Among the thousands of Seventh-day Adventists gathered in St. Louis, Mr. M. Murali, an Indian-born Hindu, might have every right to feel out of place. 

A member of the Legislative Assembly for the Indian state of Kerala for 14 years, Murali counts himself to be an “associate member of the church.”

“Even though I am a Hindu by birth, in life I am a Christian who follows the principles of Jesus Christ,” he told ANN.

“It has been my privilege to be associated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church,” he said. Introduced to the church five years ago, the Chief Minister of Kerala, Oommen Chandy, Murali has been active in supporting the Adventist education system in his state.

He believes the Adventist Church has played a significant role in ensuring that Kerala maintains a literacy level of 100 percent, the highest in the country. “The schools are renowned in the area,” he said. “The Seventh-day Adventist education system has a vital role in the promotion of excellent education in Kerala and in our country.” The Adventist Church operates 250 schools and colleges in India.

After the 2004 tsunami, Kerala faced a crisis. Murali is thankful for the contributions of the church, through the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, in relief and rehabilitation processes in his state.

Kerala, the most southern state in India, supports all eight of the world’s major religions, something that Murali attributes to the freedom that religion has in the secularised society.

Murali, along with his wife and son, were invited to the Adventist world church meetings by Southern Asia delegate John Wycliffe, and is enjoying the “spirituality and devotions of the function. It has given me new experiences of the abounding grace of the Almighty.”