stability by attracting devoted priests and emphasizing regularity in the ecclesiastical order. In 1794 Cyril consecrated his brother Geevarghese as bishop; Geevarghese succeeded Cyril as Cyril II in 1802, and the succession has proceeded unbroken since. As a result of an 1862 court case, the Madras High Court confirmed the Thozhiyur church was an independent Malankara church, and it has subsequently been known as the Malabar Independent Syrian Church. Ecumenical relations The Malabar Independent Syrian Church maintains good relations with the other Malankara churches especially its relationship with Marthoma Syrian church. Despite its small size, it has had a significant impact on the history of the Saint Thomas Christian community. On several occasions Thoziyur bishops have stepped in to consecrate bishops for the other churches when the episcopal succession, and therefore the churches themselves, were in danger. Philoxenos II Kidangan (1811–1829) of the Thozhiyur Church consecrated three successive bishops in the unified Malankara Church: Dionysius II on 22 March 1816, Dionysius III on 19 October 1817, and *Dionysius IV on 27 August 1825. In 1894 Athanasius and Koorilose V consecrated Titus I Mar Thoma for the Reformed Syrians, later known as the Mar Thoma Church. On subsequent occasions when the Thozhiyur Metropolitan has died without consecrating a successor, the Metropolitan and bishops of the Mar Thoma Church had performed the consecration. Thozhiyur bishops have taken part in all Mar Thoma Church episcopal ordinations up to the present. Malabar Independent Syrian Church is a member of the Christian Conference of Asia, the Council of Churches in India, and the Kerala Council of Churches. Other ecumenical links have been developed, not least with the Anglican and Lutheran Churches. This has been facilitated through a support group based in England, which is a registered charitable trust. In 1998 and 2008, Thozhiyur Church Metropolitans were ecumenical observers at the Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops. In July 2006 Koorilose IX and Basilios I participated as co-consecrators in the episcopal ordination of Paul Hunt and John Fenwick as bishops of the Free Church of England. Thozhiyur Metropolitans The Metropolitans of the Malabar Independent Syrian Church: H.H Mor Coorilose Abraham (1772-1802) H.H Mor Coorilose Ghevarghese - I (1802-1808) H.G Mor Ivanios Joseph - Suffragon Metropolitan (1807) (6 months only) H.B Mor Philexinos Zacharias (1807-1811) H.B Mor Philexinos Ghevarghese - Malankara Metropolitan (1811-1829) H.B Mor Coorilose Ghevarghese - II (1829-1856) H.B Mor Coorilose Joseph - I (1856-1888) H.B