office, he may relinquish the powers and responsibilities of Metropolitan. Then he becomes the Mar Thoma Metropolitan Emeritus and is addressed as "Mar Thoma Valiya Metropolitan". The present "Mar Thoma Valiya Metropolitan is Philipose Chrysostom Mar Thoma Valiya Metropolitan. To assist the metropolitan there are Episcopas, the senior-most among them is called the Suffragan Metropolitan. Administrative divisions For administrative purposes, the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church is divided into 13 dioceses or popularly called 'Bhadhrasanams' (Mal ഭദ്രാസനം) headed by a Metropolitan or by an Episcopa. They are: Metropolitans and bishops Present episcopal synod The present members of the Episcopal Synod of Mar Thoma Church are: Theodosius Mar Thoma Euyakim Coorilos Joseph Barnabas Thomas Timotheos Isaac Philoxenos Abraham Paulos Mathews Makarios Gregorios Stephanos Thomas Theethos Mar Thoma Metropolitans The excommunication of Reformist bishops and their followers by the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch in 1875, the Synod of 1876 (Mulanthuruthy) and the Royal Court Verdict of 1889 were turning points in the history of the Malankara Syrian Church of Malabar. The Reformist (Metran) faction continued to consecrate bishops to the Malankara See without the consent of Patriarch as they claimed Malankara church is independent of the Syrian Church. Before the death of Malankara Metropolitan Mathews Athanasius, he consecrated Thomas Athanasius as Suffragan bishop of Malankara Church. Following the death of Mathews Athanasius, the suffragan succeeded as the Metropolitan of the Malankara See in 1877 which led to a schism in the Malankara church. Those who supported reformation loyally followed the Malankara Metropolitan who was legally evicted from the Malankara Syrian Church. He died in 1893 without consecrating a successor and suggesting a new name for the church. The Metropolitan of Malabar Independent Syrian Church stepped in and consecrated Titus Mar Thoma as the new bishop. For the consecrations, from 1917 onward bishops from other churches were invited as guests. But the consecration was done only by the Metropolitan and was assisted as a witness by the other Bishops of the Mar Thoma Church and of the Malabar Independent Syrian Church. Clergy Semmasan (deacons): The Sabha Prathinidhi Mandalam elects a Vaidika Selection board to select candidates for the ordained ministry of the church through recommendations (letters from bishops-clergy by the level of exposure in church or by personal sponsorships of bishops or written support pledged from bishops), exams (English, General knowledge and Bible) and pre- and post- theological training interviews (with theological-sociological aspects and