Govada Dyvasirvadam

Govada Dyvasirvadam (born 28 March 1951) is Bishop Emeritus of Krishna-Godavari Diocese of the Church of South India (which incorporates Anglicans, Methodists, and Presbyterians).[1]

Govada Dyvasirvadam
Bishop Emeritus, Krishna-Godavari Diocese of the Church of South India
ChurchChurch of South India
DioceseDiocese of Krishna-Godavari
SeeChurch of South India
In office2002–2018
PredecessorT. B. D. Prakasa Rao
SuccessorT. George Cornelious
Orders
Ordination16 June 1979 (as Deacon);
16 December 1979 (as Priest)
by As Deacon by Bishop Henry Lazarus; As Priest by Bishop H. D. L. Abraham
Consecration24 November 2002
by K. J. Samuel
RankBishop
Personal details
Born28 March 1951
Challapalli, Andhra Pradesh
Previous postGeneral Secretary of the Church of South India

St. Andrew's Cathedral in Machilipatnam was 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.[2]

Dyvasirvadam was also a member of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches headquartered in Geneva[3] as well as a member of the General Committee of the Christian Conference of Asia headquartered in Thailand.[4]

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.[5] Schooling was in Krishna and West Godavari districts. He had been an alumnus of Sreemanthu Raja Higher Secondary School, Challapalli in Krishna District and the Municipal School in Eluru in West Godavari District.

Dyvasirvadam later did his college studies in A.V.N. College (established in 1860), one of the oldest institutes in Visakhapatnam.

Dyvasirvadam also pursued post-graduate studies in Noble College, Machilipatnam and was inspired by the then Bishop in Krishna-Godavari, N. D. Ananda Rao Samuel.

Ordination and pastorship

After studying at the Bishop's College in Calcutta, the Diocese of Krishna Godavari first posted Dyvasirvadam to Kanumolu near Hanuman Junction in Krishna District.[5]

In March 1978, Dyvasirvadam was ordained by Bishop Henry Lazarus as a deacon in the St. Andrew's Church in Machilipatnam.[6] Later, he was posted to Christ Church in Eluru in West Godavari District. The then Moderator's Commissary, H. D. L. Abraham (Bishop in Medak) ordained him as a priest.

Higher studies and professorship

With interest to pursue higher studies in theology, the Diocese granted Dyvasirvadam study leave. Dyvasirvadam proceeded to the United Theological College, Bangalore, [the only autonomous college under the Senate of Serampore College] and enrolled himself for the post-graduate degree of Master of Theology (M. Th.) in the discipline of Systematic Theology studying between the years 1982–1984[7] and worked out a dissertation entitled Eschatological motifs in process theologies[8] under the Principalship of Joshua Russell Chandran[9]

After successful completion of post-graduate studies in theology, his diocese assigned Dyvasirvadam a teaching task at the ecumenical Andhra Christian Theological College in Hyderabad in which his diocese is a participating member.[10] Dyvasirvadam taught Systematic theology to students pursuing Bachelor of Theology (B.Th.) and Bachelor of Divinity (BD) degrees.

Research

Later, on invitation from the UTC, Bangalore, Dyvasirvadam 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.[11]

Synod of the CSI

In 1992, Dyvasirvadam was recalled to the Church of South India Society by then Moderator, Bird Ryder Devapriam and was assigned the responsibility of overseeing pastoral concerns and became Director of the Pastoral Aid Department of the Church of South India Synod, Chennai.

The biennial Synod of the CSI elected Dyvasirvadam as its general secretary in 1998 in Arogyavaram in Chittoor District, succeeding George Koshy.[12] He was re-elected unanimously in the Synod of 2000 in Secunderabad and in the Synod of 2002 in Melukavumattam.

Dyvasirvadam has been elected as the Deputy Moderator of CSI in the Synod of 2012 at Kanyakumari.

Dyvasirvadam has been elected as the Moderator of CSI in the Synod of 2014 at Vijayawada.

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 T. B. D. Prakasa Rao,[12] Dyvasirvadam was elected unopposed. Subsequently, the cathedral was shifted to Machilipatnam.

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

Honours

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

References

  1. Anglican Communion, Provincial Directory: Krishna-Godavari
  2. Vinod Victor in Vinod Victor, Leslie Nathaniel (Eds.), Ecumenism: Prospects and Challenges – A Festschrift to the Rev. G. Dyvasirvadam, Indian Society for Promotion of Christian Knowledge (ISPCK), New Delhi, 2001, pp.xxix – xxxiv
  3. 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
  4. The eleventh assembly of the CCA held in Indonesia from 2–6 June 2000 elected Dyvasirvadam as a member of its general committee. Archived 16 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Vinod Victor, Leslie Nathaniel (Eds.), op. cit.
  6. Ibid.
  7. K. M. Hiwale (Compiled), Directory of the United Theological College 1910–1997, Bangalore, 1997. Past students, postgraduate course, p.119.
  8. G. Dyvasirvadam, Eschatological motifs in process theologies in Thesis Titles, Board of Theological Education of the Senate of Serampore College, Bangalore, 1991
  9. Ibid.
  10. Ibid.
  11. Vinod Victor, Leslie Nathaniel (et al.), op. cit.
  12. 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.

Further reading

  • Thompson, A. Frank (1997). The Bairagi Madonna: Leaves from a Calcutta Notebook, Indian Society for Promotion of Christian Knowledge (ISPCK), New Delhi. ISBN 81-7214-372-9.
Church of South India Ecclesiastical Titles
Preceded by
George KoshyLaity
1990–1998
General Secretary
Church of South India Synod
Chennai

1998–2002
Succeeded by
Pauline SathyamurthyLaity
2002–2008
Preceded by
T. B. D. Prakasa Rao, CSI
1981–2001
Bishop – in – Krishna Godavari
Machilipatnam

2002–2018
Succeeded by
T. George Cornelious, CSI
2018–present
Preceded by
G. Devakadasham, CSI
2010–2012
Deputy Moderator
Church of South India Synod

2012–2014
Succeeded by
Thomas K. Oommen, CSI
2014–2017
Preceded by
G. Devakadasham, CSI
2012–2014
Moderator
Church of South India Synod

2014–2017
Succeeded by
Thomas K. Oommen, CSI
2017–2019
Academic offices
Preceded by
R. Yesurathnam, CSI
B. J. Christie Kumar, STBC
Teacher – in – Systematic theology
Andhra Christian Theological College,
Secunderabad

1984–1992
Succeeded by
R. Yesurathnam, CSI
B. J. Christie Kumar, STBC
Honorary titles
Preceded by
P. Surya Prakash, CSI
2010–2015
Chairperson,
Henry Martin Insititute,
Hyderabad

2015–2019
Succeeded by
Geevarghese Mar Yulios
2019-present
Preceded by
K. Frederick Paradesi Babu, AELC
2013–2015
Chairperson, Board of Governors,
Andhra Christian Theological College,
Secunderabad

2015–2018
Succeeded by
R. R. D. Sajeeva Raju, STBC
Preceded by
B. P. Sugandhar, CSI
Chairperson,
United Theological College,
Bangalore

2003–2009
Succeeded by
P. Surya Prakash, CSI
2009–2012
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