P. Surya Prakash

P. Surya Prakash
Bishop – in – Karimnagar
Church	Christian
See	Church of South India
In office	2007–present
Predecessor	S. John Theodore
Successor	Incumbent
Orders
Ordination	31 July 1977, Medak
Consecration	26 March 2007
Personal details
Born	28 February 1949 Dudgaon, Nizamabad District, Andhra Pradesh
Previous post	Presbyter – in – Charge, Church of St. John the Baptist, Secunderabad

The Right Reverend P. Surya Prakash is the Bishop of the Karimnagar Diocese of the Church of South India.^[1] The Cathedra of the Bishop is placed in Wesley Cathedral in Karimnagar.

Surya Prakash also served as a Council Member^[2] of the Council of Senate of Serampore College, India's first^[3] University (a University under Section 2 (f) of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956^[4])with degree-granting authority validated by a Danish Charter and ratified by the Government of West Bengal.

Early years

Surya Prakash was born in Dudgaon in Nizamabad District in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India to Smt. Guyyani Sundaramma and Sri Perumalla Prakasham who realised the need for education and sent him to Wesley Boys High School, Secunderabad from where he completed schooling and pre-university studies in 1968. Thereafter he enrolled at the Nizam College under Osmania University and earned a degree (BA) in English in 1972.

Prakash is a communicant member of the Diocese of Medak of the Church of South India.

Divinity

During the incumbency of H. D. L. Abraham,^[5] then Bishop – in – Medak (1968–1975), Surya Prakash evinced interest in pursuing a priestly vocation and was sent to the United Theological College, Bengaluru in 1972.^[6] The College was then headed by Joshua Russell Chandran. Surya Prakash completed the graduate degree of Bachelor of Divinity (B. D.) in 1976 during the Registrarship of D. S. Satyaranjan at Bengaluru.^[7] Christopher Asir and J. W. Gladstone presently heading the Church of South India while also pursuing theology at the same College during that period.^[8]

Ordination & Pastorship

Soon after Surya Prakash's return to his Diocese, he was assigned a Deacon's role in Parishes of the Diocese of Medak. He was posted at Varni^[9] near Nizamabad and was ordained later by the then Bishop – in – Medak, B. G. Prasada Rao (1976–1981) as a Presbyter on 31 July 1977 in the Medak Cathedral in Medak^[10] after which he was made Presbyter – in – Charge in Adilabad.

Higher Studies

Post-graduate

Prakash wanted to pursue further studies in theology and was again sent to the United Theological College, Bengaluru where he enrolled for the post-graduate degree of Master of Theology (M. Th.) in the discipline of New Testament in 1980^[11] and studied under J. G. F. Collison^[12] and K. James Carl then Professors of New Testament. However, Surya Prakash managed to be in the good books of Professor Collison by adhering to the tough scholarly regimen stipulated by his Professors. This was during the time that the Old Testament Scholar G. Babu Rao began doctoral studies in Bengaluru.^[13] Prakash's classmates included Prasanna Kumari Samuel^[14] of the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Surya Prakash also went to Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts and had an exposure at the Boston University School of Theology^[10] where he was also Student Chaplain at the United Methodist Church of All Nations^[15]

By the year 1982, Surya Prakash was awarded an M. Th.^[10] in New Testament by the Senate of Serampore College.

Prakash was then re-assigned a ministerial role in the Diocese of Medak as Presbyter – in – Charge in Bellampalli.

Research

In the year 1987, during the Bishopric of Victor Premasagar (1982–1992), the Old Testament Scholar, Surya Prakash was sent for higher studies to Bielefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany^[11] where he pursued a doctoral degree (Dr. Theol.) in Homiletics under the India-born Traugott Stählin^[16] at the Kirchliche Hochschule Bethel.^[17]

The dissertation submitted was entitled "The Preaching of Sadhu Sundar Singh: A Homiletic Analysis of Independent Preaching and Personal Christianity" which was later published in 1991.^[18]

Professorship

The United Theological College, Bengaluru, then under the Principalship of the Biblical Scholar (Old Testament) E. C. John, Dr. Theol. (Heidelberg), invited Surya Prakash to serve on its faculty. Surya Prakash taught Practical Theology from 1991 – 2000.^[10] Prakash continued to don the priestly mantle. He was Associate Presbyter at St. Peter's Telugu Church,^[19] Mission Road and at St. Marks Cathedral,^[20] Mahatma Gandhi Road, Bangalore.

In 1993 during the Principalship of Gnana Robinson Prakash was sent to Princeton Theological Seminary, New Jersey for a course in Speech Communication in Ministry and Worship^[21]

Sabbatical

During the academic year 1997 – 1998, the Professor went on a sabbatical as Visiting Professor to San Francisco Theological Seminary, San Anselmo and thereafter to Germany to the historical Mission Seminary in Hermannsburg. He also taught at his alma mater Kirchliche Hochschule Bethel, Bielefeld before returning to Bengaluru.

Stint at EMS

While teaching at the Seminary in Bengaluru, the Evangelisches Missionswerk in Südwestdeutschland (EMS) – (Association of Churches and Missions in South Western Germany), Stuttgart invited^[10] Surya Prakash to be its Liaison Secretary^[22] for India in 2000.^[23] The then Principal of the Seminary, O. V. Jathanna^[24] relieved him while the Diocese of Medak under B. P. Sugandhar (1993–2008) loaned the services of Surya Prakash to the EMS, Stuttgart. Surya Prakash began monitoring partnership between the EMS and the Church of South India. He was also made the Deputy General Secretary of the EMS^[10] in 2002.

While at Stuttgart, Surya Prakash was also on the Chaplaincy^[25] of St. Catherine's Church.^[26]

With the end of the term of Surya Prakash at the EMS, he returned to Medak Diocese in 2005 and was made Presbyter-in-Charge of Church of St. John the Baptist, Secunderabad.^[10]

Bishopric

The Diocese of Karimnagar had seen four Bishop's since its erection post 1950. Bishops B. Prabhudass, G. B. Devasahayam, K. E. Swamidass and John Theodore provided stable leadership.

The current predecessor S. John Theodore, M. Th. (Serampore), is a Biblical Scholar who pursued post-graduate studies in Old Testament at the Seminary in Bengaluru under E. C. John as early as 1973.

Theodore also happens to be a member^[27] of the Society for Biblical Studies in India in which Surya Prakash is also a member. On attaining superannuation, John Theodore vacated the seat as Bishop in Karimnagar paving way for fresh elections.

Surya Prakash, although belonging to the neighbouring Medak Diocese, contested and was elected unopposed. The then Moderator of the Church of South India, B. P. Sugandhar principally consecrated^[28] Surya Prakash as Bishop – in – Karimnagar on 26 March 2007 at the Wesley Cathedral, Karimnagar.

Lambeth Conference

The Church of South India (CSI)is an autonomous body in the Anglican Communion headed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Lambeth. Bishop's of the CSI also participate in the decennial Lambeth Conference. Bishop Surya Prakash attended the fourteenth Lambeth Conference held at the University of Kent, Kent from 16 July – 3 August 2008.

References

Further reading

• Anantha Sudhaker Bobbili (2000). "The Road from Poodur in Biographical Passages: Essays in Victorian and Modernist Biography : Honouring Mary M. Lago, University of Missouri, North America". ISBN 978-0-8262-1256-6. 
• Rajaiah David Paul (1958). "The First Decade: An Account of the Church of South India, Christian Literature Society, Chennai". ISBN 978-0-8262-1256-6. 

Religious titles
Preceded by S. John Theodore	Bishop – in – Karimnagar Church of South India 2007–	Succeeded by Incumbent