T. B. D. Prakasa Rao

Bishop T. B. D. Prakasa Rao (born 17 December 1939; died 30 May 2018) - 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.

Prakasa Rao earlier led the Bible Society of India Andhra Pradesh Auxiliary from 1976 through 1981 especially during the period when common language 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, 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 Rao together with his graduate companion S. Israel. 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. CSI, Ministerial Secretary of the Medak Diocese, where the Church Historian B. C. Paul, 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 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 where he underwent ministerial formation in spirituality under notable faculty comprising The Rev. Sigfrid Estborn, who was teaching Ecumenism, The Rev. P. David teaching Religions, and The Rev. R. A. Martin 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

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, 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, 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. for the Clergy retreats as early as 1995 the J. Sikile School in 1984 at Narsapur.

In 1992, Prakasa Rao took part in the consecration of the Old Testament Scholar, S. John Theodore as the fourth Bishop - in - Karimnagar held at the CSI-Wesley Cathedral in Karimnagar in the presence of Moderator Bird Ryder Devapriam and Deputy Moderator Jason Dharmaraj, Bishop Victor Premasagar, Bishops Emeriti Bobbili Prabhudass,

After nearly two decades of Bishopric, Rao sought voluntary retirement and vacated the Cathedra in 2001 leading to sede vacante following which the Church of South India Synod huddled and conducted elections resulting in the unanimous election and appointment of the Systematic theologian G. Dyvasirvadam as G. D. V. Prasad, a companion of Dyvasirvadam, refrained from contesting in order to facilitate G. Dyvasirvadam to be appointed as Bishop setting an unparalleled precedent.

Decennial Lambeth Conferences As a bishop of the Church of South India, part of the Anglican Consultative Council, Rao was entitled to attend the decennial Lambeth Conferences presided by the Archbishop of Canterbury. During the bishopric of Rao from 1981 through 2001 as Bishop - in - Krishna-Godavari Diocese, he had attended the twelfth and the thirteenth Lambeth Conferences in 1988 and 1998 presided by Robert Runcie and George Carey respectively.

Biennial Synods

During the academic year 1995–1996, Prakasa Rao was elected as chairperson of the Board of Governors of the college during the Principalship of the Systematic theologian The Rev. R. Yesurathnam, CSI. After two decades of governorship at the college, Rao resigned from the Board of Governors in 2001 due to his voluntary retirement the Centre for Religious Studies at the State-run Andhra University, Waltair felicitated Prakasa Rao in his capacity as Bishop - in - Krishna-Godavari.

Prakasa Rao died on 30 May 2018, in Hyderabad and was buried with full ecclesiastical honours on 1 June 2018 at the CSI-Garrison Wesley Church Cemetery at Karkhana, Secunderabad.