Bishop

B. P. Sugandhar, CSI

B. D. (Serampore)
ChurchChurch of South India (A Uniting church comprising Wesleyan Methodist, Congregational, Lutheran, Calvinist and Anglican missionary societies – SPG, WMMS, LMS, Basel Mission, CMS, and the Church of England)
DioceseMedak
ElectedSeptember 1993[1]
In office1993 - 2009
PredecessorVictor Premasagar, CSI
SuccessorT. S. Kanaka Prasad, CSI
Orders
Ordination1969
by H. D. L. Abraham, CSI
ConsecrationSeptember 1993[1]
by Vasanth P. Dandin, CSI (Moderator[1] and Principal consecrator) and Jason S. Dharamaraj, CSI (Deputy Moderator[1] and co-consecrator)
RankBishop
Personal details
Born
Badda Peter Sugandhar[2]

(1944-09-28)28 September 1944[3]
Ramayampet[3]
Died5 December 2017(2017-12-05) (aged 73)[4]
Secunderabad
BuriedCSI-Church of St. John the Baptist Cemetery, Parade Grounds, Secunderabad Cantonment
17°26′44″N 78°29′35″E / 17.44556°N 78.49306°E / 17.44556; 78.49306
NationalityIndian
DenominationChristianity
ParentsSmt. Vimalamma and Sri Christudas
ProfessionPriesthood
EducationB. D. (Serampore)
Alma materUnited Theological College, Bangalore (Karnataka)
The CSI-Medak Cathedral in Medak - it was here that Sugandhar was ordained in 1969 by Bishop H. D. L. Abraham.

B. P. Sugandhar[5] (28 September 1943[4] – 5 December 2017)[6] was the fifth successor of Frank Whittaker as Bishop - in - Medak[7] of the Church of South India whose bishopric lasted for more than a decade and half from 1993[1] through 2009[8] coinciding with the archbishoprics of Samineni Arulappa and Marampudi Joji of the Archdiocese of Hyderabad.

It was in 1992[1] that the Old Testament Scholar,[9] Bishop P. Victor Premasagar vacated the Cathedra on attaining superannuation, following which Sugandhar contested the vacant bishopric and was appointed and consecrated in September 1993 by the Church of South India Synod led by its Moderator Vasanth P. Dandin, and its Deputy Moderator Jason S. Dharmaraj, making Sugandhar assume the Cathedra in CSI-Medak Cathedral in Medak.

Sugandhar led the Diocese of Medak through its evangelical ministry[10] which later extended far beyond the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Diocese of Medak when he was elected to the Church of South India Synod for four consecutive bienniums, as Deputy Moderator in 2000 and as Moderator[11] in 2004 and was at the helm of leadership of the CSI Synod in the 2000s and crisscrossed throughout southern India that included not only the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, but also the Union territory of Puducherry and the neighbouring nation of Sri Lanka.

After serving the ministries of the Church as an ecclesiastical co-worker spanning four decades (1969–2009), Sugandhar breathed his last on Tuesday, 5 December 2017[12] in his quarters in West Marredpally, Secunderabad.[12] Sugandhar was one of the surviving bishops emeriti of the diocese, and his death is being mourned by the Diocese of Medak led by A. C. Solomon Raj, Bishop - in - Medak[4] and other diocesan administrators.[4] On Wednesday, 6.12.2017, the Diocese of Medak had made all efforts and kept his mortal remains at the CSI-Diocesan Office,[4] Behind South Central Railway Hyderabad railway division, Secunderabad from 9:00 A.M. through 15:00 hours Indian Standard Time[4] which, enabled the faithful to pay their respects following which the Funeral mass was conducted at 15:00 hours[4] at the CSI-Church of St. John the Baptist,[4] Sardar Patel Road, Secunderabad in the presence of Bishop Emeritus P. Surya Prakash and thereafter a Christian burial mass at 16:00 hours[4] was held at the Cemetery of CSI-Church of St. John the Baptist located in Parade Grounds[4] in Secunderabad Cantonment.

Contribution

Ecumenism and the unity of the Churches

Sugandhar strove for ecumenism and led the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Federation of Churches, a society that incorporates bishops of the Roman Catholic, Oriental Orthodox, Protestant, and Indigenous Church traditions.[13] Along with then Archbishop of Hyderabad, M. Joji, and then secretary of the Andhra Pradesh Council of Churches, J. A. Oliver, Sugandhar actively took part in ecumenical conversations to build up the unity of the Churches. In 2000, Sugandhar was one of the Anglican Participants at the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.[14] which was held during the papacy of Pope John Paul II.

