Baptist Theological Seminary Explained

Baptist Theological Seminary, Kakinada
Native Name:	Seminary
Established:	^[1]
Type:	Baptist Seminary
Affiliation:	Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars
City:	Church Square, Jagannaickpur, Kakinada 533 002, Kakinada district, Andhra Pradesh, India
Coor:	16.9375°N 82.2383°W
Dean:	The Reverend K. J. Emmanuel, CBCNC (Chairperson of the Seminary Council)
Head Label:	Principal
Head:	Rev. K. Ranjit Kumar,^[2] ^[3] CBCNC
Academic Staff:	3+

Baptist Theological Seminary is a Baptist seminary located in Jagannaickpur, Church Square, Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh, India. It is affiliated with the Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars.

History

The Seminary was founded in Samalkot in 1882 by the Canadian Baptist Mission, under the stewardship of the John McLaurin. ^[4] In 1912, the Seminary was shifted from Samalkot to Kakinada. However, in 1920, the Seminary closed and was merged with the Ramayapatnam Baptist Theological Seminary and a joint faculty comprising the American Baptists and the Canadian Baptists began taking classes. In 1928, the Seminary was reopened in Kakinada and the faculty were recalled from Ramayapatnam.

In the beginning, in 1949, the seminary was affiliated to the Senate of Serampore College (University).^{[5] [6]} However, with the formation of the Andhra Christian Theological College (ACTC) in 1964, the seminary began sending its students for Bachelor of Theology and Bachelor of Divinity to ACTC. After the formation of ACTC, an ecumenical seminary in Rajahmundry in 1964, the BTS got itself amalgamated into it in 1964 for Senate approved courses. The BTS began offering self-managed and operated Graduate of Theology courses under the seal of the Seminary Council since then.

In 1964 the Seminary moved to Rajahmundry in the campus of the Lutheran Theological Seminary.^[7] With the formation of the ecumenical seminary – Andhra Christian Theological College in 1964, the B.Th. and B.D. classes were moved in 1964^[8] to it while the Seminary retained the stand-alone diploma courses.

The BTS was upgraded from S. Th to B. Th in August 2015.

Members of faculty

Present (resident and visiting)

• The Rev. N. Leela Grace,^[9] CBCNC, Faculty member,
• The Rev. B. Devasahayam,^[10] CBCNC, Faculty member,
• The Rev. B. Theophilus, CBCNC, Faculty member,
• The Rev. Vara Joseph Deepak Raj Kumar,^[11] CBCNC, Faculty member,
• The Rev. K. Ranjit Kumar,^[12] CBCNC, Faculty member and Principal,
• The Rev. P. V. Raja Babu, CBCNC, Faculty member

Past

Resident

• Prof. M. Theophilus, CBCNC,
• The Rev. B. Arjuna Rao, CBCNC,
• The Rev. T. Theophilus, CBCNC,
• The Rev. G. Noah Raju, CBCNC,
• The Rev. G. S. Albert Ezekiel,^[13] CBCNC,
• The Rev. K. P. Israel, CBCNC,
• The Rev. I. Samuel, CBCNC,
• The Rev. C. L. Timpany, CBM
• The Rev. J. I. Richardson, CBM

Visiting

• The Rev. K. David,^[14] CBCNC,
• The Rev. G. Babu Rao,^[15] CBCNC,
• The Rev. D. J. Jeremiah,^[16] CBCNC,
• The Rev. K. D. G. Prakasa Rao,^[17] CBCNC,
• The Rev. Paul Carter,^[18] CBM

