Sanki John Theodore

Bishop Emeritus

Sanki John Theodore

CSI
Bishop Emeritus; Sanki John Theodore; CSI
Bishop Emeritus – in – Karimnagar
Church	Christian
Diocese	Karimnagar
See	Church of South India
In office	1992-2007
Predecessor	K. E. Swamidass
Successor	P. Surya Prakash
Previous post(s)	Pastor, Diocese of Karimnagar, Church of South India (1970–1992); Visiting Professor of Old Testament, Andhra Christian Theological College, Hyderabad (1980-1984)
Orders
Consecration	by The Most Reverend Bird Ryder Devapriyam, Moderator, The Right Reverend Jason S. Dharmaraj, Deputy Moderator

Last updated November 14, 2024

Bishop Emeritus Sanki John Theodore was the fourth Bishop-in-Karimnagar Diocese of the Church of South India.

Studies

John Theodore's^[4] spiritual formation was at the United Theological College, Bangalore affiliated to India's first^[5] University, the Senate of Serampore College (University) {a University under Section 2 (f) of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956}^[6]with degree-granting authority validated by a Danish Charter and ratified by the Government of West Bengal where he studied the graduate degree of Bachelor of Divinity from 1966-1970.

After a two-year ministerial work, Theodore again studied from 1972-1974 enrolling for a postgraduate degree of Master of Theology ^[4] specializing in Old Testament under E. C. John G. M. Butterworth, and Gerhard Wehmeier, working out a dissertation entitled The concept of creation in the Book of Deutero-Isaiah^[7] at the United Theological College, Bangalore.^[4] Theodore was part the pioneer group of postgraduate students who specialised in Old Testament comprising A. P. Chacko, Basil Rebera, G. Babu Rao, Nitoy Achümi, and Timotheas Hembrom. Theodore's graduate and post-graduate degrees were awarded by the University during the Registrarship of Chetti Devasahayam.

Ministry and Teaching

Ever since his return in 1970 from the Protestant Seminary in Bangalore, Theodore began to minister parishes in the Dornakal Diocese of the Church of South India until its bifurcation resulting in the creation of Karimnagar Diocese of the Church of South India in 1978^[3] on account of which he was reassigned to the ecclesiastical Diocese of Karimnagar.

Bishopric

In 1992, the bishopric of Karimnagar led by K. E. Swamidass fell vacant due to his resignation on attaining superannuation. In the resulting elections that were conducted by the Church of South India Synod, the name of John Theodore came into the panel of three probable Bishops for Karimnagar. Bird Ryder Devapriam then Moderator of the Church of South India Synod announced the appointment of Sanki John Theodore as the fourth Bishop-in-Karimnagar. Bird Ryder Devapriyam principally consecrated^[1] John Theodore as Bishop - in - Karimnagar at the CSI-Wesley Cathedral, Karimnagar in the presence of Jason S. Dharmaraj, the Deputy Moderator, Victor Premasagar,^[1] Bishop - in - Medak, Bishop T. B. D. Prakasa Rao ^[1] from the Diocese of Krishna-Godavari and three patriarchs of Karimnagar Diocese, B. Prabhudass,^[1] G. B. Devasahayam ^[1] and K. E. Swamidass.^[1]

During Theodore's bishopric from 1992-2007, he attended the thirteenth Lambeth Conference presided by George Carey then Archbishop of Canterbury. In 2007, Theodore retired on attaining superannuation causing a sede vacante. The Church of South India Synod announced the appointment of P. Surya Prakash of the adjoining Diocese of Medak.

Related Research Articles

Victor Premasagar (1927–2005) was the fourth successor of Frank Whittaker as Bishop in Medak. He was an Indian churchman and Old Testament scholar who made major contributions to research on the Old Testament and to the field of theology. Premasagar's articles appeared in the Expository Times (1966), the Vetus Testamentum (1966), the International Review of Mission (1972), and the Indian Journal of Theology (1974) and cited in major works relating to the theme of Promise in the Bible and critical works on Psalms LXXX and the Hebrew word HOQ in the Tanakh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andhra Christian Theological College</span> Seminary in Telangana, India

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.

B. P. Sugandhar was the fifth successor of Frank Whittaker as Bishop - in - Medak of the Church of South India whose bishopric lasted for more than a decade and half from 1993 through 2009 coinciding with the archbishoprics of Samineni Arulappa and Marampudi Joji of the Archdiocese of Hyderabad.

Bishop Emeritus P. Surya Prakash was the fifth Bishop-in-Karimnagar Diocese of the Church of South India. from 2007 through 2014 and occupied the Cathedra in Karimnagar's Wesley Cathedral. He retired on account of superannuation in 2014 following which the Church of South India Synod headquartered in Chennai appointed a successor to him in 2015.

