G. Dyvasirvadam

infobox bishopbiog
name = G. Dyvasirvadam


religion=Christian
See =Church of South India| Title =Bishop - in - Krishna Godavari
Period = 2001—"Incumbent"
consecration = 24 November 2001
Predecessor = T. B. D. Prakasa Rao
Successor = "Incumbent"
post = General Secretary of the Church of South India
ordination = December 1979
date of birth = 28 March 1951
place of birth = Challapalli, Andhra Pradesh
date of death =
place of death=

G. Dyvasirvadam (born 28 March1951) is the Bishop-in-Krishna Godavari belonging to the Church of South India (CSI) "(incorporating Anglicans, Methodists, and Presbyterians)". [Anglican Communion, Provincial Directory: Krishna-Godavari [http://www.anglicancommunion.org/tour/diocese.cfm?Idind=496] ]

St. Andrew's Cathedral in Machilipatnam is the seat of the Bishop-in-Krishna Godavari.

Earlier, in 1998, Dyvasirvadam was elected as the General Secretary of the CSI, the youngest ever in the church's history. [Vinod Victor in Vinod Victor, Leslie Nathaniel (Eds.), "Ecumenism: Prospects and Challenges - A Fetschrift to the Rev. G. Dyvasirvadam", Indian Society for Promotion of Christian Knowledge (ISPCK), New Delhi, 2001, pp.xxix - xxxiv] .

The Bishop is well versed in Sanskrit as well as Telugu, Greek and English.

He was also a member of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches headquartered in Geneva. [The eighty assembly of the world council of churches held from 3 - 14 December 1998 in Harare, Zimbabwe elected a total of 37 members to its central committee [http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/assembly/ccmem.html] ] as well as a member of the General Committee of the Christian Conference of Asia headquartered in Thailand. [The eleventh assembly of the CCA held in Indonesia from 2-6 June 2000 elected Dyvasirvadam as a member of its general committee. [http://www.cca.org.hk/resources/archive/assembly/11ga/gamin.html] ]

Early years

Dyvasirvadam was born on 28 March 1951 in Challapalli in Krishna District. He was the tenth child of his parents, Rev. Govada Devamani and Smt. Suguna Sundaram [Vinod Victor, Leslie Nathaniel (Eds.), "op. cit."] . Schooling was in Krishna and West Godavari districts. He had been an "alma mater" of Sreemanthu Raja Higher Secondary School, Challapalli in Krishna District and the Municipal School in Eluru in West Godavari District.

He later did his college studies in A.V.N. College ("established in 1860"), one of the oldest institutes in Visakhapatnam. ["Ibid."] It may be mentioned that the Nobel laureate Sir C. V. Raman too studied in the same college.

Dyvasirvadam also pursued post-graduate studies in Noble College, Machilipatnam.

Divinity

Around this time, Dyvasirvadam had a "call" to serve God. The Diocese of Krishna Godavari sent him to the Bishop's College, Calcutta " [established in 1824 and affiliated to the Senate of Serampore College (University)] " [Bishop's College, Calcutta [http://bishopscollege.org/history.htm] ] where he studied under learned Professors.

The then Principal was Rev. P. B. Santram [Rev. Santram was also a member of the Society for Biblical Studies in India (SBSI) incorporating Biblical Scholars of the Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant traditions. In fact, in 1972, he was elected as an office-bearer of the SBSI.] During his studies there in Bishop's College, wearing of the cassocks was compulsory throughout the day. Rev. G. D. V. Prasad, the present Director - Translations of the Bible Society of India headquartered in Bangalore was a contemporary of Dyvasirvadam.

Ordination & Pastorship

After returning back from Bishop's College, the Diocese of Krishna Godavari first posted him to Kanumolu near Hanuman Junction in Krishna District [Vinod Victor, Leslie Nathaniel (Eds.), "op. cit."] .

