Believers Eastern Church supreme head, Athanasius Yohan I, dies in US

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The life of Athanasius Yohan

Born as KP Yohannan in 1950 in the village of Niranam near Thiruvalla, he dedicated his life to serving God after finishing high school.

“In obedience to the Great Commission of the Lord Jesus Christ, he then spent the next eight years of his life proclaiming the gospel and doing charitable works in South Asia,” a church document said.

Receiving theological training in the US in the 1970s, Yohannan founded a missionary organisation, which eventually became one of the largest missionary and church-planting movements in many Asian nations.

On 6 February 2003, he was consecrated and elevated as the Metropolitan of the Believers Eastern Church.

In accordance with the Orthodox Christian tradition, he took the name Athanasius Yohan in honor of his beloved patron saints, St Athanasius, the defender of orthodoxy, and St John (Yohan) the Apostle and Evangelist.

Under his leadership, the church has grown over the last two decades, with more than 12,000 parishes established in Asia and Africa.

He is also the founding patron of the St Ignatius Theological Seminary, the Believers Church Residential School, and the Believers Church Medical College & Hospital in Thiruvalla.

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Condolences pour in

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday condoled the demise of the head of Kerala-based Believers Eastern Church, Athanasius Yohan I, saying he will be remembered for his service to society.

The 74-year-old Metropolitan, who met with a car accident in the United States on May 7, died in a hospital in Dallas on Wednesday.

“I am pained by the passing away of the Metropolitan of Believers Eastern Church, Moran Mor Athanasius Yohan. He will be remembered for his service to society and emphasis on improving the quality of life of the downtrodden. My thoughts are with his family and all devotees of the Believers Church. May his soul rest in peace,” Modi said in a post on ‘X’.

I am pained by the passing away of the Metropolitan of Believers Eastern Church, Moran Mor Athanasius Yohan. He will be remembered for his service to society and emphasis on improving the quality of life of the downtrodden. My thoughts are with his family and all devotees of the…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 9, 2024

Apart from Modi, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, VD Satheesan, are among those who condoled the demise of Athanasius Yohan.

“Heartfelt condolences on the sad demise of H.H Moran Mor Athanasius Yohan I Metropolitan, BelieversEastern Church. He served Church& society with a vision on healthcare, education & tribal welfare. May his soul RIP,” Khan said in the message posted on ‘X’.

In his message, Vijayan said the passing away of the Metropolitan is a great loss to the Church, ecumenical movements, and the general public.

“He took the lead in forming the Believers Eastern Church and growing the church to a level where it makes great contributions in the fields of health, education, and welfare in Kerala, other Indian states, and foreign countries,” Vijayan said in a statement.

Satheesan said the Metropolitan was a personality who extended a helping hand in the fields of health and education.

“The death of the Metropolitan is a great loss to the Believers Church and its followers,” Satheesan said.

(With PTI inputs)