Towards spiritual formation

As an administrator of the Diocese of Medak from 1993 through 2009, Sugandhar donned the mantle of a Vocation Promoter and led many youth to full-time ministry making them undergo studies in divinity at the Spiritual formation centres in Secunderabad and at Bangalore at the Andhra Christian Theological College and the United Theological College, both of which were notable for their Old Testament scholarship with the presence[15] of G. Babu Rao,[16] CBCNC[15] in Secunderabad and Gnana Robinson, CSI in Bangalore. Incidentally, Sugandhar's senior graduate companion R. Yesurathnam, CSI who had been notable as a Systematic Theologian became Principal[17] of the Protestant Seminary in Secunderabad in 1994 coinciding with the bishopric of Sugandhar.

Sugandhar also participated in the governance of these two seminaries as a member of the respective Seminary societies on the board of governors of Andhra Christian Theological College and on the Council of the United Theological College. The Old Testament Scholar, Ch. Vasantha Rao, who presently heads the United Theological College, Bangalore acknowledges the efforts of Sugandhar in promoting higher theological education during his spiritual formation period leading to M. Th.[18] and Dr. Theol[19] in Bangalore and Hamburg.

Propagation of Bible reading

Bishop Sugandhar served as the vice-president of the Bible Society of India Andhra Pradesh Auxiliary during the terms of Auxiliary Secretaries, L. Prakasam, CBCNC[20] in the 1990s followed by G. Babu Rao, CBCNC[21] and was involved in promotion and distribution of the Bible throughout Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Medical missions

The Diocese of Medak was represented in the council and association of Christian Medical College, Vellore[22] and many medical aspirants were led to medical missions and after their studies in Vellore they served the dispensaries and hospitals in the diocese and with Sugandhar's encouragement, efforts were also made to start a full-fledged medical college in Dichpalle, but did not fructify.[23]

Gender equality in ordination of Pastors

It was in 1970[24] that the Church of South India Synod led by P. Solomon first mooted the ordination of women, resulting in objections from the Laity and a decade of legal recourse[25] followed and efforts were made by the CSI-Synod to overcome them, leading to full-fledged ordination of women in 1982[24] during the term of I. Jesudason, that led to the ordination of Elizabeth Paul, the first ordained Woman priest in the Church of South India Synod.

In the Diocese of Medak, the first Woman priest to be ordained was B. Samarpana Kumari,[26] a seminarian at the Andhra Christian Theological College who underwent Spiritual formation during the Principalship of M. Victor Paul, AELC and was ordained by the diocese during the bishopric of Victor Premasagar. Following that, when Sugandhar took over the mantle in 1993, Woman priests continued to be ordained and he supported its cause and stood by societies which promoted it, especially the Association of Theologically Trained Women in India in which Sugandhar also delivered a talk on the role of Women priest during one of its regional plenaries held at Jeevan Jyothi Formation Centre in Begumpet during the term of its secretary, Florence Deenadayalan, CSI,[27] Treasurer, Johanna Rose Ratnavathi, AELC[27] and its president, Navamani Elia Peter, MCI.[27]

Writings

Sugandhar contributed to theological writings, both as a pastor and later as a bishop, among which are,

Juridical precedence

In matters of domestic enquiry, a legal case involving the Diocese of Medak is often used as a citation in matters of jurisprudence where the Supreme Court of India through its bench headed by G. T. Nanavati ruled in favour of the Diocese of Medak thereby overruling an earlier High Court of Andhra Pradesh judgement.[30] In 1996, in the case of B. P. Sugandhar, Bishop - in - Medak Versus D. Dorothy Dayasheela Ebenezer, the manner of conduction of domestic enquiry was highly appreciated[31] by then juridical experts and the case law continues[32] to be used as a citation in the courts of law.[33]

Studies and ministerial formation

Seminarian: 1964-1968

V. C. Samuel, MOSC
Mar Aprem Mooken, ACE
Father V. C. Samuel, a specialist in Christology, was one of Sugandhar's Spiritual Formators at the UTC, Bangalore;
Metropolitan Mar Aprem Mooken was a postgraduate companion of Sugandhar.

