Bishop T. B. D. Prakasa RaoThe Church of England Yearbook, Volume 113, Church Information Office and Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1997, p.315. The Church of England Yearbook, Volume 114, Church Information Office and Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1998, p.314. (born 17 December 1939; died 30 May 2018) was the fourth CSI-BishopMar Aprem, Indian Christian who is who, Bombay Parish Church of the East, Mumbai, 1983. pp. 43 and 69. - in - Krishna-Godavari of the Protestant Church of South India who occupied the Cathedra placed at CSI-St. Paul's Cathedral,The Cathedra of the Bishop which was placed at Eluru during the bishopric of N. D. Ananda Rao Samuel was shifted to Vijayawada. Later in 2001, on the election of G. Dyvasirvadam, the Cathedra was again shifted to Machilipatnam. Vijayawada. The Bishopric of Prakasa Rao lasted for two decades from 1981 through 2001, one of the longestSee Sabapathy Kulendran, P. Solomon, D. J. Ambalavanar and Norman C. Sargant who had comparatively longer tenures. 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 SocietyB. Madhu Gopal, Church with a History, The Hindu, 26.7.2004. (LMS)James Elisha Taneti, History of the Telugu Christians: A Bibliography, Scarecrow, Plymouth, 2011, p.84. and the Church Missionary Society (CMS)P. Swarnalatha, The World of the Weaver in Northern Coromandel, C.1750-c.1850, Orient Longman, Hyderabad, 2005, p.44. which merged its South IndiaSusan Billington Harper, In the Shadow of the Mahatma: Bishop V. S. Azariah and the Travails of Christianity in British India, William B. Eerdmans Publishing, Michigan, 2000, p.180. Christian missions in India into the Church of South India Society which was inaugurated in 1947 at the CSI-St. George's Cathedral, Madras.
Prakasa Rao earlier led the Bible Society of India Andhra Pradesh Auxiliary from 1976 through 1981 especially during the period when common languageChrysostom Arangaden, Fiddler in the Zoo, iUniverse, Bloomington, 2011, p.93. translations into vernacular languages were being undertaken by the Bible Society of India throughout the country from the original sources comprising the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia and the Novum Testamentum Graece under the direction of The Rev. C. Arangaden through its translation team comprising Old Testament Scholars well-versed in Biblical Aramaic and Biblical Hebrew and New Testament Scholars with expertise in Biblical Greek comprising M. P. John, John Philipose, G. Babu Rao,H. S. Wilson, The Church on the move: a quest to affirm the biblical faith; essays in honour of Peddi Victor Premasagar, Bishop in Medak and Moderator of the C.S.I., presented on the occasion of his Shastiabdapoorthi celebrations, Christian Literature Society, Madras, 1988, p.vi. Basil Rebera, and Nitoy Achümi. During Rao's stint with the Auxiliary, common language translation of the scriptures into modern Telugu language were already being undertaken by G. Babu RaoG. Babu Rao, S. Israel (Translated), The Book of Ruth, The Man You Cannot Ignore, The Bible Society of India, Bangalore, 1976. together with his graduate companionK. M. Hiwale (Compiled), Directory of the United Theological College 1910–1997, Bangalore, 1997. S. Israel.
On Wednesday, 30 May 2018, Prakasa Rao died while at his quarter in Bandlaguda Jagir and his funeral mass was held on Friday, 1 June 2018 led by the present Bishop - in - Krishna Godavari, The Right Reverend T. George CorneliousChurch of South India Synod, Rt. Rev. George Cornelious T. is the new bishop of the Krishna Godavari Diocese of the Church of South India, Tuesday, 29 May 2018. and other clergy hailing from both the Diocese of Medak and the Diocese of Krishna Godavari at the CSI-Garrison Wesley Church Cemetery at Karkhana, Secunderabad. Later, the same evening, a well-attended Memorial Thanksgiving was held at his erstwhile quarter at Bandlaguda Jagir led by The Rev. U. Daniel,Medak Diocese Diocesan Officers. CSI, Ministerial Secretary of the Medak Diocese, where the Church Historian B. C. Paul,Doctoral Dissertations on Asia, Volume 10, 1988, p.126 AELC and others reminisced about their association with and the contribution of Prakasa Rao to the ministries of the Church.
Studies General studies Andhra Pradesh After schooling and collegiate studies, Prakasa Rao enrolled at the AELC-Andhra Christian College, Guntur during the Principalship of Rao Sahab T. S. Paulus where he studied for a degree in B.A. specializing in English literature which was later awarded by the Andhra University, Visakhapatnam.
Rao also studied for a graduate degree in education at the Government Training College, Rajahmundry where he was awarded a B.Ed. degree by the Andhra University after completion of his studies.
Telangana During the academic year 1963–1964, Rao enrolled at the State-run Osmania University, Hyderabad for a postgraduate programme in M.A. specializing in Philosophy.