The Diocese of Karimnagar is a diocese of Church of South India in Telangana state of India.The diocese is one among the 22 dioceses of Church of South India, a United Protestant denomination.

Bishop T. B. D. Prakasa Rao was the fourth CSI-Bishop - in - Krishna-Godavari of the Protestant Church of South India who occupied the Cathedra placed at CSI-St. Paul's Cathedral, Vijayawada. The Bishopric of Prakasa Rao lasted for two decades from 1981 through 2001, one of the longest in the history of the Church of South India Society. Prakasa Rao led the bishopric of Krishna-Godavari that comprised the Christian missions established by the London Missionary Society (LMS) and the Church Missionary Society (CMS) which merged its South India Christian missions in India into the Church of South India Society which was inaugurated in 1947 at the CSI-St. George's Cathedral, Madras.

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 Kallepalli E. Swamidass was the third Bishop of the Karimnagar Diocese of the Church of South India.

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 Babbili Prabhudass(died 1996) was the first elected Bishop - in - Karimnagar Diocese of the Church of South India which was ecclesiastically bifurcated from the Diocese of Dornakal of the Church of South India in early 1978. Prabhudass led the bishopric for a period of five years from 1978 through 1982.

Bishop P. Solomon was the third Bishop-in-Dornakal Diocese of the Church of South India who succeeded A. B. Elliott. Ever since Solomon chose the vocation of Priesthood, he maintained celibacy and served the Church throughout his life.

Bishop G. S. Luke was the fourth Bishop in Dornakal Diocese of the Church of South India occupying the Cathedra in the CSI-Epiphany Cathedral in Dornakal from 1980 to 1986.

Bishop D. N. Samuel was the fifth Bishop - in - Dornakal Diocese of the Church of South India who occupied the Cathedra in the CSI-Epiphany Cathedral in Dornakal from 1986 until his sudden death on 13 July 1996 resulting in an unexpected sede vacante.

Bishop A. Rajarathnam was Bishop - in - Dornakal Diocese of the Church of South India and the sixth in succession.

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Bishop I. Jesudasan (1925-2013) was the third Bishop-in-South Kerala Diocese of the Church of South India.

Bishop Emeritus John S. Sadananda was the Master 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.

Mohan Manoraj is the present Bishop in Karnataka Southern Diocese of the Church of South India, the sixth in succession, and occupies the Cathedra at the CSI-Shanthi Cathedral in Mangalore who has been consecrated on 14 December 2015.

A. C. Solomon Raj is the seventh successor of Frank Whittaker and eighth Bishop in Medak of the Protestant Church of South India Society and shepherds the Diocese from the Cathedra of the Bishop housed in the CSI-Medak Cathedral in Medak Town, Telangana, India. On 12 October 2016, the Church of South India Synod headquartered in Chennai, appointed Solomon Raj to assume the ecclesiastical Office of the Bishopric of Medak and was consecrated the next day on 13 October 2016 at the CSI-St. George's Cathedral, Chennai, ending four years of sede vacante in the Diocese of Medak which was without a bishop during the intervening period of 2012–2016.

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 National Council of Churches Review, Volume 113, 1993, p.193
↑ The Church of England Yearbook, Volume 123, General Synod Church Information Office and Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2007, p.405.
1 2 K. M. George, Church of South India: life in union, 1947–1997, Jointly published by Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge and Christava Sahitya Samithi, Tiruvalla, 1999, pp.34-36, 111.
1 2 3 K. M. Hiwale (Compiled), Directory of the United Theological College 1910-1997, Bangalore, 1997. pp.38 and 109
↑ Sankar Ray, The Hindu (Business Line), 11 April 2008 Almost a century later, the charter was endorsed officially under the Bengal Govt Act IV of 1918. Internet, accessed 30 November 2008.
↑ The Senate of Serampore College (University) is a University within the meaning of Section 2 (f) of the UGC Act, 1956 under which a University means a University established or incorporated by or under a Central Act, a Provincial Act or a State Act, and includes any such institution as may, in consultation with the University concerned, be recoginsed by the Commission in accordance with the regulations made in this behalf under this Act. The UGC took the opinion that the Senate fell under the purview of Section 2 (f) of the said Act since The Serampore College Act, 1918 was passed by the Government of West Bengal.
↑ S. J. Theodore, The concept of creation in the Book of Deutero-Isaiah in Thesis Titles, Board of Theological Education of the Senate of Serampore College, Bangalore, 1991.

Religious titles
Preceded by K. E. Swamidass 1987-1992	Bishop - in - Karimnagar Church of South India 1992-2007	Succeeded by P. Surya Prakash 2007-2014
Other offices
Preceded by K. E. Swamidass 1987-1992	Member, Board of Governors Andhra Christian Theological College, Hyderabad 1992-2007	Succeeded by P. Surya Prakash 2007-2014