During the bishopric of Eber Priestley as Bishop - in - Medak, Sugandhar was admitted in 1963 as a ministerial candidate of the Diocese of Medak and a year later, was sent for ministerial formation in 1964[34] to the United Theological College, Bangalore, an affiliated institution of the Senate of Serampore College (University). Sugandhar underwent a four-year[34] spiritual formation at the seminary in Karnataka which was then headed by the Systematic Theologian Joshua Russell Chandran and was taught by notable faculty that comprised the Religions Scholar, S. J. Samartha, the Church Historian V. C. Samuel,[35] the Old Testament Scholars, Samuel Amirtham and E. C. John and others.

Among Sugandhar's senior companions studying during that period were A. P. Nirmal, CNI,[34] R. Yesurathnam, CSI,[34] G. T. Abraham, CSI,[34] S. Wesley Ariarajah, MCSL,[34] Dhyanchand Carr, CSI,[34] Philipose Mar Eusebius, MOSC,[34] among others who contributed much to the Christian ministry in India and elsewhere and other companions comprised R. S. Sugirtharajah, D. James Srinivasan, CSI, S. D. L. Alagodi, CSI, Godwin Shiri, CSI, C. B. M. Frederick, CSI, S. J. Theodore, CSI, Arunkumar Wesley, CSI, H. S. Wilson, CSI, Basil Rebera and others.[34] By this time, the postgraduate course of the college had an increasing uptake with a number of enrollments growing up which saw thoroughbred Scholars joining the course leading to Master of Theology in which, Kallarakkal Abraham George, MOSC and Mar Aprem Mooken, ACE, enrolled and specialized in Old Testament and Church History respectively.

It was during his seminary studies at the UTC, Bangalore that Sugandhar came across co-students from other Church backgrounds that included not only the Protestant, Orthodox and Indigenous traditions, but also the Catholic (Latin rite) when the Franciscan Friar J. A. G. Gerwin van Leeuwen,[36] OFM also began studying at the UTC, Bangalore during 1966–1968,[34] which later enabled Sugandhar to relate to other Churches within Christianity and also participate[14] in a Pontifical council in 2000.[14]

University convocation: 1969

The Senate of Serampore College (University), Serampore, India, which awarded the degree of Bachelor of Divinity to Sugandhar in 1969.

As an aspirant of the Diocese of Medak, Sugandhar underwent Spiritual formation at the United Theological College, Bangalore, affiliated to India's first[37] University, the Senate of Serampore College (University) {a University under Section 2 (f) of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956}[38]with degree-granting authority validated by a Danish Charter and ratified by the Government of West Bengal. In 1968, Sugandhar completed his ministerial formation period and subsequently in the year 1969, the Senate of Serampore College (University), then led by Registrar C. Devasahayam, CBCNC, awarded the degree of Bachelor of Divinity during its annual convocation. By this time D. S. Satyaranjan, IPC was already part of the Senate of Serampore College (University) as administrative officer.[39]

Ecclesiastical ministry

Ordination: 1969

In 1969, during the bishopric of H. D. L. Abraham, Sugandhar was ordained as a pastor of the Diocese of Medak at the Medak Cathedral in Medak.

Pastorship: 1969-2009

Sugandhar began serving the Christian ministry at Ramayampet, Yellareddy, Utnoor, Bellampally, and Medak. He was also presbyter-in-charge at the Church of St. John the Baptist, Secunderabad before being consecrated as the Bishop in Medak. Although a Resident Presbyter has been appointed in that Church, Sugandhar continued to be the Presbyter-in-charge of the Church of St. John the Baptist till the end of his bishopric.[7]

Bishopric: 1993-2009

The Old Testament Scholar, Victor Premasagar's bishopric came to an end in 1992 following which the Synod of the CSI conducted elections and declared Sugandhar as his successor and was consecrated by Vasanth P. Dandin, then moderator of the CSI in the cathedral in Medak in September 1993.[1]

CSI Synod: 2000-2008

Ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Church of South India Synod - Sugandhar led the Synod for nearly a decade from 2000 to 2008.

Sugandhar first began attending the Synods of the Church of South India when he went along with his Bishop Victor Premasagar and represented the Medak Diocesan Council at the Synods. However, after assuming the bishopric, Sugandhar began participating with full leadership beginning with the Trichy Synod held in 1994 and from that point of time onwards, he had attended two sessions in 1996 in Coimbatore and in 1998 in Madanapalle but first contested the Synod only in 2000.

