave the State for career opportunities. With the availability of the Bible in Malayalam and reformation in the Church, the missionary zeal was also rekindled. Many congregations were established in the major cities of Kerala, as Christians gained employment with the government and the private sector and took up residences there.

The British rule in India gave educated/trained Kerala Christians opportunities to seek careers all over India. This led to the establishment of Kerala churches in all the major Indian cities. Many mission fields were also started by the initiatives of Kerala Christians in various parts of India. Following the World Wars and the advancement of travel, Kerala Christians were able to move to other parts of the British empire outside India. Many Kerala Churches and congregations have been established in Asia and Africa.

The latter part of the 20th century also witnessed the Kerala Christian diaspora spreading to North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. In the US, pre-1960s immigration laws severely limited Asian immigration. Highly qualified students and scholars came for education and research, but returned to India at the end of their US tenures. Very few stayed behind, taking permanent employment positions or marrying local spouses. President Lyndon Johnson liberalized the US immigration laws in the 1960s, which opened the doors for Indians to acquire jobs and seek permanent residency. Subsequent decades have seen large-scale migration of Kerala Christians to the US, leading to the formation of community organizations and Malayalee churches. Initially, with smaller number of members, the Mar Thoma Church leadership considered establishing communion with American churches, advising Marthomites to join the local American churches. However, with the arrival of larger numbers of Marthomites, their inability to assimilate quickly and their desire to hold onto Kerala traditions, Mar Thoma churches and congregations were sanctioned and a North America and Europe Diocese established. From those small beginnings, the Mar Thoma Church in North America has grown to what it is today, with multiple churches in all major cities of North America, mission fields and many charitable endeavors.

To share my own experience, I arrived in Philadelphia as a graduate student in 1970 and has lived in USA and Canada for over half a century as my life evolved, as a student, family man, professional, parent and grandparent. My wife and I have participated in the establishment and growth of several Mar Thoma churches in Canada and the USA. We have witnessed the birth and growth of the Kerala Christian diaspora as a whole in the USA and Canada for more than a generation. In those days there were very few Indians, let alone Malayalees in a major city like Philadelphia, if you came across an Indian in the street, you stopped and chatted and probably invited him home for dinner.

The few Christians, from all denominations, came together occasionally, usually in the basement of a local church or a university hall. If there was a visiting clergy from any denomination, he usually conducted a Holy communion service. For Christmas or Easter, the practice was to go to New York to attend Malayalam services there. A potluck meal often followed these get togethers. For the homesick diaspora, these occasions provided great comfort and encouragement. These gatherings gave them an avenue to share their experiences, voice their concerns and seek guidance.

Most of the immigrants lived in low-cost, often roachinfested, inner-city apartments that were some times in unsafe neighborhoods. Many did not have cars and had to depend on public transportation to get to work, shopping and recreation. Even if you had money in India, it was next to impossible to convert them to dollars due to Indian foreign currency restrictions and low exchange rates at about a tenth of the current rates. Also, almost all had to send money home to support parents, siblings and other family members. However, they helped and supported each other in many ways.

modate someone in your small apartment for months until he found employment. Helping someone with acquiring a driver’s license, babysitting each other’s children, helping with moving, sometimes on foot, and assisting with negotiating a car deal were all part of the assistance provided. Before the Internet, cell phones and cheap overseas calls, snail mail was the main mode of communications. Lack of spoken communication skills to the adopted community sometimes limited their ability to gain employment. All these factors contributed to the formation of Malayalamcentered churches and community organizations so that the immigrants could socialize and help each other.

The resourceful immigrants acquired American skills and education and their employment and economic situation improved. They advanced in their careers, started owning houses, cars and luxury items and began to live the American dream. Utilizing the liberal immigration policies, they brought their parents and siblings to the country and their numbers have increased exponentially. This has led to the rapid growth of Kerala Christian churches in all the major cities, with multiple congregations of the same denomination. North American Dioceses were established by almost all Kerala Christian churches, with clergy and bishops from India assigned to lead the parishes.

Initially, the Kerala Christian churches met in the basements of local churches who often let them use it free of charge. In some instances, we abused that privilege by not being punctual, failing to clean up properly, being noisy and many other such transgressions. In other cases, the churches met in schools or community halls which charged minimal rent. Gradually Kerala Christians realized the need for their own facilities even though they were struggling financially. With so much effort and sacrifice they started buying their own buildings, typically old churches that were no longer used by American congregations. Where zoning permitted, they converted empty warehouses, office buildings or other facilities into churches. More prosperous congregations started from scratch, buying land, obtaining church zoning, designing facilities according to their requirements and erecting the buildings. As communities prospered churches also prospered, acquiring and improving their own worship facilities, supporting clergy, taking on mission projects locally and overseas The first-generation immigrants valued education and self-reliance. Their American-born children or the young children they brought from Kerala were encouraged and supported by the immigrant parents to get professional education and good careers. For the most part they were successful. Many of them occupy high positions in all professions, probably much higher than any other immigrant community in North America. Their limited proficiency in Malayalam as well as the atmosphere they grew up prompted many Malayalee youths to attend local churches and engage in mission endeavors. We have Malayalee pastors, bishops and elders in local churches. The second generation is also getting into politics and are beginning to get positions of power in local governments, as councilmen, state representatives, mayors, judges etc. A few are making their mark as media persons.

With the assimilation of our youth into the local American community, serious consideration must be given to the future course of the Malayalee churches and cultural institutions that the first-generation immigrants established through so much sacrifice. It is a possibility that some locations may close as arrival of Christians from India trickles down and the second and third generations assimilate to the local churches.

We see some adaptation to cater to the young members, often with resistance from the first-generation immigrants. Effort is also made to ordain clergy from the local second-generation candidates. Limited activity is also happening in mission work locally, in India and internationally. Success of these initiatives is imperative if we have to maintain a presence of Kerala Christian churches in North America in the future.

In all through this process, we have to ask the question, “Have we contributed to fulfilling Jesus’ commission? Were we His witnesses in Kerala, India and to the end of the earth?” We could have done better. Perhaps we were concerned too much with our own survival and prosperity that it was in the back burner. If we got another chance, will we do it differently? I hope and pray we will all make use of the privileges and resources that are available to us to be true witnesses as long as the Lord allows us to live!

*Thomas Varghese studied up to BSc. Engineering from Kerala University, before pursuing Masters and Doctoral education at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA. In his lifelong engineering career spanning half a century in North America, he has worked for major corporations and the Federal governments of USA and Canada. Thomas Varghese and family has been members of the Philadelphia Mar Thoma Church, Canadian Mar Thoma Church, Mar Thoma Church of Greater Washington and Immanuel Mar Thoma Church of Virginia, serving in various capacities, including some churches from their inception, now living in Sterling, Virginia.