Sanki John Theodore

Bishop Emeritus Sanki John Theodore was the fourth Bishop-in-Karimnagar Diocese of the Church of South India.

Bishop Emeritus Sanki John Theodore CSI
Bishop Emeritus – in – Karimnagar
Church	Christian
Diocese	Karimnagar
See	Church of South India
In office	1992[1]-2007[2]
Predecessor	K. E. Swamidass
Successor	P. Surya Prakash
Orders
Consecration	by The Most Reverend Bird Ryder Devapriyam, Moderator, The Right Reverend Jason S. Dharmaraj, Deputy Moderator[3]
Personal details
Previous post	Pastor, Diocese of Karimnagar, Church of South India (1970–1992) Visiting Professor of Old Testament, Andhra Christian Theological College, Hyderabad(1980-1984)

Studies

John Theodore's[4] spiritual formation was at the United Theological College, Bangalore affiliated to India's first[5] University, the Senate of Serampore College (University) {a University under Section 2 (f) of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956}[6]with degree-granting authority validated by a Danish Charter and ratified by the Government of West Bengal where he studied the graduate degree of Bachelor of Divinity from 1966-1970.

After a two-year ministerial work, Theodore again studied from 1972-1974 enrolling for a postgraduate degree of Master of Theology[4] specializing in Old Testament under E. C. John G. M. Butterworth, and Gerhard Wehmeier, working out a dissertation entitled The concept of creation in the Book of Deutero-Isaiah[7] at the United Theological College, Bangalore.[4] Theodore was part the pioneer group of postgraduate students who specialised in Old Testament comprising A. P. Chacko, Basil Rebera, G. Babu Rao, N. K. Achumi, and Timotheas Hembrom. Theodore's graduate and post-graduate degrees were awarded by the University during the Registrarship of Chetti Devasahayam.

Ministry and Teaching

Ever since his return in 1970 from the Protestant Seminary in Bangalore, Theodore began to minister parishes in the Dornakal Diocese of the Church of South India until its bifurcation resulting in the creation of Karimnagar Diocese of the Church of South India in 1978[3] on account of which he was reassigned to the ecclesiastical Diocese of Karimnagar.

Bishopric

In 1992, the bishopric of Karimnagar led by K. E. Swamidass fell vacant due to his resignation on attaining superannuation. In the resulting elections that were conducted by the Church of South India Synod, the name of John Theodore came into the panel of three probable Bishops for Karimnagar. Bird Ryder Devapriam then Moderator of the Church of South India Synod announced the appointment of Sanki John Theodore as the fourth Bishop-in-Karimnagar. Bird Ryder Devapriyam principally consecrated[1] John Theodore as Bishop - in - Karimnagar at the CSI-Wesley Cathedral, Karimnagar in the presence of Jason S. Dharmaraj, the Deputy Moderator, Victor Premasagar,[1] Bishop - in - Medak, Bishop T. B. D. Prakasa Rao[1] from the Diocese of Krishna-Godavari and three patriarchs of Karimnagar Diocese, B. Prabhudass,[1] G. B. Devasahayam[1] and K. E. Swamidass.[1]

During Theodore's bishopric from 1992-2007, he attended the thirteenth Lambeth Conference presided by George Carey then Archbishop of Canterbury. In 2007, Theodore retired on attaining superannuation causing a sede vacante. The Church of South India Synod announced the appointment of P. Surya Prakash of the adjoining Diocese of Medak.

References

1. National Council of Churches Review, Volume 113, 1993, p.193
2. The Church of England Yearbook, Volume 123, General Synod Church Information Office and Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2007, p.405.
3. K. M. George, Church of South India: life in union, 1947–1997, Jointly published by Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge and Christava Sahitya Samithi, Tiruvalla, 1999, pp.34-36, 111.
4. K. M. Hiwale (Compiled), Directory of the United Theological College 1910-1997, Bangalore, 1997. pp.38 and 109
5. Sankar Ray, The Hindu (Business Line), 11 April 2008 Almost a century later, the charter was endorsed officially under the Bengal Govt Act IV of 1918. Internet, accessed 30 November 2008.
6. The Senate of Serampore College (University) is a University within the meaning of Section 2 (f) of the UGC Act, 1956 under which a University means a University established or incorporated by or under a Central Act, a Provincial Act or a State Act, and includes any such institution as may, in consultation with the University concerned, be recoginsed by the Commission in accordance with the regulations made in this behalf under this Act. The UGC took the opinion that the Senate fell under the purview of Section 2 (f) of the said Act since The Serampore College Act, 1918 was passed by the Government of West Bengal.
7. S. J. Theodore, The concept of creation in the Book of Deutero-Isaiah in Thesis Titles, Board of Theological Education of the Senate of Serampore College, Bangalore, 1991.

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.