A SISTERLY ASSISTANCE TO THE THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE OF LANKA FROM THE MALANAKRA CHURCH

Kalmeshwr / Nagpur : St. Thomas Orthodox Theological Seminary (STOTS) , Nagpur sent  Mrs. Mercy John, a faculty member to teach New Testament at Theological College of Lanka (TCL) in  Kandy, Sri Lanka. TCL is the only accredited Ecumenical Theological College among the Protestant churches of Sri Lanka, which not only maintains its ecumenical foundation, but also brings together the Sinhala and Tamil students who are both men and women in a fellowship both at work and at leisure. TCL is affiliated to the Senate of Serampore. Mercy  Kochamma spent three weeks there  from the middle of June 2017 and took 55 hours of classes to the Seminary students from Anglican, Methodist, Baptist and Presbyterian Churches. Live translations to Tamil and Sinhala languages were arranged for the students. The sisterly assistance from the new Seminary of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church by accepting the invitation of Theological College of Lanka, when they were lacking a Biblical Scholar in the faculty,  was well appreciated by the students and the faculty of TCL.  They expressed  their sincere gratitude to Mercy Kochamma  as well as to St. Thomas Orthodox Theological Seminary. Mrs. Mercy John is the first lady faculty from India and the only scholar from Malankara who rendered her service to a Theological College in Sri Lanka. Mrs. Mercy John and her husband Fr. John Mathew are  dedicated members of the  faculty of  STOTS from 2011.