Andhra Christian Theological College (ACTC) is a seminary in Telangana which was founded in 1964. It is affiliated with India's first university, the Senate of Serampore College (University), and has degree-granting authority under a Danish charter ratified by the government of West Bengal. ACTC is on the Hussain Sagar canal (north) in Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) from the Secunderabad Junction railway station.
Baptist Theological Seminary is a Baptist seminary located in Jagannaickpur, Church Square, Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh, India. It is affiliated with the Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars.
John Christian Frederick Heyer was the first missionary sent abroad by Lutherans in the United States. He founded the Guntur Mission in Andhra Pradesh, India. "Father Heyer" is commemorated as a missionary in the Calendar of Saints of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America on November 7, along with Bartholomaeus Ziegenbalg and Ludwig Ingwer Nommensen.
Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church
Noble College in Machilipatnam was founded by late Robert Turlington Noble, an English missionary, in 1843. Rev. Noble came to then Masulipatnam as a Christian Missionary in 1841 and stayed until his death. He and his friend late Mr. Sharkey opened a native English school on 21 November 1843 as Noble High School. That school became Noble College later on. This school was termed by the head of the Madras Government "The Cambridge of South India." It is one of the first four educational institutions opened in India by the British Government.
M. Victor Paul was a biblical scholar who served as President of the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church from 1993 to 1997.
K. Devasahayam was President of the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church from 1965 to 1969.
Telugu Christians or Telugu Kraistava are a religious community who form the third-largest religious minority in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. According to the 2001 Census of India, there are over a million Christians in Andhra Pradesh, constituting around 1.51% of the state's population. This is a decrease from the 1971 census figure which put the percentage of Christians in state as 2%, and this decrease is mainly a result of low birth rates and emigration. However census figures for Christians in Telugu states have long been an underestimate as most Christians record their religion as 'Hindu' on the census.
E. Prakasam, a Lutheran, was the first Indian President of the Protestant Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church Society whose ministry was primarily based in the Guntur District and also in East Godavari District, West Godavari District, Krishna District, and Visakhapatnam District. Being one of the established Indian Pastors, Prakasam was elected as president and served from 1944 to 1950 after which he resumed his Pastoral duties as a Lutheran Pastor.
A. N. Gopal was the second Indian President of the Protestant Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church Society and served from 1951 to 1955. On completion of his term, he was assigned the responsibility of president of the Lutheran Theological College, Rajahmundry.
G. Devasahayam was the Indian President of the Protestant Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church Society and served during the periods 1956–1960 and again from 1963–1964. During his second stint as President of the AELC, Devasahayam participated in the opening of the newly formed Andhra Christian Theological College then located in the same campus of the Lutheran Theological College in Rajahmundry.
K. Krupadanam was the Indian President of the Protestant Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church Society and served for a short period from 1961 to 1962. His tenure was embroiled in a legal wrangle but ultimately the AELC Church Society won the case.
Samuel William Schmitthenner was a Lutheran who served as the President of the Protestant Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church Society in Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh, India from 1969 to 1981.
B. Suneel Bhanu is President Emeritus of the Protestant Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church Society who served a term from 2009 through 2013. At present, Suneel Bhanu teaches at the Gurukul Lutheran Theological College, Chennai.
K. Frederick Paradesi Babu is the current President of the Protestant Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church Society. He had his ministerial formation at the Andhra Christian Theological College, Hyderabad, a Seminary affiliated to the nation's first university, the Senate of Serampore College (University).
N. Ch. Joseph was the President of the Protestant Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church Society.
Ch. Victor Moses is President Emeritus of the Protestant Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church Society headquartered in Guntur. Victor Moses is an Old Testament Scholar and a member of the Society for Biblical Studies, India, an august body of learning having members well versed in Hebrew and Greek languages hailing from the Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox and Pentecostal traditions.
P. Solomon Raj(21 February 1921 - 28 December 2019) was a pastor of Protestant Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church Society headquartered in Guntur with major contribution to theological research and arts. Old Testament scholar Victor Premasagar wrote about Raj as a pastor, professor of communications, creative artist, sculptor, poet and a theological writer.
William Powlas Peery was a Pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America/Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church who taught theology at ecumenical institutions, the Andhra Christian Theological College at its erstwhile location in Rajahmundry and also at the United Theological College, Bangalore both of which are affiliated to the nation's first University, the Senate of Serampore College (University), Serampore.
Yadlapati Venkata Rao was an Indian politician from the state of Andhra Pradesh. Rao served as the Minister for Agriculture, Law and Planning in the united Andhra Pradesh from 1978 to 1980. He was elected thrice to the Vemuru Assembly constituency of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly as the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), and served as the Member of Parliament (MP) in Rajya Sabha representing Andhra Pradesh between 1998 and 2004.
