Peter Sugandhar

The CSI-Medak Cathedral in Medak - it was here that Sugandhar was ordained in 1969 by Bishop H. D. L. Abraham. B. P. Sugandhar (28 September 1943 was the fifth successor of Frank Whittaker as Bishop - in - Medak coinciding with the archbishoprics of Samineni Arulappa and Marampudi Joji of the Archdiocese of Hyderabad.

It was in 1992 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 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 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 died on Tuesday, 5 December 2017 in his quarters in West Marredpally, Secunderabad. 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. 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 CBCNC 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 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. and Dr. Theol 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 in the 1990s followed by G. Babu Rao, CBCNC 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 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.

Gender equality in ordination of Pastors It was in 1970 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 followed and efforts were made by the CSI-Synod to overcome them, leading to full-fledged ordination of women in 1982 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, and its president, Navamani Elia Peter, MCI. – this essay was contributed to the volume honouring the Old Testament Scholar, Victor Premasagar's ministry for which a commemorative volume (fetschrift) was edited by H. S. Wilson, 2001, Ecumenism: Creation's greatest challenge, – Sugandhar wrote an essay honouring the contribution of the Systematic Theologian G. Dyvasirvadam.

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. 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 by then juridical experts and the case law continues to be used as a citation in the courts of law.

Studies and ministerial formation Seminarian: 1964-1968

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 to the United Theological College, Bangalore, an affiliated institution of the Senate of Serampore College (University). Sugandhar underwent a four-year 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, OFM also began studying at the UTC, Bangalore during 1966–1968, University, the Senate of Serampore College (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. 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.

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.

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. the CSI Synod was held in Secunderabad by the Diocese of East Kerala in Melukavu 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 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 and was also elected as president, CSI Council of North America in 2005.

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), Hyderabad conferred the degree of D.Min. on the Bishop. The degrees issued by this unaccredited seminary are only nominal.