John Wilson Gladstone | |
---|---|
Bishop in South Kerala | |
Church | Christian |
See | Church of South India |
In office | 1997–2010 |
Predecessor | Rev. Dr. Samuel Amirtham |
Successor | Rev. A. Dharmaraj Rasalam |
Previous post(s) | Professor of Church History, Kerala United Theological Seminary, Thiruvananthapuram |
Orders | |
Ordination | 20 July 1975 |
Consecration | 16 September 1997 |
Personal details | |
Born | 25 December 1945 |
John Wilson Gladstone (born 25 December 1945) was the Moderator of the Church of South India [1] as well as Bishop of South Kerala. [2]
Rev. Dr. Gladstone was born on 25 December 1945 in Travancore. [3] into a pastoral family. His father, Rev. J. Wilson, was a Pastor of the CSI [4]
He had an inclination towards priesthood and after his schooling pursued bachelor's and master's degrees in economics [4] in Thiruvananthapuram.
In 1969, Rev. Dr. Gladstone joined the United Theological College [UTC, Bangalore – the only autonomous college under the Senate of Serampore College ] where he received a Bachelor of Divinity degree. [4] After finishing his studies in divinity in 1972 he again enrolled at UTC where, in 1975, he obtained a Master of Theology degree in the discipline of church history. [4]
After returning from Bangalore, Rev. Dr. Gladstone was ordained as a priest of the Diocese of South Kerala of the Church of South India on 20 July 1975. [3]
The diocese designated him as Youth Pastor [4] and thereafter, Gladstone was assigned a teaching task at the Kerala United Theological Seminary, [5] [KUTS – affiliated to the Senate of Serampore College] Thiruvananthapuram.
Later in the year 1978, [4] Rev. Dr. Gladstone took study leave from KUTS and proceeded to the University of Hamburg in Germany for research studies in church history.
In 1983, [4] the University of Hamburg awarded him a Doctorate of Theology degree magna cum laude . His doctoral thesis was entitled Protestant Christianity and People's Movements in Kerala, 1850–1936 which was later published by the KUTS, Thiruvananthapuram in 1984. [6]
Subsequently, Rev. Dr. Gladstone returned to Thiruvananthapuram to resume his teaching responsibilities. In 1991 he became Principal of the KUTS, Thiruvananthapuram. [3]
Rev. Dr. Gladstone is a member of the Church History Association of India (CHAI), a body of church historians and has published more than 100 articles. [3]
Rev. Dr. Gladstone served as the President of the Senate of Serampore College, India's first university, from 2000 to 2005 [7]
On 16 September 1997, Rev. Dr. Gladstone was consecrated as the Bishop in South Kerala. [3]
During the XXXI session of the synod of the CSI held in Visakhapatnam from 11–14 January 2008, Rev. Dr. Gladstone was elected as the Moderator of the CSI for a biennium. [8] He succeeded the Most Reverend B. P. Sugandhar (Bishop-in-Medak).
In 2005, Rev. Vinod Victor and Rev. Gideon Sobhanam brought out a festschrift in honour of Gladstone entitled Shepherd of a Pilgrim People: Essays in Honour of Bishop J. W. Gladstone [9]
In 2008 Canterbury Christ Church University, (established in 1962 by the Church of England with degree granting authority), admitted Rev. Dr. Gladstone to its honorary fellowship at Canterbury Cathedral on 1 February. [4]
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