XXVII session: 2000, Secunderabad

During 12–16 January 2000,[40] the CSI Synod was held in Secunderabad[40] hosted by the Diocese of Medak which saw the election of Sugandhar as Deputy Moderator[40] in place of K. J. Samuel who was elected as the Moderator.[40]

XXVIII session: 2002, Melukavu

The XXVIII session of the CSI Synod was hosted in 2002[41] by the Diocese of East Kerala in Melukavu[41] in Kerala, where again Sugandhar and K. J. Samuel were re-elected as the Deputy Moderator and Moderator.

XXIX session: 2004, Bangalore

During the XXIX Synod of the CSI held in Bangalore from 10 to 14 January 2004 hosted by the Karnataka Central Diocese, Sugandhar was elected as Moderator of the CSI replacing his predecessor K. J. Samuel[42] and S. Vasantha Kumar was elected as the Deputy Moderator in place of Sugandhar.

XXX session: 2006, Mysore

In the XXX Synod held in Mysore[41] in 2006,[41] hosted by the Karnataka Southern Diocese, he was re-elected as the Moderator while his deputy, S. Vasantha Kumar retained his place.

In the 31st Synod held in Visakhapatnam in January 2008,[43] fresh elections paved way for a new Moderator Bishop J. W. Gladstone to be elected in place of Bishop Sugandhar.

Other initiatives

Sugandhar represented the CSI as a delegate for the EMS Mission Council in 2002[44] and was also elected as president, CSI Council of North America in 2005.[45]

Lambeth Conferences: 1998 and 2008

As a member of the Church of South India, Sugandhar as bishop-in-Medak, participated in the decennial Lambeth Conferences held in England in 1998 and 2008, presided by then Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey and Rowan Williams respectively.

