BELIEVERS EASTERN CHURCH COLOMBO ARCH DIOCESE

The journey of the Believers Eastern Church began in 1978 when Moran Mor Athanasius Yohan I founded Gospel for Asia with a specific vision to empower indigenous missionaries across South Asia. As these mission fields experienced rapid growth, the need for a formal ecclesiastical structure led to the official establishment of Believers Church in 1993. In its early stages, the church functioned with an evangelical and independent focus, placing its primary priority on rapid community outreach and extensive church planting.

Moran Mor Athanasius Yohan I Metropolitan of Believers Eastern Church has had innumerable encounters during his early years of the missionary work. These experiences have embedded an increasing passion and love of Christ in him to serve the poor and the downtrodden in order to bring hope, peace and comfort to the needy and hurting.

A significant transformation took place in 2003 as the leadership sought to anchor the denomination within historical Christian tradition, resulting in the adoption of an episcopal governance model led by bishops. During this transition, His Holiness Moran Mor Athanasius Yohan I was consecrated as the first Metropolitan and by bishops from the Church of South India and the Church of North India, a move intended to link the church to the historical apostolic succession of the early Church Fathers. To further solidify this identity as an Eastern, liturgical, and orthodox body, the denomination was officially renamed Believers Eastern Church in 2017.

Today, the church is governed by a Holy Synod consisting of a council of bishops, with a Metropolitan. Its spiritual identity remains firmly rooted in the Nicene Creed, while its worship centers on the Holy Eucharist. This unique evangelical-orthodox BLEND allows the church to maintain its original passion for mission and social work while strictly adhering to ancient, traditional liturgical practices.

In the current era, the church has navigated a significant leadership transition following the accidental death of First Metropolitan His Holiness Moran Mor Athanasius Yohan I Metropolitan in May 2024. Today, under the leadership of His Holiness Moran Mor Samuel Theophilus Metropolitan, the church maintains a global reach of 23 Bishops, including the Metropolitan Bishop, and has 3.5 million members in 93 Dioceses across 18 countries which represent more than 300 distinct languages, varied cultures and customs.

The main focus and work concentration is on the following areas :-

1. Child Welfare and Development (Hope for Children Projects)

• Educational support (school supplies, tuition classes, scholarships)
• Nutrition programs for underprivileged children
• Child protection and awareness programs
• Leadership and value-based development activities

2. Education and Skill Development

• Establishment of tuition centers in rural and estate sectors to reduce school dropouts.
• Conducting English language and vocational training programs for youth and unemployed individuals.
• Supporting children to continue formal education and preventing child labor.

3. Livelihood Support Programs

• Implementation of income-generating projects, including:
  • Distribution of poultry (chicken) and livestock
  • Small business support for low-income families

• These programs aim to improve economic self-sufficiency and reduce poverty in vulnerable communities.

4. Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation

• The Church has actively responded to national emergencies, especially:
  • Relief efforts, providing food, shelter, and long-term rehabilitation
  • Ongoing assistance during floods and other natural disasters

• Support includes emergency aid, rebuilding assistance, and community recovery programs.

5. Healthcare and Medical Outreach

• Organization of medical camps in rural and underserved areas
• Providing:
  • Basic health check-ups
  • Eye clinics and awareness programs
  • Support for vulnerable and elderly individuals

• Promoting public health awareness and hygiene education

6. Jesus Well, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH Programs)

• Installation of safe drinking water systems in communities lacking access
• Promotion of sanitation facilities and hygiene education
• Improving overall community health standards

7. Women and Community Empowerment

• Programs focused on:
  • Supporting widows and single mothers
  • Skills training for women to start small-scale businesses
  • Counseling and community support initiatives

• Encouraging social stability and family development

8. Youth Development and Social Awareness

• Conducting:
  • Youth leadership programs
  • Awareness campaigns on social issues such as drug prevention and child protection

9. Encouraging youth to become responsible and productive citizens

• Regular worship services and pastoral care across all parishes
• Promoting peace, unity, and inter-community harmony
• Engaging in community-based activities that foster mutual respect among different religious and ethnic groups