Succession of seminary principals

Period	Succession of Administrators at CBM-Baptist Theological Seminary, Kakinada	Academic Credentials (earned)
1882^[19] -1887^[20]	The Rev. John McLaurin, CBM	B.A. (Canadian Literary Institute)^[21]
1888-1898	The Rev. H. E. Stillwell,^[22] CBM	B. A.
1899-1905	The Rev. John Craig, CBM	B. A. (Toronto)^[23]
1912-1920	The Rev. H. B. Cross,^[24] CBM	B. A.
1926-1939	The Rev. J. B. McLaurin, CBM	B.A.,^[25] B.Th.^[26] M. A.
1939-1945	The Rev. Gordon P. Barss,^[27] CBM	B. A. (Acadia), B.D. (Rochester)
1945-1952	The Rev. Archibald Gordon, CBM	B. A. (Brandon), B. Th., (Brandon), B. D. (Toronto)
1952-1955	The Rev. C. Bhanumurthy,^[28] CBCNC	L.Th. (Serampore)
1955-1958	The Rev. A. B. Masilamani, CBCNC	L. Th. (Serampore), B. D. (Serampore), M.A. (Calcutta), Th.M. (Toronto), PhD (Osmania)
1958-1964	The Rev. Waldo Penner,^[29] CBM	B. A. (McMaster), B. D. (Berkeley), M. Th. (Berkeley)
1964-1966	The Rev. Victor Hahn, CBM	B. A. (McMaster), B. D. (McMaster), S.T.M. (ANTS)
1966-1968	The Rev. Paul Antrobus, CBM	B. A. (Brandon), B. D. (McMaster), PhD (Waterloo)
1968-1969	The Rev. T. Gnananandam, CBCNC	B. D. (Serampore), M. A. (Calcutta)
1975-1977	The Rev. Gordon D. Barss, CBM	B. A. (Acadia), B. D. (ANTS)
1977-1993^[30]	The Rev. S. E. Krupa Rao, CBCNC	L. Th. (Serampore), B. D. (Serampore), S.T.M. (UTS)
1993-2014	The Rev. C. L. Johnson, CBCNC	BSc (Andhra), B. D. (Serampore)
2014-2017	The Rev. P. V. Raja Babu, CBCNC	B. A. (Andhra), B.D. (Serampore)
2017-Present	The Rev. K. Ranjit Kumar, CBCNC	B. Com. (Andhra), M. A. (Andhra), B. D. (Serampore), M. Th (Serampore)

See also

• Eva Rose York Bible Training and Technical School for Women, Tuni
• Canadian Baptist Ministries, Canada
• Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars
• Andhra Christian Theological College, Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh
• Senate of Serampore College (University), Serampore, West Bengal

References

Notes

Further reading

• M.Th. . N. Surya Rao . The History of the Theological Training Institute at Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh 1882–1964. United Theological College, Bangalore . 1984 .
• M.Th. . D. J. Jeremiah . The Relationship of the Baptist Churches in Andhra Pradesh to the Church Union Movement in South India since 1919. Andhra Christian Theological College, Secunderabad . 1990 . 46565446 .
• M.Phil. . G. Beaulah Pearl Sunanda . An Insight into the History of the Canadian Baptist Mission in Andhra Pradesh (1874–1924). Madras Christian College, Madras . 1990.
• PhD . Martin Senftleben . Influences of Hinduism on Christianity in Andhra Pradesh. Sri Venkateshwara University, Tirupati . 1992 . I . 1 June 2006 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081209131403/http://www.drmartinus.de/bio/de/thesis1.pdf . 9 December 2008 .
• PhD . Influences of Hinduism on Christianity in Andhra Pradesh. Sri Venkateshwara University, Tirupati . 1992 . II . 1 June 2006 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081209131418/http://www.drmartinus.de/bio/de/thesis2.pdf . 9 December 2008 .

