BTESSC | |
Type | Regulatory body for Theological education in India |
---|---|
Established | 1975 |
President | Zacharias Mar Aprem |
Location | , , India |
Affiliations | Senate of Serampore College (University) |
Website | btessc |
The Board of Theological Education of the Senate of Serampore College (BTESSC) is the arm of theological education under the Senate of Serampore College (University). [1] [2] BTESSC was formed in 1975.
The Senate of Serampore College (University), under which the BTESSC was constituted, is a university within the meaning of Section 2 (f) [3] of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 [4] (as modified up to 20 December 1985).
In fact, Serampore was the first institution [5] to be given the status of a university in India.
The BTESSC is one of the major representative bodies of churches legally constituted and responsible for administering theological education in South Asia [6]
Secretary of BTESSC, The Rev. T. Matthews Emmanuel, CBCNC died on 24 April 2021 in Bangalore. He began his theological studies in Andhra Christian Theological College, Hyderabad and upgraded his studies in Union Biblical Seminary, Pune. For postgraduate studies, he enrolled in Federated Faculty for Research in Religion and Culture, Kottayam and went on to complete doctoral studies in South Asia Theological Research Institute, then in Bangalore. He began his teaching career from Baptist Theological College, Pfütsero (Nagaland), Mennonite Brethren Centenary Bible College, Shamshabad (Telangana), and Andhra Christian Theological College, Secunderabad (Telangana). He was Secretary of BTESSC from 2018 to 2021.
The BTESSC is a participating member in the World Conference of Associations of Theological Institutions [7]
Serampore was the only means of validating evangelical theological training in India until 1978. [8] The Union Biblical Seminary, Poona was constituted in 1953 as an evangelical theological college at B.Th. and B.D. levels. It was accredited by the Board of Theological Education of the National Council of Churches in India in 1964 which was formed in 1955 to bring together the unaffiliated Bible schools and seminaries. UBS was affiliated to Serampore in 1973 at B.D. level. After a series of joint consultations with Serampore, the Board of Theological Education of NCCI decided in favour of the formation of one national structure for Theological Education in India. When Serampore accepted the proposal, a joint structure was formed in July 1975 as the Board of Theological Education of the Senate of Serampore College. [8]
The functions of the Board as given in the Constitution of the BTESSC (revised and adopted on 3–4 February 1994 portray its mandatory role in the promotion of theological education in the country, viz.,
In matters of theological education, the BTESSC acts as an "advisory body" of the Senate of Serampore College (University) and the Senate is its voice.
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 of the Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars (CBCNC) located in Jagannaickpur, Church Square, Kakinada in Kakinada district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The seminary was affiliated to nation's first University, the Senate of Serampore College (University) in 1949.
South Asia Theological Research Institute (SATHRI) was established by the Board of Theological Education of the Senate of Serampore College (BTESSC) in the year 1989. It is located at Mack House Complex in Serampore.
D. S. Satyaranjan was a Silver Jubilee Pastor, a New Testament Scholar, and an Administrator who served as the Registrar of the Senate of Serampore College (University), the nation's first University {a University under Section 2 (f) of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956} with degree-granting authority validated by a Danish Charter and ratified by the Government of West Bengal.
Evangeline Anderson-Rajkumar is a feminist activist ecumenical theologian who taught at Serampore College, Serampore (1990-1994) the United Theological College, Bangalore, (1999-2014). Evangeline Anderson-Rajkumar was the first permanent woman faculty to serve as faculty in the Theology Department of the renowned Serampore College, founded by William Carey when he came to India in 1792. She was the first Lutheran Woman to serve as first Vice President of the United Evangelical Lutheran Churches in India in 2006. She comes from a family of theologians - about 17 of them, her father, all eight siblings, and seven of the eight who married into the family. Evangeline Anderson-Rajkumar served as the President of the Association of Theologically Trained Women of India (ATTWI) and is a sought after resource person on Body Theology.
Kuzhuvelil Varkey Mathew is an Indian biblical scholar and a member of the Society for Biblical Studies in India.
Ryder Devapriam was Systematic Theologian who taught during the 1960s and the 1970s at the Andhra Christian Theological College, a Protestant Regional Theologiate in Secunderabad, affiliated to the nation's first University, the Senate of Serampore College (University) {a University under Section 2 (f) of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956}with degree-granting authority validated by a Danish Charter and ratified by the Government of West Bengal.
Jetti Alfred Oliver is the present chancellor of Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology & Sciences (SHUATS), Allahabad , which is a Govt. Aided Private (Minority) University under section 2 (f) of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956. He is an agriculturalist, with his past experience in the development sector, continues to be in the forefront of the leadership of like-minded initiatives and is an elected member of the 10-member international governing council of the Society for International Development (SID).