I trust that you are aware of the work and mission we are involved in which follows the faith and traditions of the Orthodox Church. The Believers Eastern Church adheres to the Nicene Creed, Biblical Faith, and traditions of the historical church backed up with its own Canonical Constitution

The ministry in Sri Lanka began in 1994 and has remained stable in its vision, mission, and outreach work for 32 years. The Church is located at No. 54, Jayasuriya Mawatha, Kandana. St. Peter’s Cathedral and the Archdiocese office are both located in Kandana under the leadership of Archbishop His Eminence Geevarghese Mor Makariose Episcopa.

There are 38 parishes across Sri Lanka belonging to the Believers Eastern Church. The ministry also operates 13 "Hope for Children" projects island-wide, which benefit 2,400 children and 13,388 families. Additionally, seminary training for Priesthood is located in Lunuwila, Wennappuwa.

Believers Eastern Church Colombo Archdiocese has been a true companion to the people of Sri Lanka, providing quick assistance in the form of humanitarian aid at times when the people of Sri Lanka were most vulnerable. Since 2004 tsunami disaster the church responded immediately by offering provisions like food, medicines, and temporary shelters to the victims who had lost everything. They did not stop at that point, as they went further to build 200 houses for the affected people, including a project where they built 50 houses in Kosgoda.

In the Church’s concern for creation and the general welfare of society, it performs acts of service on a regular basis, such as planting 1,000 saplings annually and conducting Shramadhana campaigns occasionally. In response to the disastrous floods that hit the Southern Province in 2017, the Church again showed its willingness to serve others through the provision of dry rations and other essentials that would aid people in surviving the crisis. This initiative involved an aspect that characterized the Church’s response to the disaster, and that is how it responded to the plight of those affected by offering humanitarian assistance to the Mahiyangana Raja Maha Viharaya in addition to other people. In this respect, the Church not only sought to meet the needs of the victims but also provided human development by facilitating various awareness campaigns and workshops.

In the COVID-19 era, we have been working alongside the Ministry of Health, providing medical and hygiene supplies. During the financial crunch that happened in 2022, we joined hands with the District Secretary and the Divisional Secretary in giving dry rations and educational materials to needy children. Our organization has also organized sustainable programs for assisting those families in economic hardship; these included distributing chickens and conducting agriculture and sewing classes.

As a consequence of the unexpected flooding disaster of 2024, our church worked together with the Seethawaka and Eheliyagoda Divisional Secretariats in helping 1,000 families by delivering dry rations for one month. We also started reconstruction work by building six new houses for the affected families whose houses were completely destroyed due to the floods. Realizing the dire requirement for drinking water among the people, we initiated the project "Jesus Well," which provided clean drinking water for almost 20,000 families in the North Central Province, Anuradhapura, Thibiriwewa, and Galgamuwa; and in the South, Neluwa, Deniyaya, Sevanagala, Kowul Ara, and Delthota regions. Lastly, as a response to the recent “Ditwah” floods in 2025, the church donated dry rations and cooked meals to the evacuees and cleaned public wells upon the government’s request.

Our humanitarian programs have been expanded internationally as well, which includes the program to construct a Modern Technology Large Hospital. While our proposal to build the hospital in Sri Lanka was rejected, currently, it has been planned in Rwanda, Africa. The first phase of construction started in 2023, while its completion is due by 2026. On the visit of our Metropolitan to Sri Lanka, the former Gampaha Director General Honorable Ruchira Vithanage showed an interest in a second look at the idea for a hospital in Sri Lanka.

It should be mentioned that all of our humanitarian endeavors have taken place under the cooperation with the public administration and government institutions. We will try our best to enhance our cooperation with the government to ensure basic needs of people are met and to alleviate poverty.

Information about our Diocese offices and services provided can be viewed on our official website https://www.bec.org// and you are always welcome to visit our Diocesan office or request any further information which we will provide.