Notes and References

1. Orville E. Daniel, Rising Tides in India, Canadian Baptist Foreign Mission Board, 1963, p.91.https://books.google.com/books?id=J9YQAQAAIAAJ&q=baptist+theological+seminary+kakinada
2. Senate of Serampore College (University), Common Entrance Examination 2012 – Missiology.http://senateofseramporecollege.edu.in/docs/cetcandidate%20.htm
3. Gurukul Lutheran Theological College, Chennai Inter-Theologiate Seminar 2014.http://www.gltc.edu/projects/seminars/chennai-inter-theologiate-seminar/
4. Ministry of Home Affairs http://mha.nic.in/fd-ar0304/9.3Reported%20Associations%20for%202003-04%5CAndhra%20Pradesh.htm List of organizations
5. Indian Church History Review, Volume 13, Church History Association of India, 1979, p.77.https://books.google.com/books?id=wsTYAAAAMAAJ&q=albert+ezekiel+kakinada
6. Please refer to Andhra Christian Theological College – The Kretzmann Commission
7. Robert George Torbet, Venture of Faith: The Story of the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society and the Women's American Baptist Foreign Mission Society, 1814–1954, Judson Press, 1955. https://books.google.com/books?id=j0XPAAAAMAAJ&q=rajahmundry
8. Prospectus 1964 of the Andhra Christian Theological College, Printed by A. Nageswara Rao at Saraswathi Printing Press, Rajahmundry, 1969.
9. Senate of Serampore College (University), Statement of marks for M. Th. qualifying examination, 2013, p.13.http://www.senateofseramporecollege.edu.in/docs/mth_qual2013.pdf
10. The Rev. B. Devasahayam underwent ministerial formation at the Andhra Christian Theological College, Secunderabad where he took his B.D.http://www.senateofseramporecollege.edu.in/docs/senateminutes2012.pdf After a period of ecclesiastical ministry, Devasahayam pursued an M. Th. at the Gurukul Lutheran Theological College, Chennai where he studied Christian theologyhttp://www.senateofseramporecollege.edu.in/docs/mth_qual2013.pdf from 2013-2015 and attended the convocation of the University held at his alma mater, the Andhra Christian Theological College, Secunderabad in February 2016 where he was awarded a degree by the Master of the University, John Sadananda.
11. Senate of Serampore College (University), Madras Theological College and Seminary – Examination paper registration for B. D., 2013, p.1.http://www.senateofseramporecollege.edu.in/examregbd_2013/30BD.pdf
12. Senate of Serampore College (University), Teaching faculty.
13. Indian Church History Review, Volume 13, Church History Association of India, 1979. https://books.google.com/books?id=wsTYAAAAMAAJ&q=albert+ezekiel
14. K. David, The development of the concept of salvation in the Qumran Community and its significance for our understanding of salvation in the NT, Indian Journal of Theology, Volume 30, Issue 3-4, July–December 1981, pp.131-137.https://biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/ijt/30-3-4_131.pdf
15. [H. S. Wilson]
16. D. J. Jeremiah, Christian Ministerial Training in the Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars from 1882 to 1971. A B. D. thesis submitted to the Senate of Serampore College (University) through the Andhra Christian Theological College, Rajahmundry, 1971. Cited by W. G. Carder in On theological education in Andhra Pradesh of the Canadian Baptist Mission Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars 1880-1975 in Indian Church History Review, Volume 13, Issue 1, 1979, pp.70-84.https://books.google.com/books?id=wsTYAAAAMAAJ&q=jeremiah
17. See Succession of Principals in Andhra Christian Theological College.
18. Paul Carter pastors First Baptist Church, Orillia, Canada. Surge 2007, p. 12. http://www.frwy.ca/church/uploads/surge.pdf
19. Paul R. Dekar, Biographical note on John Bates Mclaurin pp.450–451 in Gerald H. Anderson Biographical Dictionary of Christian Missions, William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1999.https://books.google.com/books?id=oQ8BFk9K0ToC&dq=john+mclaurin+baptist+seminary&pg=PA450
20. John Craig, Forty Years Among the Telugus: A History of the Mission of the Baptists of Ontario and Quebec, Canada, to the Telugus, South India, 1867-1907, 1908, pp.123-178. https://books.google.com/books?id=RBlJAQAAMAAJ&q=H.E.stillwell+seminary
21. William H. Brackney, Biographical note on John McLaurin in Gerald H. Anderson (Edited), Biographical Dictionary of Christian Missions, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids/Cambridge, 1999, p.450.https://books.google.com/books?id=oQ8BFk9K0ToC&dq=john+mclaurin+cocanada&pg=PA450
22. M. L. Orchard, Canadian Baptists at Work in India, Published by Read Books, 2008.https://books.google.com/books?id=Ucw8fdwZg3wC&dq=cocanada+seminary&pg=PA97
23. https://books.google.com/books?id=-ZPQafrKFD4C&dq=john+craig+cocanada&pg=PA1181 University Monthly, Volume 10, 1910, p.377
24. Colin Campbell McLaurin, McLaurin (Eds.), Pioneering in Western Canada: A Story of the Baptists1 1854–1940, 1939. p.232. https://books.google.com/books?id=AU_SAAAAMAAJ&q=h.b.cross
25. Calendar, McMaster University, Hamilton, 1906, p.85.https://books.google.com/books?id=rz9WAAAAYAAJ&q=j.+b.+mclaurin
26. The Calendar, University of Calcutta, Calcutta, 1930, p.638.https://books.google.com/books?id=mWobAQAAIAAJ&q=j.b.mclaurin+M.A.
27. Stanley Reed (Ed.), The Times of India Directory and Year Book including Who's Who, Bennett and Coleman, 1922.https://books.google.com/books?id=kSEQ-ytZnN8C&q=gordon+p.barss+india
28. [R. R. Sundara Rao]
29. [Waldo Penner]
30. C. L. Johnson (Edited), Canadian Baptist Mission 125 years Jubilee Celebrations of Baptist Churches in Northern Circars, Baptist Theological Seminary, Kakinada, 1999, p.217-219.https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/433990749