Samuel Amirtham was an Indian Bishop and Old Testament Scholar who taught in Spiritual formation centres affiliated to Senate of Serampore College (University), India's first University {a University under Section 2 (f) of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956} founded by the Baptist Missions led by Joshua Marshman, William Carey, and William Ward.
The Right Reverend K. Reuben Mark is the present Bishop in Karimnagar and the sixth in succession and occupies the Cathedra of the Bishop placed in Karimnagar's CSI-Wesley Cathedral. Reuben Mark is currently a Council Member for the period 2015–2018 at the fully-ecumenical United Theological College, Bangalore. During the XXXVIth session of Church of South India Synod, Reuben Mark has been elected as Deputy Moderator for the triennium 2020-2023 succeeding V. Prasada Rao.
Bishop G. B. Devasahayam(born 23 August 1925; died 20 August 1996) was the second elected CSI-Bishop - in - Karimnagar Diocese of the Church of South India who occupied the Cathedra from 1982 through 1987 placed in the CSI-Wesley Cathedral in Karimnagar Town in Telangana, India
Bishop Emeritus John S. Sadananda was the Master of Senate of Serampore College (University), the nation's first University {a University under Section 2 (f) of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956}) with degree-granting authority validated by a Danish Charter and ratified by the Government of West Bengal.
H. S. Wilson(born 1946) is Executive Director of Foundation for Theological Education in the Southeast Asia based in Philadelphia. Wilson is widely known in India for his contribution to theological education in India as Director of Research and Church Relations at the Board of Theological Education of the Senate of Serampore College, Bangalore, the theological arm of the Senate of Serampore College (University), the nation's first University
M. Theophilus was a Baptist Patriarch and Spiritual Formator of the Protestant Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars, a major congregation along the Bay of Bengal in Andhra Pradesh, India that extends from Srikakulam District in the northern tip through Guntur District in the middle. Theophilus taught at the Baptist Theological Seminary, Kakinada during the period 1926-1946 and was also Senator of India's first University, the Senate of Serampore College (University) during 1942-1946 taking forward not only the theological concerns of the University but also the concerns of Serampore College, which as a dual University affiliated entity, had the arts, science and commerce faculties affiliated to the University of Calcutta. In matters of Church union, Theophilus actively cooperated with the National Council of Churches in India that not only incorporated the Protestant and the Oriental Orthodox Churches but also reached out to the Catholics.
G. Solomon(born 28 December 1910; died 6 February 1993) was an Old Testament Scholar and a Baptist Patriarch hailing from the Protestant Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches Society (an affiliate member of the Baptist World Alliance and the National Council of Churches in India) and led it as its President during the years 1978-1982 overseeing the spiritual affairs of the Church Society whose ecclesiastical jurisdiction comprises the three states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana with 873 Churches comprising nearly a million members per present statistics.
There are three kinds of Seminaries in India:
Mennonite Brethren Centenary Bible College (MBCBC), Shamshabad, founded in 1920, is a ministerial training institution of the Conference of the Mennonite Brethren Churches in India, a Protestant Church Society headquartered in Jadcherla and is affiliated to the nation's first University, the Senate of Serampore College (University) {a University under Section 2 (f) of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956}with degree-granting authority validated by a Danish charter and ratified by the Government of West Bengal.
J. William Paul Rajashekar is a Systematic Theologian who is the Luther D. Reed Emeritus Professor of Systematic Theology at United Lutheran Seminary, Pennsylvania Rajashekar is best known for his writings on inter-faith dialogue. He grew up in a setting of religions in India and has oft-spoken at numerous platforms and quotes Max Mueller, (adapted)...one who knows one (religion), knows none.
T. George Cornelious is the current Bishop - in - Krishna Godavari Diocese of the Church of South India with the Bishop's Cathedra housed in CSI-St. Andrew's Cathedral in Machilipatnam. However, for administrative purposes, the Office of the Bishopric is located in Vijayawada with its ecclesiastical jurisdiction encompassing the civil districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, and Guntur in Andhra Pradesh.
G. D. Melanchthon (1934–1994) was a Silver Jubilee Priest hailing from Protestant Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church Society who taught Religions, at United Theological College, Bangalore from 1968 till the latter half of eighties until his career was brought to an abrupt end in 1988 on being stricken with paralysis. Melanchthon used to be quite active among the academic community along with Chrysostom Arangaden, Arvind P. Nirmal and others in not only delivering scholarly talks, but also in contributing research articles and reviewing new titles.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link), p.12