In March 1978, he was ordained by Bishop Henry Lazarus as a Deacon in the St. Andrew's Church in Machilipatnam ["Ibid."] . Later, he was posted to Christ Church in Eluru in West Godavari District. The then Moderator's Commisary, The Right Reverend H. D. L. Abraham "(Bishop in Medak)" ordained him as a Priest.

Higher Studies & Professorship

With interest to pursue higher studies in theology, the Diocese granted him study leave. Dyvasirvadam proceeded to the United Theological College, Bangalore, " [the only autonomous college under the Senate of Serampore College (University)] " and enrolled himself for the post-graduate degree of Master of Theology (M. Th.) in the discipline of Systematic Theology. Rev. J. Russel Chandran was the Principal of UTC during that time. ["Ibid."]

After successful completion of post-graduate studies in theology, his diocese assigned him a teaching task at the ecumenical Andhra Christian Theological College in Hyderabad in which his diocese is a participating member. ["Ibid."]

Dyvasirvadam taught Systematic Theology to students pursuing Bachelor of Theology (B.Th.) and Bachelor of Divinity (B.D.). While at ACTC, he was disciplined, simple and student-friendly. However, he never compromised on indiscipline or laxity amongst the students. ["Ibid."] . His contemporaries in the discipline of Systematic Theology included Rev. B. J. Christie Kumar and Rev. Dr. R. Yesurathnam [Past & Present Faculty, Andhra Christian Theological College] . During the period in which Dyvasirvadam taught in ACTC, his colleague also included the Old Testament Scholar Rev. G. Babu Rao [G. Babu Rao taught in Serampore College and Andhra Christian Theological College. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Grbpradeep/Babu_Rao] ] .

Rev. Dyvasirvadam served in ACTC under three Principals, namely, Rev. Dr. K. David, Rev. Dr. S. Joseph, and Rev. Dr. M. Victor Paul [See Principals List of Andhra Christian Theological College] .

Research

Later, on invitation from the UTC, Bangalore, he went on study leave to serve as the Acting Registrar there. Subsequently, he enrolled for pursuing the doctoral degree (Doctor of Theology - D. Th.) in the South Asia Theological Research Institute (SATHRI) in Bangalore. He chose the discipline of Liberation Theology. [Vinod Victor, Leslie Nathaniel "(et. al.)", "op. cit."]

Subsequently, he went back to ACTC to resume his teaching responsibilities and became Warden.

=Synod of the CSI=

Director of Pastoral Aid Department

The then Moderator of the CSI the Most Reverend Ryder Devapriyam [See past faculty list of Andhra Christian Theological College. Also see successor of Victor Premasagar] invited Dyvasirvadam to serve as a Director in the Synod's Pastoral Aid Department [Vinod Victor, Leslie Nathaniel (Eds.), "op. cit."] .

General Secretary

The biennial Synod of the CSI elected Rev. Dyvasirvadam as its General Secretary in 1998 in Arogyavaram in Chittoor District. [Ibid."] He was again re-elected in the Synod of 2000 in Secunderabad.

Bishopric

The CSI Diocese of Krishna-Godavari is one of the largest extending from Ongole District in the south through Srikakulam District in the norther circars of Andhra Pradesh. Its Cathedral was first erected in Eluru and was subsequently shifted to Vijayawada. Earlier Bishop's who served in this diocese were notable and exemplary. Following the retirement of The Right Reverend T. B. D. Prakasa Rao, Rev. Dyvasirvadam contested and was elected unopposed. Subsequently, the Cathedral was shifted to Machilipatnam. St. Andrew's Church was consecrated as a Cathedral.

The Moderator of the CSI during that time was The Most Reverend K. J. Samuel who principally consecrated him in the St. Andrew's Cathedral in Machilipatnam.

