But there appear to be still some ambiguous people who are, it seems, in communion with Mâr Shim‘un, although they make a purely Protestant propaganda. The most puzzling of these is Mr. Nestorius George Malech, who has translated an odd book about his nation by his father.[1] This Mr. Malech, if we may trust his own account, succeeds in running with the hare and hunting with the hounds. He was educated at the Presbyterian School at Urmi, and shows us the diploma he got there.[2] He is an archdeacon of the Nestorian Church, ordained by the Metropolitan, Mâr Ḥnânyeshu‘ (p. 132). In the same work we may contemplate a phototype of his ordination diploma.[3] He is secretary of a society for "looking after the remnant of their old Church," to whom Mâr Ḥnânyeshu‘ sent a bishop in 1900.[4] The society works with the bishop and pays his salary. In 1900 Mr. Malech had charge of a Nestorian Church of St. Mary at Urmi.[5] The society has formed itself into a "Patriarchal Committee" which sends money to the Patriarch. He in return (July 15, 1908) sends them his blessing and seems to be quite pleased with them. Mr. Malech is one of the seven who form the committee.[6] At the same time he is an active and zealous missionary of the Norwegian Lutheran Church! They have a little mission at Urmi; he is their agent and emissary there. His book (which is full of strange things) shows us his diploma as Lutheran missionary too, with the Norwegian arms; a tariff stamp "for the amount of 100 Kroner, but not exceeding 150"; his undertaking "to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ in accordance with the doctrines of the evangelical Lutheran Church," and "to remain true to the evangelical Lutheran confession." For this he receives 70 kroner a month. This document is dated June 17, 1893, at Kristiania.[7] Mr. Malech does not appear to have broken with the Lutherans in any way. The last I heard of him is that he has been collecting money from Lutherans in Norway and America, and was in
- ↑ George David Malech: History of the Syrian Nation, etc. (op. cit. p. 119 n. 1).
- ↑ Op. cit. p. 383.
- ↑ P. 385.
- ↑ P. 353.
- ↑ P. 357.
- ↑ Pp. 365, 366. See also the Patriarch's letter of Aug. 17, 1908, p. 367.
- ↑ Pp. 378–380.
course, not all the children who attend the Presbyterian schools among Nestorians join their sect.