Honours

The Throne of Grace Theological Seminary and Ministries Inc. (International),[46] Hyderabad conferred the degree of D.Min. on the Bishop.[47] The degrees issued by this unaccredited seminary are only nominal.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 K. M. George, Church of South India: Life in Union, 1947-1997, Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge/Christava Sahitya Samithi, New Delhi/Tiruvalla, 1999, p.56.
  2. ↑ The Episcopal Church Annual, Morehouse-Barlow, New York, 2003, p.478.
  3. 1 2 The Hindu, Hyderabad Edition, Ex-moderator of CSI no more, 6.12.2017.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Deccan Chronicle, Hyderabad Edition, Obituaries, 6.12.2017. Archived 6 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ↑ The Church of England Yearbook 2007, Volume 123, 2007, p.404.
  6. ↑ Times of India Hyderabad edition, Former CSI moderator passes away, 7.12.2017.
  7. 1 2 "Church of St. John the Baptist, Official Site". Archived from the original on 8 May 2008. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  8. ↑ The Europa World Year Book 2008, 2008, p.2216
  9. ↑ P. Victor Premasagar, Salvation in the Old Testament, Indian Journal of Theology, Volume 18, Issue 2-3, April–September 1969, pp.197-205.
  10. ↑ Adam Clapham, Beware Falling Coconuts, Rupa & Co., New Delhi, 2007, p.68.
  11. ↑ The Europa World Year Book, Volume 1, 2007, p.2213
  12. 1 2 Church of South India Synod, Bishop B. P. Sugandhar, the former Moderator of the Church of South India, Passes Away, Tuesday, 5.12.2017.
  13. ↑ Conference of Catholic Bishops of India, Official Web Site
  14. 1 2 3 The Mississauga Meeting The Vatican, the Roman Curia, Pontifical Councils, 19 May 2000
  15. 1 2 G. Babu Rao (Compiled), Bibliography of the writings of Victor Premasagar in H. S. Wilson (Edited), The Church on the Move: A Quest to Affirm the Biblical Faith - Essays in honour of P. Victor Premasagar, Christian Literature Society, Madras, 1988, p.160.
  16. ↑ Guide to Indian Periodical Literature, Volume 23, 1989, p.57
  17. ↑ R.Yesurathnam, A Christian Dialogical Theology: The Contribution of Swami Abhishiktananda, Punthi Pustak, Calcutta, 2006.
  18. ↑ Ch. Vasantha Rao, Let the Mother Bird Go: Preservation Motif in Pentateuch, ISPCK, New Delhi, 2007.
  19. ↑ Ch. Vasantha Rao, Animal Rights and Animal Laws in the Bible: The Daily Practice of Reverence for Life, Edwin Mellen Press, Lewiston, 2013.
  20. ↑ Sowing Circle - The bulletin of the Bible Society of India, Volume 13, Number 3, September–December 1998, p.14.
  21. ↑ Sowing Circle, A Bulletin of the Bible Society of India, Volume 15, Number 1, January–April 2000 (For Private Circulation), Bengaluru. pp.24-25.
  22. ↑ "Christian Medical College – List of Authorized Signatories". Archived from the original on 30 December 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  23. ↑ The Hindu, Andhra Pradesh, 12.6.2004.
  24. 1 2 Kenneth E. Gill, Count us Equal : The Ministry of Women in the Church of South India, Association of Theologically Trained Women in India, 1990. pp.48–49.
  25. ↑ Church of South India ordains Kerala's first Woman Priest in The Union of Catholic Asian News (UCAN), June 06 1989.
  26. ↑ Church of South India Synod, Medak Ministerial Roll.
  27. 1 2 3 ATTWI Handbook
  28. ↑ B. P. Sugandhar, Resources for Mission in Local Congregations in H. S. Wilson (Edited), The Church on the Move: A Quest to Affirm the Biblical Faith - Essays in honour of P. Victor Premasagar, Christian Literature Society, Madras, 1988, pp.145-ff.
  29. ↑ B. P. Sugandhar, Ecumenism: Creation's greatest challenge in Vinod Victor, Leslie Nathaniel (Edited), Ecumenism: prospects and challenges: festschrift to the Rev. G. Dyvasirvadam, ISPCK, New Delhi, 2001.
  30. ↑ 1996 IVAD SC 437, 1996 (74) FLR 1927, JT 1996 (6) SC 221, (1996) IILLJ 936 SC, 1996 (3) SCALE 701, (1996) 4 SCC 406, 1996 Supp 1 SCR 247.
  31. ↑ Ejaz Ahmad, Ashoka's service laws in India: as viewed by Supreme Court regarding private sector & government sector, Ashoka Law House, New Delhi, 1998, p.462.
  32. ↑ C. S. Venkatasubramanian, Supreme Court Civil Cases: Part 1, 1996, 1997 & 1998, Vibhuvan Printers, 2000, p.64.
  33. ↑ P. K. Basu Majumdar, Law of Domestic Enquiry, Universal Law Publishing Company Private Limited, New Delhi, 2010, p.26.
  34. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 K. M. Hiwale (Compiled), Directory of the United Theological College 1910–1997, Bangalore, 1997. Past students of the graduate course, p.36.
  35. ↑ V. C. Samuel, Some Facts About the Alexandrine Christology, Indian Journal of Theology, Volume 11, Issue 4, October–December 1962, pp.136-142.
  36. ↑ Friar Gerwin Van Leeuwen, Fully Indian - Authentically Christian, Province of St. Thomas the Apostle in India, Bangalore, 2002.
  37. ↑ 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.
  38. ↑ 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.
  39. ↑ Samson Prabhakar, Together with People: Essays in honour of Rev. D. S. Satyaranjan, BTESSC / SATHRI, Bangalore, 2004.
  40. 1 2 3 4 CCA News, Volume 35, Number 1, March 2000, p.16.
  41. 1 2 3 4 Order of Service for Church of South India 70th Anniversary Celebrations, 2017.
  42. ↑ The Times of India Bangalore, 15 January 2004
  43. ↑ Net India 123 Bishop Gladstone New CSI Moderator, 13 January 2008, Visakhapatnam
  44. ↑ Minutes of the EMS Mission Council November 07/08, and 10 to 12, 2002 in Neustadt / Palatinate
  45. ↑ CSI Newsletter Vol. 7 / Issue 29 / 25 August 2005
  46. ↑ Throne of Grace Ministries
  47. ↑ However, the said Seminary is neither accredited by nor affiliated to any Indian Accrediting Agency or University. Neither is it accredited by any foreign agency. It is only the AEGA which is affiliated to the Evangel Christian University of America which in turn was accredited by Transworld Accrediting Commission with base in California

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