Appraisal

*The Right Reverend K. J. Samuel cquote|.....Dyvasirvadam had been a terror to the distractors of the Church [K. J. Samuel in Vinod Victor, Leslie Nathaniel (Eds.), pp. ix-x]
*The Right Reverend B. P. Sugandhar,cquote|.....His contribution to the Church both as a theological teacher and a church leader has been tremendous [B. P. Sugandhar in Vinod Victor, Leslie Nathaniel (Eds.), pp. xi-xii]

Honours

In the year 2001, friends of the Bishop proceeded to write a 365-page "fetschrift" in his honour on the occasion of the completion of fifty years. Rev. Vinod Victor, Leslie Nathaniel and Rev. Dr. P. Surya Prakash edited the fetschrift.

Notable among the contributors include:
* Rev. Dr. Konrad Raiser
* Prof. Rev. Dr. Klaus Schaffer, New Testament Scholar
* Prof. Kim Yong Bock
* Rev. Hans S A Engdahl
* Hielke T. Wolters
* Dr.Paul Collins
* Dr. Matthews George Chunnakara
* Prof. Rev. M. Deenabandhu, B. D. (Serampore)
* Dr.Aruna Gnanadason
* Rev. Dr. Daniel Thyagaraja
* Prof. Rev. Dr. H. S. Wilson, Ph. D. (Drew)
* Rev. Dr. George Matthew Nallunackal
* Rev. Dr. Jaya Kiran Sebastian, Dr. Theol. (Hamburg), Professor in Theology & Ethics
* Dr.K. Rajaratnam, Ph. D. (London School of Economics)
* Prof. Dr. Monica Jyotsna Melanchton, Ph. D. (Chicago), Old Testament Scholar
* Prof. Rev. Dr. C. I. David Joy, Ph. D. (Birmingham), New Testament Scholar
* Rev. Dr. Daniel R. Premkumar, D. Th. (Serampore), Old Testament Scholar
* Prof. Rev. Dr. Ch. Vasantha Rao, Dr. Theol. (Hamburg), Old Testament Scholar
* The Most Reverend Dr. Prof. J. W. Gladstone, Dr. Theol. (Hamburg), Church Historian
* Bishop Dr. M. Azariah, B. D. (Serampore)
* Dr. Andrew Wingate
* Dr. Richard Devadoss
* Prof. Rev. Dr. M. Mani Chacko, Ph. D. (London), Old Testament Scholar
* Sr. Thankamma Varkhey, B. D. (Serampore)
* Prof. Rev. Dr. B. J. Christie Kumar, M. Th. (Serampore), Professor in Systematic Theology
* Prof. George Koshy
* Rev. C. V. Theodore, B. D. (Serampore)
* Rev. L. E. Sahanam, M. Th. (Serampore)
* Rev. B. D. Prasada Rao, B. D. (Serampore)
* Dr. Renuka Somashekar
* Rev. Suresh Kumar
* The Right Reverend G. Devakadasham, B. D. (Serampore)
* Captain Chakravarthy Bedford
* Rev. Ipe Joseph, B. D. (Serampore)
* Prof. Rev. Dr.D. Jones Muthunayagam, D. Th. (Serampore), Old Testament Scholar

Later, on his consecration as the Bishop-in-Krishna Godavari in 2001 in Machilipatnam, a well-wisher presented him with a copy of the Latin Vulgate.

References

Further reading

* cite journal
author=Vinod Victor, Leslie Nathaniel "(et. al.)"
title="Ecumenism: Prospects and Challenges - A Fetschrift to the Rev. G. Dyvasirvadam", Indian Society for Promotion of Christian Knowledge (ISPCK), New Delhi ISBN 81: 72146183.
year=2001
volume=
issue=
url =
* cite journal
author=Thompson, A. Frank
title="The Bairagi Madonna: Leaves from a Calcutta Notebook", Indian Society for Promotion of Christian Knowledge (ISPCK), New Delhi ISBN 10: 8172143729.
year=1997
volume=
issue=
url =http://www.abebooks.com/products/isbn/9788172143725/Thompson,+A.+Frank/The+Bairagi+Madonna:+Leaves+from+a+Calcutta+Notebook/