Church of the East & Abroad
Church of the East & Abroad is a Christian denomination claiming its origin during the Second Temple era of Judaism. It describes itself as a Nasrani Nestorian Orthodox Church, and claims a common history with the Assyrian Church of the East, which is denied by the latter. It is one of several groups of Saint Thomas Christians tracing their origins to St. Thomas the Apostle who, according to tradition, came to India in AD 52.
Alternate names
This church has been referred by other names, such as Nazaraean Church of Jerusalem, Universal Bible Church - St. Thomas Christian Church, Mar Thoma Nasrani Church of the East & Abroad, The Nasrani-Nestorian Orthodox Church and The Nazaraean Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, The International Christian Church of Jerusalem", and the most recent "The Yeshuan Assembly of Jerusalem: Temple of Alhaym. They presently have small memberships in the USA and Abroad.
They are a very tiny association of a few home ministries in Oregon (1), Tennessee (2), Kentucky (1), Ohio (2) and Michigan (1); as well as a few in Brazil (3), Israel (1), South India (2) and Africa (1).
Apostolic Succession
As with many other religious groups, this sect claims three lines of Apostolic Succession - namely lines from The Assyrian Church of the East, The Syrian Orthodox Church of the East and what they call the Nazaraean "Desposyni" line from Jerusalem via The Ancient Royal Burmese-Nasrani Church. They believe that its present day leader is the descendant of the Desposyni, inheritants of the true Family Blood line of the Family of Jesus Christ, and beliefs from direct and private teachings, lining up to the first Church of Jerusalem and the See of Jerusalem (said to be founded by Saint James the Apostle). They also believe that its line of patriarchs originates from James the Just and the relatives of the Virgin Mary, making it a blood line directly from Jesus Christ. Other links with the bloodline and teaching of Christ were are claimed by asserting that it shared Patriarchs with the Assyrian Church of the East in the 2nd Century A.D. This group teaches that the Desposyni were leaders of a Jewish community which moved to Mesopotamia during the second century, and later fled further east to establish a community in Burma, eventually becoming the Royal Burmese Family Yaza.
In the sixteenth century the center of the church became an isolated Burmese community. In the last century, the church sources claim that their See moved to Kerala, India, then to Lisbon, Portugal, and finally to Chicago, Illinois USA. It has moved from Chicago, Illinois to Paris and Camden, Tennessee USA. Their holy See is portable, as it goes where and whenever its Leader goes and stays.
Leadership
Currently its leader Mar Michai lives in Camden, Tennessee USA. Believers hold that he is above all human judgement and their clergy are required to sign a Loyalty Oath, and visitors to the Mishqana (i.e. Holy See) May Be required to sign a Confidentiality Contract similar to those signed by members of Scientology in the past.
Beliefs
The believers state that they depend upon their scriptures, traditions, revelations and the magisterium of the Church for their faith, morals, practices and customs. They believe it is their duty to guard over the original faith of Jerusalem and have created an organization known as Guardians of Jerusalem, e.g., they observe both Sunday and the Sabbath, the Kosher food and Torah observance. They claim to be the original church, and refer to Nominal Christian churches by the name Klal Kristiani (i.e. all of anti-Semitic Christian groups), which they teach is corrupted, westernized, paganized and anti-Semitic. They now also have a new front organizations known as the International Christian Church of Jerusalem, the Yeshuan Assembly and Zijiyani Buddhaism (zijiyani.org) through which they seek to proselytize among Euro-Americans.
Burmese Conversions
It is said that in 2003 some 1000 Burmese Christians joined their church, and were granted the name Burmese Orthodox Church along the border of Myanmar extending from Laos to the Andaman Sea, in an area which they call The Kingdom of Nettara and which is actually located within Thailand's Burmese Refugee Camp Areas. The church claims that the area hosts about 25,000 of their Nettaran Christian refugees.
According to this church they also have a Sanhedrin of Nasrani Rabbis located in Jerusalem and through the world.
See also
- Church of the East & Abroad Catholicos