Spiritual studies In 1959, after graduate studies leading to B.A., Prakasa Rao discerned his avocation towards priesthood and chose to become a priest and enrolled as a ministerial candidate of the Protestant Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church Society, under the incumbency of President G. Devasahayam, which then sent him to a seminary in Chennai for studies in spirituality. Prakasa Rao enrolled at the Gurukul Lutheran Theological College, Chennai affiliated to India's firstSankar 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. University, the Senate of Serampore College (University) {a University under Section 2 (f) of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956}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 recognised 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.with degree-granting authority validated by a Danish Charter and ratified by the Government of West Bengal where he underwent ministerial formation in spirituality under notable faculty comprising The Rev. Sigfrid Estborn,Paul H. von Tucher, Nationalism, Case and Crisis in Missions: German Missions in British India, 1939-1946, 1980, p.128. who was teaching Ecumenism, The Rev. P. DavidIndian Journal of Theology, Volume 10, Issue 3, pp.116-122 teaching Religions, and The Rev. R. A. MartinR. A. Martin, The Date of the Cleansing of the Temple in John 2 : 13-22 in Indian Journal of Theology, Volume 15, Issue 2, pp.52-56. who was teaching Greek language and the New Testament. Prakasa Rao's companions at the seminary included G. D. Melanchton, AELC, M. Victor Paul, AELC, :de:Johnson Gnanabaranam, TELC, Kambar Manickam, TELC and others. After the three-year course in spirituality, Rao was awarded a Bachelor of Divinity degree by the Senate of Serampore College (University) in the ensuing convocation of 1963 led by its Registrar, C. Devasahayam, CBCNC.
Ecclesiastical ministry
Pastoral
Lutheran After returning from Chennai, Rao began pastoring parishes within the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church Society. It was during this period that he privately tutored The Reverend Sister B. V. Subbamma, then Principal of the Charlotte Swenson Memorial Bible Training School in Rajahmundry who had enrolled at the Andhra Christian Theological College, then located in Rajahmundry for graduate studies in Bachelor of Divinity.
After a period of ecclesiastical ministry, Prakasa Rao expressed his views on Anglicanism to the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church Society led by President K. Devasahayam who willingly excardinated Rao from the Society enabling his incardination into the Church of South India by the Moderator N. D. Ananda Rao Samuel.
Anglican Upon the incardination of Rao into the Church of South India, he was assigned the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Krishna-Godavari Diocese where he began pastoring parishes falling under the purview of the diocese from Visakhapatnam district through Guntur district.Celebrations begin at St. John's Church, The Hindu, 19.12.2016.
Fully-ecumenical The Bible Society of India Andhra Pradesh Auxiliary is one of the Auxiliaries of the Bible Society of India headquartered in Bangalore and works for the cause of the Bible in an ecumenical environment with the Roman Catholics, the Orthodox and the Protestants. In 1976,Prema Sakshi, Volume 6, Issue 4, August 2008. pp.11-41. Prema Sakshi, a monthly registered (APTEL 07419/01/2002) magazine published by I. C. Ashok Kumar at Neena Publications, Door Number 1-5-4/1/A, First Floor, Behind Sai Raja Deluxe Cinema, Musheerabad, Hyderabad 500 048.Annual Report of the American Bible Society, American Bible Society, 1975. pp.83, 90, and 107. Prakasa Rao was appointed as the Auxiliary Secretary of the BSI Andhra Pradesh Auxiliary by the rural Pastor A. E. Inbanathan, then General Secretary of the Bible Society of India who had much understanding of the Church in India and more so with fellow clergy. Subsequently, the Krishna-Godavari Diocese of the Church of South India led by N. D. Ananda Rao Samuel loaned the services of Prakasa Rao to the Bible Society of India enabling Rao to take up the ecumenical work at the Auxiliary which was led by notable predecessors beginning with E. Prakasam, AELC, A. B. Masilamani, CBCNC and B. G. Prasada Rao, CSI. During his administrative stint with the Bible Society of India Andhra Pradesh Auxiliary, Prakasa Rao resided in the Bible House,Annual Report of the American Bible Society, Volume 165, American Bible Society, 1980, p.90. a prominent landmark in Secunderabad.
After a six-year ecumenical ministry which began in 1976, Prakasa Rao was recalled in 1981 by the Church of South India to resume his ecclesiastical ministry. Rao was succeeded as Auxiliary Secretary by L. Prakasam of the Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars.
Bishopric
Election and Appointment The Krishna-Godavari Diocese of the Church of South India was formed in 1947, the very year of the formation of the Church of South India at the St. George's Cathedral, Chennai. The diocese was led by pioneer Bishops Y. Muthyalu, A. B. Eliott and N. D. Ananda Rao Samuel.
Prakasa Rao was incardinated into the Church of South India during the Bishopric of N. D. Ananda Rao Samuel who occupied the Cathedra at Eluru from 1961 to 1978. Due to an ecclesiastical event that took place in 1978, the Krishna-Godavari Diocese came under the purview of the Church of South India Synod led by Deputy Moderator Solomon Doraiswamy who oversaw the administration of the Diocese through clergy consisting of H. D. L. Abraham followed by Victor Premasagar to perform the ecclesiastical responsibilities in the diocese.
During the seventeenth Church of South India Synod held at Chennai in 1980, the Synod elected Solomon Doraiswamy and I. Jesudason as the Moderator and Deputy Moderator for the biennium 1980–1982. It was during this period that the Church of South India Synod pursued the ecclesiastical matters in the Krishna-Godavari Diocese leading to the election of T. B. D. Prakasa Rao as the fourth CSI-Bishop - in - Krishna-Godavari.