Lella Prakasam, CBCNC | |
Birth Place: | Andhra Pradesh |
Death Date: | 18 July 1998[1] |
Death Place: | Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh |
Occupation: | Auxiliary Secretary, Bible Society of India Andhra Pradesh Auxiliary |
Nationality: | Indian |
Congregations: | Ichchapuram, Sompeta, Tekkali, Visakhapatnam |
The Reverend |
L. Prakasam was a pastor of the Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars who served as the auxiliary secretary of the Bible Society of India Andhra Pradesh Auxiliary during the period 1982–1998,[2] the longest in the history of the auxiliary.
Prakasam belonged to the Krishna Association of the Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars and hailed from Akiveedu.[3]
The Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars posted Prakasam to parishes in the northern coastal area of Andhra Pradesh along the Bay of Bengal in Ichchapuram, Sompeta, Tekkali and Visakhapatnam.[3] Prakasam was Pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church, Visakhapatnam in 1980–1981.[1]
Prakasam first joined the Bible Society of India Andhra Pradesh Auxiliary during the tenure of the Auxiliary Secretary B. G. Prasada Rao in 1974 as Manager of the Bible House and Reading Room[4] in Waltair. In 1981, when the successive auxiliary secretary, T. B. D. Prakasa Rao was recalled by his church society, the vacant position was filled with the elevation of Prakasam as the auxiliary secretary of the Bible Society of India Andhra Pradesh Auxiliary, who moved over to Secunderabad. During the tenure of Prakasam, revisions of the Bible in the Telugu language were periodically held by the Old Testament scholars Graham Ogden, G. Babu Rao and G. D. V. Prasad and the New Testament scholar Jonadob Nathaniel from the Bible Society of India, Bangalore. Prakasam was also instrumental in the modernisation of the auxiliary, ensuring that the Translations, Distribution, and Resource Mobilisation areas were developed.
After serving nearly 17 years of distinguished work at the auxiliary, Prakasam breathed his last on 18 July 1998[1] in Visakhapatnam. To fill the unexpected void, the Bible Society of India appointed[5] Prakasam's confidant and Bible Society of India Andhra Pradesh Auxiliary Old Testament Common Language Translation Coordinator G. Babu Rao, who was a lecturer at the Andhra Christian Theological College, Secunderabad, and well versed with the Bible Society work as translator[6] since 1973[7] [8] from the period of B. G. Prasada Rao.